Seattle @ Oakland preview
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Last Meeting ( Jul 7, 2012 ) Seattle 7, Oakland 1
Seattle ace Felix Hernandez and Oakland’s Bartolo Colon square off for the third time this season when the Mariners visit the Athletics on Sunday. The teams split two April meetings between the two pitchers and Hernandez has a long pattern of success against the Athletics with a 13-5 record and 2.70 ERA in 24 career outings. Seattle ended a three-game losing skid with Saturday’s 7-1 win, which also halted Oakland’s five-game winning streak.
Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager had a three-run double in Seattle’s highest-scoring output since a 14-10 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on June 20. Ichiro Suzuki snapped a career-worst 0-for-23 skid with a fifth-inning single and had his first two hits in July. Oakland has homered in 17 straight contests as Josh Reddick hit his 20th of the campaign for the lone run. The Athletics dropped back to a game below .500 but are 16-8 over their last 24 games.
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, Root Sports (Seattle), CS California (Oakland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners RH Felix Hernandez (6-5, 3.26 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Bartolo Colon (6-7, 4.05)
Hernandez made his first three starts of the 2012 season against Oakland and went 1-1 with a 3.80 ERA. He took a no-decision against the Baltimore Orioles in his last start when he gave up four runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings. Hernandez gave up only two runs in his previous three outings.
Colon’s first three outings of the season were against Seattle, and he allowed only one run total in two victories and was roughed up for seven runs in the loss. He is 16-12 with a 4.10 ERA in 32 career starts against the Mariners. Colon received a no-decision against the Boston Red Sox in his last effort when he gave up two runs (one earned) and five hits in six innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Seager leads the American League with 29 two-out RBIs. He has 52 overall.
2. Athletics catcher Kurt Suzuki has a .314 career average in 35 at-bats against Hernandez.
3. Ichiro is batting .304 with three homers in 79 career at-bats against Colon.