Oakland @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 28, 2019 ) Oakland 1, Seattle 0

The Oakland Athletics have earned the right to host the American League wild-card game Wednesday, but they'll likely need to waken their slumbering bats if they hope to advance in the postseason. Oakland will try to do just that Sunday as they visit the Seattle Mariners for their regular-season finale.

The Athletics clinched home field for the wild card matchup against Tampa Bay thanks to their pitching staff as Brett Anderson combined with three relievers Saturday for a six-hit shutout win. Ramon Laureano accounted for the lone run as he belted his 24th homer of the season in the third inning. Oakland has struggled to score since posting a 12-3 victory over Texas on Sept. 21, recording three or fewer runs in each of its six contests. Tom Murphy notched two of the six hits recorded Saturday by Seattle, which has been shut out three times while losing five of its last six games.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Tanner Roark (10-9, 4.32 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Justin Dunn (0-0, 3.86)

Roark got off to a solid start with Oakland after being acquired from Cincinnati but has struggled of late, surrendering 14 runs and 21 hits (eight homers) over 13 1/3 innings in his last three turns. The 32-year-old native of Illinois went 4-1 over his first eight outings with the Athletics before serving up four homers while yielding five runs over three frames in a loss to Texas last Sunday. Roark has made a pair of starts against Seattle in his career, going 1-1 while permitting five runs in 13 1/3 innings.

Dunn will be making his fourth major-league start since being summoned from Double-A Arkansas on Sept. 10. The 24-year-old New Yorker, who was acquired from the Mets in December after being selected in the first round of the 2016 draft, worked two scoreless innings in each of his last two turns after yielding two runs on five walks while retiring only two batters in his debut Sept. 12 versus Cincinnati. Dunn posted a 9-5 record and 3.55 ERA while registering 158 strikeouts over 131 2/3 frames in 25 starts for Arkansas this year.

WALK-OFFS

1. Athletics SS Marcus Semien, who may be rested Sunday, is tied for the team record for most runs scored in a season (123) with Reggie Jackson, who set the mark in 1969. Semien has appeared in every game this season.

2. Seattle has scored a total of two runs in its last five defeats.

3. Oakland C Beau Taylor cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A Las Vegas.

PREDICTION: Athletics 6, Mariners 2