(Sports Network) - The playoff-hopeful Oakland Athletics have been pleased
with what they have seen from starting pitcher A.J. Griffin and hope the
youngster can right his own ship tonight in the opener of a three-game set
versus the Seattle Mariners.
Griffin was 6-0 with a 1.94 earned run average in his first 11 starts, but is
only 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA over the past two trips to the hill. Griffin allowed
five runs in 4 2/3 innings of a loss at Detroit on Sept. 18, then gave up four
runs in 4 1/3 frames of a 5-4 loss at Yankee Stadium on Sunday. He did not
record a decision that day and is 6-1 with a 2.80 ERA in 13 starts.
The right-hander, who is 2-0 in six home assignments, defeated Seattle on the
road back on Sept. 7 in a 6-1 victory and struck out seven batters over 5 1/3
innings of one-run ball.
Oakland hopes Griffin can give a little bit more than what Travis Blackley did
in Thursday's 9-7 loss at Texas, as he lasted only an inning and allowed five
runs and five hits, including two homers. Jim Miller and Jeremy Accardo were
both reached for two runs in two innings of relief.
"You see how we make these comebacks and fight, I feel helpless not to be able
to help them myself," Blackley said. "They did it for us all year, and for me
not to be able to get it done is not a good feeling."
Josh Reddick had two of Oakland's five home runs, while Yoenis Cespedes,
Brandon Moss and Derek Norris all went deep for the A's, who are still ahead
of the LA Angels and Tampa Bay Rays for the final wild card berth.
Jonny Gomes had three hits and an RBI in defeat, as Oakland split its four-
game series with the AL West-leading Rangers and sits four games of the pace
in the division. Oakland, which went 4-6 on its road trip, had won three of
four coming in and will host Texas for three games to close out the regular
season.
The Mariners ended a three-game losing streak and salvaged the finale of their
series with the Angels thanks to a 9-4 victory on Thursday. Hisashi Iwakuma
limited the Halos to a pair of runs -- one earned -- in six innings for the
win and struck out three batters. He did not issue a walk.
"Hisashi threw the ball well and kept us in it," Seattle manager Eric Wedge
said. "Putting that big inning together was good to see."
John Jaso clubbed a two-run homer and added an RBI double during a four-run
seventh inning, while Jesus Montero had two RBI for the Mariners, who won for
just the third time in 10 tries.
The Mariners have now homered in 16 straight games.
Seattle looks to play spoiler with Blake Beavan on the hill tonight and he
ended a two-game slide his last time out in a 1-0 win over Texas. Beavan fired
seven shutout innings to even his ledger at 10-10 in 24 starts and also
lowered his earned run average to 4.64.
Beavan, a right-hander, is 5-6 in 13 road assignments and beat the Athletics
back on April 15 with seven innings of three-run ball in a 5-3 triumph. He is
2-2 with a 6.46 ERA in four career starts against Oakland.
The A's lead the season series with Seattle, 9-7, and have won four straight
and six of the last seven matchups between the teams.
The Sports Network