Game Thread #58: A’s vs. Mariners
Doubleheader, Part 1
Welcome to the Oakland A’s final doubleheader of the 2020 season! For the fifth time, the A’s will play two, though they’ll be shortened seven-inning games. This twin-bill is to make up the last of the games postponed by the coronavirus scare at the beginning of September, when an entire Mariners series was wiped out.
Oakland starts with Mike Minor on the mound, which went really well last time he was in this situation. Two weeks ago he started a short doubleheader game against the Mariners and tossed a shutout, going the distance (seven frames) and blanking Seattle on two hits. It’s the only time the lefty has been effective in four appearances for the A’s since being acquired at the trade deadline, and otherwise he allowed 12 earned runs in 9⅓ innings in his other games.
On the other side, the Mariners answer with Justus Sheffield. The left-hander’s path to get here included a 1st-round draft selection (by the Indians) and then two blockbuster trades in which he was a headline piece for veteran stars like Andrew Miller (from the Yankees) and James Paxton (from the Mariners). That last deal left him in Seattle, and now he’s beginning to pan out on the field at age 24 with a nice 2020 campaign. The A’s got to him for four runs in early August in an eventual blowout victory, but since then he’s tossed six quality starts in seven tries for a 2.74 ERA and strong peripherals to match. Oakland had trouble with Yusei Kikuchi last night, and Sheffield is playing quite a bit better this summer.
First pitch is 1:10 p.m., with the following options to watch or listen:
- TV: NBC Sports California
- Radio: 960 AM
- Online video stream: fuboTV
- Online audio stream: iHeartRadio
A’s lineup (home)
- SS Marcus Semien (R)
- 2B Tommy La Stella (L)
- CF Ramon Laureano (R)
- LF Mark Canha (R)
- 1B Matt Olson (L)
- DH Khris Davis (R)
- RF Stephen Piscotty (R)
- 3B Jake Lamb (L)
- C Jonah Heim (S)
- Mike Minor, LHP
Same as yesterday, but with Heim catching.
Mariners lineup (away)
- SS J.P. Crawford (L)
- 2B Ty France (R)
- CF Kyle Lewis (R)
- 3B Kyle Seager (L)
- C Luis Torrens (R)
- 1B Evan White (R)
- DH Tim Lopes (R)
- RF Phillip Ervin (R)
- LF Braden Bishop (L)
- Justus Sheffield, LHP
Marmo out, Ervin in. And look out for Torrens behind the plate, as he’s been hitting so far (well, when he’s at the plate, not behind it).
Let’s Go Oakland!