Seattle @ Oakland preview

Last Meeting ( May 24, 2018 ) Seattle 3, Oakland 4

The American League West race became more exciting over the weekend thanks to the Seattle Mariners, who swept a four-game series against division-leading Houston. The Mariners will try to remain hot and take out another team in front of them in the standings when they visit the Oakland Athletics on Monday for the opener of their three-game series.

Seattle realized the magnitude of the set against Houston and used closer Edwin Diaz in all four games - a role he was happy to assume. "This was a big series for us, and we have to try to win every game," Diaz told reporters after Sunday's finale. "If I feel good, it's possible I can throw. So, I came into the game and tried to help the team win. This was big for us. We are playing the best team in the division. So, winning four games, they have to know we have a good team." That good team is now 1 1/2 games behind the Athletics in the race for the second AL wild card and four back of Houston in the division while Oakland trails the Astros by 2 1/2 after having won nine of its last 11. The Athletics will send Sean Manaea to the mound on Monday while the Mariners counter with Marco Gonzales.

TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, ROOT Northwest (Seattle), NBCS California (Oakland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners LH Marco Gonzales (12-7, 3.79 ERA) vs. Athletics LH Sean Manaea (10-8, 3.50)

Gonzales is trying to snap out of a slump that has seen him suffer the loss in each of his last two outings. The 26-year-old was ripped for 11 runs and 19 hits over 12 innings in losses to Toronto and Texas, a skid that has come on the heels of a string of five consecutive wins. Gonzales produced one of his best performances of the season at Oakland on May 23, when he scattered two hits without issuing a walk over seven scoreless frames.

Manaea also is trying to bounce back from a rough outing as he was reached for three runs on five hits and three walks in 2 2/3 innings by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday. The native of Indiana did manage to keep alive a streak of 12 straight starts with three or fewer earned runs allowed and has limited opponents to a .224 batting average in 2018. Manaea is 1-1 in two starts against Seattle this season, yielding a total of five runs in 13 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Mariners 2B Robinson Cano is expected to rejoin the team on Tuesday after completing his 80-game suspension.

2. Oakland SS Marcus Semien has gone 6-for-9 with two doubles, two homers, five RBIs and five runs scored in his last two games.

3. Seattle 2B Dee Gordon (shoulder) was held out of the starting lineup on Sunday but delivered a pinch-hit single and scored the winning run in the 10th inning.

PREDICTION: Athletics 5, Mariners 3