Seattle @ Oakland preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 15, 2018 ) Seattle 2, Oakland 0

The Seattle Mariners are slumping and in danger of falling out of postseason contention, but they have a chance to climb back into the race when they open a four-game series at the Oakland Athletics on Thursday night. The Mariners have dropped nine of their last 14 and trail Oakland by 5 1/2 games for the American League's second wild card.

Seattle has scored only six runs during a three-game skid and absorbed a costly two-game sweep in San Diego, the worst team in the National League. Mariners shortstop Jean Segura, batting a team-leading .317, had to exit Wednesday's loss after fouling a ball off his shin and is listed as day-to-day. Oakland had a chance to pull within a half-game of first-place Houston in the American League West but lost to the Astros 5-4 on a walk-off homer Wednesday to drop 2 1/2 games off the pace. Athletics slugger Khris Davis is mired in a 1-for-24 slump with 12 strikeouts over the past six games but he is 3-for-4 with a homer off Wade LeBlanc, Seattle's scheduled starter.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners LH Wade LeBlanc (7-3, 3.92 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Frankie Montas (5-3, 3.75)

LeBlanc did not factor in the decision last time out at Arizona on Saturday despite yielding one run on four hits over six innings, marking his fourth quality start in seven appearances since the All-Star break. He surrendered three homers in a loss to the Los Angels Dodgers in his previous turn - the third three-homer game in a span of eight starts. LeBlanc pitched four-innings of three-hit ball versus Oakland on May 3.

Montas will be summoned from Triple-A Nashville to make his first start since July 29, when he lasted 4 1/3 innings and gave up three runs and eight hits in a loss at Colorado. He was hit hard in three straight starts at Nashville, permitting 16 runs over 14 2/3 innings, before tossing five innings of one-run ball on Saturday. Montas has made four home starts, compiling a 2-2 record and 4.01 ERA.

WALK-OFFS

1. Seattle is 7-5 versus the Athletics this year and has won 20 of the past 28 meetings in Oakland.

2. Athletics 3B Matt Chapman has multiple hits in five of his last seven games, doing 13-for-32.

3. Mariners LHP James Paxton (forearm) is expected to come off the disabled list to start Saturday's game.

PREDICTION: Athletics 5, Mariners 4