Oakland @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 22, 2013 ) Oakland 5, Seattle 7

The Oakland Athletics look to avoid their third straight series loss when they face the Seattle Mariners in Sunday’s rubber game. The Athletics have gone 2-4 during their seven-game road trip, dropping back into a tie atop the American League West with Texas. Oakland’s relievers have struggled during the trip, collecting three losses and posting a 6.61 ERA.

Seattle evened the series on Saturday when it scored three runs in the seventh and two more in the eighth for a 7-5 comeback win. The Mariners received an instant boost from center fielder Franklin Gutierrez, who homered in his first at-bat after coming off the 60-day disabled list. Rookie second baseman Nick Franklin is having an outstanding series, going 4-for-9 with a home run and six RBIs.

TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, Comcast SportsNet-California (Oakland), ROOT Sports (Seattle)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Jarrod Parker (6-6, 4.30 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Jeremy Bonderman (1-1, 3.28)

After starting the season 1-5 with a 7.34 ERA over his first seven starts, Parker has turned it around by going 5-1 with a 2.43 ERA over his last eight outings. He’s 2-2 with a 5.48 ERA in four career starts against Seattle, including 1-1 with a 5.56 ERA in two starts this season. The 24-year-old right-hander has been incredibly efficient in recent weeks, pitching at least seven innings in six of his last seven starts.

Bonderman gave up one run over six innings against the Angels last Tuesday, and he’s allowed a total of two runs over his last three starts covering 20 innings. Coco Crisp is 10-for-42 (.238) with one homer against the 30-year-old right-hander, who is 4-3 with a 3.49 ERA in eight career starts against Oakland. Bonderman has not faced the Athletics since 2010, and he’s only seen them twice since 2005.

WALK-OFFS

1. Oakland C John Jaso has missed the last two games with a left palm abrasion and is listed as day-to-day.

2. The Mariners placed OF Michael Morse on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right quad muscle.

3. Athletics SS Jed Lowrie is hitting .436 (17-for-39) with 10 RBIs in 11 games against the Mariners this season.

PREDICTION: Athletics 4, Mariners 3