Oakland @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 6, 2011 ) Seattle 0, Oakland 2

THE STORY: After watching the Oakland Athletics storm past them in the American League West, the Seattle Mariners have the daunting task of trying to slow down one of the hottest offenses in baseball. Oakland, which is 10-6 since the All-Star break, has scored five runs or more in each of its last eight games and 10 of 11. Cliff Pennington brings a 15-game hitting streak into Monday's three-game series opener at Safeco Field and Hideki Matsui is hitting .466 since the break. Seattle has dropped two of three since ending its franchise-record 17-game losing streak that began in Oakland on July 6.

TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, CSN California (Oakland), Root Sports (Seattle)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Trevor Cahill (9-9, 3.58 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Blake Beavan (1-2, 3.04 ERA).

Cahill ended his personal four-game losing streak Wednesday when he tossed 7 1/3 scoreless innings against Tampa Bay. It was an impressive rebound from his previous start vs. New York, which tagged the 23-year-old for 10 runs over two frames on July 22. Cahill is 2-3 in eight career meetings with Seattle but 1-0 with a 1.53 ERA in three outings this season.

Beavan will be making his fifth career start. The 6-7, 240-pound righthander has lost his last two outings, allowing three runs over 6 2/3 innings each time. Beavan has joined teammate Michael Pineda as the only Mariners to begin their major league career with four straight quality starts.

ABOUT THE MARINERS (45-62): LHP Erik Bedard's start on Friday proved to be his last for Seattle as he was dealt to Boston in a three-team swap that also involved the Los Angeles Dodgers before Sunday's non-waiver trade deadline. The Mariners, who also sent RHP Josh Fields to the Red Sox, acquired OFs Chih-Hsien Chiang and Trayvon Robinson. Chiang will join Double-A Jackson while Robinson will report to Triple-A Tacoma. Bedard missed a month with a sprained knee before returning on Friday, when he surrendered five runs in just 1 1/3 innings against Tampa Bay.

ABOUT THE ATHLETICS (49-59): After a deal that would have sent RHP Rich Harden to Boston fell through Saturday night, Oakland completed a trade with Arizona on Sunday, shipping RHP Brad Ziegler to the Diamondbacks for LHP Jordan Norberto and 1B Brandon Allen. Ziegler went 3-2 with one save and a 2.39 ERA in 43 relief appearances for the Athletics, tossing 37 2/3 innings without allowing a home run. Allen went 5-for-29 with seven RBIs in 11 games with Arizona, with three of his hits being home runs. LHP Brett Anderson, who is out for the season with an elbow injury, was transferred to the 60-day disabled list to make room on the 40-man roster for the new additions.

FINAL PITCH: As if Oakland's run-scoring streak wasn't impressive enough, it has an even longer one going. Sunday's victory over Minnesota marked the 16th straight contest in which the Athletics recorded at least eight hits.