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Athletics-Mariners Preview

Sep 30, 2010 - 1:53 AM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

Oakland (77-80) at Seattle (61-96), 10:10 p.m. EDT

Although it's not the same as playing for first place, the Oakland Athletics are making the most of the tight race for second in the AL West.

The Seattle Mariners' position in the division has already been determined, and they're simply trying to avoid another 100-loss season.

The Athletics and Mariners meet for the first of four games to end the season Thursday night at Safeco Field.

The A's (77-81) were eliminated from the playoffs Saturday, as Texas clinched the West with a 4-3 win in Oakland. They are now trying to finish higher than third for the first time since winning the division in 2006, but they're in the midst of a season-high six-game losing streak.

Oakland dropped one game back of second-place Los Angeles on Wednesday, as the Angels completed a three-game sweep with a 2-1, 11-inning win.

"We're obviously losing ground," pitcher Dallas Braden told the Athletics' official website. "As hard as it is to play for (second place), we've still got jobs to do, and you don't ever want to give a team like that the kind of chance to gain ground or potentially pass you up. We'll come out (Thursday) and put ourselves in a little better position."

The A's are 9-6 against the Mariners this season and took two of three from them earlier this month.

Seattle (61-97) has the AL's worst record and needs to at least split this series to avoid its second 100-loss season in three years.

Of all their losses in 2010, the Mariners are coming off one of their most bizarre.

In Wednesday's 6-5 loss to Texas, Rangers pinch-runner Mitch Moreland raced home from first base with the winning run after a wild pitch and throwing error on Nelson Cruz's strikeout with two outs in the ninth inning.

"We've seen the good and the bad with young kids," interim manager Daren Brown said. "I can't remember ever losing a game that way but I just saw it."

The loss snapped a three-game winning streak and overshadowed another solid performance by first baseman Justin Smoak, who homered in his third consecutive game.

Doug Fister (6-13, 3.91 ERA) takes the ball for Seattle in the opener to make his final start in what has been an inconsistent 2010 season.

Fister, who had the AL's third-best ERA at 2.45 before landing on the disabled list June 6 with right shoulder fatigue, has struggled since his return to the rotation. He gave up four runs - all in the first inning - and went six in a 9-1 loss at Tampa on Saturday.

Despite his struggles, Fister has posted a 2.45 ERA in winning his two starts against the A's since coming off the DL. He is 3-1 with a 1.96 ERA versus Oakland on the year.

The A's counter with Gio Gonzalez (14-9, 3.35), who didn't get a decision after giving up two runs in six innings in Saturday's loss. The left-hander has yielded two runs or fewer in six of his last eight starts.

Gonzalez is 2-0 with a 3.93 ERA in three starts against the Mariners this season.