The Athletics and Seattle Mariners are bringing their distinct brands of baseball struggle to T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Washington, this Saturday night. Fans tuning in on MLB.TV or Mariners.TV at 9:40 PM EDT will witness a regular season matchup between two teams that seem to be having a contest over who can frustrate their fanbases more. While Seattle boasts a respectable 4.20 team ERA compared to Oakland's bloated 5.44, the Mariners have compensated by hitting a dismal .229 as a team, making Oakland's .247 average look like the 1927 Yankees by comparison.
Things do not look much sturdier on the mound. Seattle starter George Kirby (9-10, 4.19 ERA) has surrendered 170 hits over 152.2 innings, which is great news for an Oakland lineup hoping to get on base without relying on walk luck. Meanwhile, Athletics left-hander Jeffrey Springs (3-13, 6.37 ERA) has served up 33 home runs in just 123 innings, turning opposing at-bats into home run derbies. With Oakland infielders Tommy White and J.T. Ginn both listed as day-to-day, the Athletics' depth is as fragile as Springs' ERA. Head over to StreakChat to share your prediction and see if anyone actually trusts either of these pitching staffs tonight.