Seattle @ Oakland preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 1, 2018 ) Seattle 8, Oakland 7

The Seattle Mariners built a large lead early in Saturday's contest and staved off a comeback attempt to remain within reach of a postseason berth. The Mariners hope to draw even closer and earn a series victory when they visit the Oakland Athletics on Sunday for the finale of their four-game set.

Jean Segura (three) and Ben Gamel combined for five of Seattle's 12 hits and drove in two runs apiece in an 8-7 triumph, which pulled the club within 4 1/2 games of Oakland for the second wild-card spot in the American League. James Paxton (forearm) returned from a stint on the disabled list to combine with five relievers for 18 strikeouts as the Mariners remained seven games behind first-place Houston in the AL West. Mark Canha and Khris Davis homered for the Athletics, who fell 2 1/2 games behind the Astros as they came within one run of bouncing all the way back from an 8-1 deficit. Davis, who leads the major leagues in blasts, joined Jimmie Foxx as the only players in Athletics history to hit 40 homers in three consecutive seasons.

TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, ROOT Northwest (Seattle), NBCS California (Oakland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners RH Felix Hernandez (8-12, 5.49 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Edwin Jackson (4-3, 3.03)

Hernandez is coming off one of his best starts of the year, a seven-inning outing at San Diego in which he suffered a hard-luck loss after giving up two runs and four hits while registering a season-high nine strikeouts. It was the second turn for the 32-year-old Venezuelan since he temporarily was taken out of the rotation and made his first career relief appearance - a 5 2/3-inning effort in Oakland that saw him get saddled with the loss despite yielding just two runs and five hits. The setback dropped Hernandez to 1-3 with a 4.13 ERA in four meetings with the Athletics this year and 26-12 lifetime versus the club.

After winning three consecutive starts, Jackson has gone 0-1 over his last three - including a no-decision at Houston on Tuesday in which he allowed three runs on four hits and two walks over 4 2/3 innings. The 34-year-old journeyman has not worked more than five frames during his drought, which has followed a road triumph over the Los Angeles Angels in which he scattered three hits over a season-high 7 1/3 scoreless innings. Jackson has been superb against Seattle in his career, going 4-0 with a 1.26 ERA in four starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. Segura (shin) returned to the lineup Saturday after missing two games with a bruised left shin.

2. Oakland added newly acquired RHP Cory Gearrin to the roster and activated OF Matt Joyce (lumbar) from the 10-day disabled list while recalling LHP Danny Coulombe and 2B Franklin Barreto from Triple-A Nashville and purchasing the contracts of RHPs Liam Hendriks - who started Saturday's contest - and Chris Hatcher, LHP Dean Kiekhefer and C Beau Taylor from the Sounds.

3. Seattle recalled RHPs Chasen Bradford and Ryan Cook, LHP James Pazos and C David Freitas from Triple-A Tacoma while purchasing the contracts of 2B Kristopher Negron and RHP Justin Grimm from the Rainiers.

PREDICTION: Athletics 5, Mariners 3