Oakland @ Seattle preview
T-Mobile Park
Last Meeting ( Oct 1, 2010 ) Oakland 9, Seattle 0
Although Trevor Cahill has received most of the accolades this season, the Oakland Athletics' other 22-year-old starter is looking to make a statement with a strong finish of his own.
Brett Anderson takes the mound on Saturday as the A’s continue their pursuit of completing their first .500 season since 2006 against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field.
One of the top young pitchers in baseball, Anderson (6-6, 2.91 ERA) was 11-11 as a rookie in 2009 and had a 2.35 ERA through April this season until injuries limited him to just three starts from May-July.
The left-hander has picked up right where he left off, going 4-4 with a 2.73 ERA in 11 starts since coming off the disabled list.
Anderson sat and watched teammate Trevor Cahill toss seven scoreless innings in Friday’s 9-0 win against the Mariners to become the first 22-year-old to record 18 wins since Mark Prior in 2003. Now it’s his turn to end the season on a strong note, bring Oakland to within one win of reaching .500 and send Seattle to its 100th loss for the second time in three years.
Anderson received a no-decision in his last appearance on Monday against Los Angeles, getting reached for four runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings in the Angels’ 6-5 triumph.
Although Anderson has just one win to show for his efforts, he has dominated Seattle. The Mariners have scored just two runs in 17 2/3 innings this season. In four career starts here, Anderson has a 1.08 ERA but no wins.
David Pauley (4-8, 3.98 ERA) will start for Seattle in search of his first victory at Safeco Field. The 27-year-old is 0-6 with a 3.46 ERA in nine games – seven starts – here during his three-year career.
The right-hander has kept the Mariners in each of his 14 starts, allowing four runs or less in every outing. He has allowed just five runs in 18 innings over his last three starts.
Pauley, who has never pitched against Oakland, beat Texas 7-5 on Monday, allowing a pair of runs and eight hits in six innings in his second straight win.