Oakland @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 13, 2014 ) Oakland 3, Seattle 2

The Oakland Athletics look to build on a rare victory when they conclude a three-game series on Sunday against the host Seattle Mariners. Oakland posted a 3-2 win in 10 innings on Saturday for only its fourth triumph in 16 games and the victory allowed the Athletics to regain hold of the first wild card in the American League. The loss was painful for Seattle as it fell one game behind Kansas City for the second wild card.

Oakland's Josh Donaldson belted his first homer of the month in Saturday’s contest and his troubled September includes just 11 hits – five of them coming in one game. Seattle's Robinson Cano has homered in each of the first two contests of the series after experiencing a 14-game homerless drought. The Mariners won Friday’s opener but succumbed on Saturday when Fernando Rodney walked four batters - including Jed Lowrie to force in the decisive run.

TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, CSN California (Oakland), ROOT (Seattle)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics LH Jon Lester (14-10, 2.52 ERA), Mariners RH Chris Young (12-7, 3.35)

Lester is 4-3 in eight starts since joining Oakland and one of the losses came Sept. 3 against Seattle when he allowed two runs and seven hits in eight innings. Lester has allowed two or fewer earned runs in four straight outings and beat the Chicago White Sox in his last turn when he gave up two runs and seven hits in eight innings. Lester is 4-4 with a 3.80 ERA in 11 career starts against the Mariners.

Young was pounded by the Athletics for five runs in two-thirds of an inning on Sept. 1 and then gave up two unearned runs and four hits in five innings against Texas in his last outing. He has tired late in the season and has pitched six innings or less in each of his last seven starts. Young is 3-3 with a 3.83 ERA in nine career appearances (eight starts) against Oakland and is 1-2 with a 4.35 ERA in five 2014 appearances (four starts).

WALK-OFFS

1. Mariners C Mike Zunino is just 4-for-30 in September.

2. Oakland DH Adam Dunn is 7-for-28 with two homers and 11 strikeouts since being acquired from the White Sox.

3. Seattle CF Austin Jackson is hitless in 12 at-bats over the last three games and has struck out nine times.

PREDICTION: Mariners 4, Athletics 1