Seattle @ Oakland preview

Last Meeting ( May 26, 2019 ) Seattle 1, Oakland 7

The Oakland Athletics will try to follow up a quality road trip with a successful homestand when they begin a three-game series - and a 10-game stay at Oakland Coliseum - against the Seattle Mariners on Friday. The Athletics won two series and split another on a 10-game swing, capped by back-to-back wins in Tampa Bay that pushed them back over .500.

Ramon Laureano's first career grand slam was the difference in Wednesday's 6-2 victory over the Rays as Oakland was triumphant to end a long trip that included some significant travel issues. "It kind of shows you what these guys are made of," manager Bob Melvin told reporters. "They really do just play for the day. You add them all up at the end of this trip, it was an excellent trip." Oakland swept three games from Seattle three weeks ago and will be facing a Mariners club that has exchanged wins and losses over the last eight games. Five Seattle pitchers gave up 14 hits - two home runs - in Thursday's 10-5 loss at Minnesota.

TV: 9:37 p.m. ET, ROOT Northwest (Seattle), NBCS California (Oakland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners LH Marco Gonzalez (6-6, 4.77 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Chris Bassitt (3-2, 3.57)

Gonzalez bounced back from a pair of rocky outings by picking up a win with 5 2/3 innings of two-run ball against the Los Angeles Angels last Friday. He yielded a season-low two hits but one of them was a home run and the 27-year-old has given up one of those in each of his last six outings. He opened his season with a win over Oakland in Japan and is 2-1 with a 3.91 ERA in five career matchups (four starts).

Bassitt has seen his ERA rise from 1.93 to 3.57 over his last four starts, including a loss at Texas on Saturday in which he gave up three runs over 5 2/3 innings. The 30-year-old is 0-2 with a 3.33 ERA in five career games (four starts) against the Mariners. Third baseman Kyle Seager is 1-for-12 against Bassitt while catcher Omar Narvaez is 2-for-2.

WALK-OFFS

1. Seager has exactly two hits in three of his last four games.

2. Athletics LF Khris Davis is 6-for-18 with two homers and a double over his last four contests.

3. Mariners CF Mallex Smith has hit safely in a career high-tying 12 straight games.

PREDICTION: Athletics 6, Mariners 4