Oakland @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 1, 2016 ) Oakland 9, Seattle 8

Unable to end their postseason drought, the Seattle Mariners attempt to finish the season with a series victory when they host the Oakland Athletics on Sunday for the finale of their four-game set. The Mariners had their hopes for their first playoff appearance in 15 years squashed on Saturday, dropping a 9-8 decision in 10 innings to officially be eliminated from the American League wild-card race.

Seattle did not go down without a fight, however, as it rallied for three runs in the seventh inning to forge a 7-7 tie and answered Oakland's run in the top of the eighth with one in the bottom half to again knot the contest. Robinson Cano has had a week to remember for the Mariners as he enters Sunday with six home runs and 11 RBIs over his last six games and is 4-for-9 with three blasts and six RBIs in his last two. Cano needs one homer to reach 40 for the first time in his career while Nelson Cruz, who also went deep Saturday, is one shy of his career high of 44 blasts - which he set last season. Joey Wendle capped a 4-for-5 performance with an RBI double in the 10th inning, Marcus Semien also collected four hits and an RBI and Khris Davis belted his 42nd homer for the Athletics, who halted a five-game slide with just their second victory in 12 contests.

TV: 3:10 p.m. ET, CSN California (Oakland), ROOT (Seattle)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics LH Sean Manaea (6-9, 3.89 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Felix Hernandez (11-7, 3.71)

Manaea has been superb of late, allowing a total of two earned runs and 14 hits over 28 1/3 innings in his last five starts. The 24-year-old native of Indiana has kept the ball in the park in that span, serving up only two home runs, but has only a 2-1 record to show for it. Manaea won his only career decision against Seattle on Aug. 12 despite giving up three runs on three hits and three walks over six frames.

It's been feast or famine for Hernandez over his last six starts as he allowed six or more runs on four occasions while keeping the opposition scoreless in the other two outings. The 30-year-old Venezuelan looks to end the season on a high note after being tagged for eight runs - four earned - and 10 hits over 5 2/3 frames in a loss at Houston on Tuesday. Hernandez improved to 23-8 with a 2.61 ERA in 43 career starts against the Athletics on Sept. 10, when he scattered six hits over six scoreless innings at Oakland.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cruz also needs three RBIs to match the career high of 108 he registered in 2014 with Baltimore.

2. Oakland rookie 3B Ryon Healy enters the season finale with a seven-game hitting streak during which he is 12-for-28.

3. Seattle 3B Kyle Seager is 8-for-26 during his six-game hitting streak.

PREDICTION: Mariners 6, Athletics 2