Oakland @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 15, 2012 ) Oakland 3, Seattle 5

The Oakland Athletics were close to seeing momentum get away before rookie catcher Derek Norris guaranteed they would retain it entering Monday’s series-opener against the host Seattle Mariners. The Athletics were one strike away from suffering a three-game sweep to the San Francisco Giants when Norris smashed a three-run homer – the first of his career – to give Oakland a dramatic 4-2 victory Sunday. The Athletics have won nine of 12 games, while Seattle has lost three of four.

The Mariners were blanked by the San Diego Padres on Sunday after scoring 32 runs over the previous four games. Seattle has the second-worst record in the American League and is trying to pick up ground on third-place Oakland, which is 4 1/2 games ahead of the Mariners in the AL West. Seattle went 4-1 against the Athletics in April. Oakland is beginning a seven-game road trip that concludes with four games against the first-place Texas Rangers. Norris got his first major-league hit Saturday against the Giants before topping that accomplishment in a huge way Sunday.

TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, Comcast SportsNet California (Oakland), ROOT (Seattle)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics LH Tommy Milone (7-5, 4.13 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Erasmo Ramirez (0-1, 5.40 ERA)

Milone pitched his first complete-game in his last outing when he held the Los Angeles Dodgers to one run and three hits. He had gone four starts without a victory prior to the solid effort. Milone is just 2-4 with a 7.42 ERA in eight road games. He lost in Seattle on April 14 in his only career appearance against the Mariners, giving up four runs and four hits in six innings.

Ramirez is making his third start. He lasted five innings in the first one and only four in the second when he allowed five earned runs and eight hits in five innings while losing to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday. He has never faced the Athletics.

WALK-OFFS:

1. Seattle outfielder Ichiro Suzuki is 11-for-22 in his last five games and is a .328 career hitter against the Athletics.

2. Oakland’s Brandon Moss has cooled after a mid-June hot streak and went 0-for-11 and struck out six times in the series against the Giants.

3. Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager (calf) doubled as a pinch hitter Sunday and should be back in the starting lineup against Oakland.