Oakland @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( May 23, 2016 ) Oakland 5, Seattle 0

The Oakland Athletics are making themselves at home in Seattle this season and look to win at Safeco Field for the fifth straight time when they visit the Mariners in Tuesday's middle contest of a three-game set. Oakland recorded a 5-0 victory in Monday's series opener and has allowed just four runs in the four games in Seattle.

The Athletics are attempting to get back into the American League West race and halted a four-game losing streak while snapping Seattle's four-game winning streak. Fourth-place Oakland stands seven games behind the Mariners, who lead the division by 1 1/2 games over the Texas Rangers. Athletics third baseman Danny Valencia had a two-run double in the series opener and has six homers and 14 RBIs over his past 11 games. Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano is just 2-for-14 over the last four games but has a sparkling .352 average in May.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Kendall Graveman (1-6, 5.48 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Nathan Karns (4-1, 3.33)

Graveman has lost five consecutive starts since picking up his lone victory of the season against the New York Yankees on April 20. He lost to the Yankees on Thursday in his best outing of the losing streak — giving up two runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings. Graveman is 1-1 with a 2.76 ERA in four career appearances (two starts) against Seattle, including a loss May 2 when he allowed four runs and 10 hits in 6 1/3 innings.

Karns has won four straight decisions since losing to Oakland in his Seattle debut April 9. He is 1-1 with a 5.73 in two starts against the Athletics this season and 1-2 with a 4.86 ERA in three career outings. Karns, who has 48 strikeouts in 46 innings, has given up one or fewer runs in four of his eight starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. Athletics C Stephen Vogt has five RBIs over the last two games and his homer on Monday was his first since April 28.

2. Seattle SS Chris Taylor went 1-for-3 but committed two throwing errors in Oakland's four-run eighth inning in his first major-league game this season after being recalled when starting SS Ketel Marte (thumb) was placed on the disabled list.

3. Oakland learned that RF Josh Reddick won't require surgery on his fractured left thumb — he was injured May 19 and will miss approximately four weeks.

PREDICTION: Mariners 5, Athletics 3