Kikuchi to start home opener for Seattle against the Athletics
Oakland Athletics (19-23, fourth in the AL West) vs. Seattle Mariners (20-23, third in the AL West)
Seattle; Monday, 10 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Athletics: Mike Fiers (3-3, 5.48 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 34 strikeouts) Mariners: Yusei Kikuchi (3-1, 3.54 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 38 strikeouts)
BOTTOM LINE:
The Mariners are 9-6 against the rest of their division. Seattle has hit a league-leading 78 home runs this season. Jay Bruce leads the club with 12, averaging one every 10.7 at-bats.
The Athletics are 8-8 against the rest of their division. Oakland has a collective on-base percentage of .313, good for third in the American League. Matt Chapman leads the lineup with a mark of .371. This is the first game between these teams in 2019.
TOP PERFORMERS: Ryon Healy leads the Mariners with 22 extra base hits and is slugging .472. Edwin Encarnacion is 8-for-34 with a double, four home runs and eight RBIs over the last 10 games for Seattle.
Khris Davis leads the Athletics with 26 RBIs and is batting .235. Chapman is 11-for-40 with three doubles, a triple, two home runs and four RBIs over the last 10 games for Oakland.
LAST 10 GAMES: Mariners: 2-8, .230 batting average, 5.72 ERA, outscored by 16 runs
Athletics: 5-5, .233 batting average, 3.30 ERA, outscored opponents by five runs
Mariners Injuries: Sam Tuivailala: 10-day IL (achilles), Hunter Strickland: 60-day IL (lat), Wade LeBlanc: 10-day IL (oblique), Felix Hernandez: 10-day IL (right shoulder strain), Gerson Bautista: 10-day IL (pectoral), Kyle Seager: 60-day IL (hand), Dylan Moore: 10-day IL (wrist), Dee Gordon: day-to-day (wrist).
Athletics Injuries: Sean Manaea: 60-day IL (shoulder), Daniel Gossett: 60-day IL (elbow), Marco Estrada: 10-day IL (lumbar strain), Jharel Cotton: 60-day IL (elbow), Nick Martini: 10-day IL (knee), Mark Canha: 10-day IL (wrist), Chris Herrmann: 60-day IL (knee).
