Spring Game Thread #24: A’s vs. Mariners

Frankie goes to the mound

Spring training is winding down, with just five games left. Thursday pits the Oakland A’s against the Seattle Mariners, in quite a rare phenomenon — the rubber match of a two-game series.

That’s because the clubs tied in their first meeting, back in Game #6, a forgettable 1-1 stalemate. Now the spring series will bounce in the direction of whoever takes the second game, instead of the usual situation where teams split the first two and play a tiebreaker in the third.

The A’s start off with Frankie Montas, making his third appearance of the Cactus League. He’ll be backed by a lineup of most of Oakland’s MLB stars, though Ramon Laureano gets the day off after playing a couple in a row. Mark Canha bats leadoff, as he’s done often this month.

The Mariners have a lineup of nine professional baseball players, and I’ve heard of quite a few of them, though not all of them.

First pitch is (was) 1:05 p.m. PT. You can listen to the radio broadcast for free online at A’s Cast.

A’s lineup (home)

1. CF Mark Canha (R)
2. SS Elvis Andrus (R)
3. 1B Matt Olson (L)
4. 3B Matt Chapman (R)
5. C Sean Murphy (R)
6. 2B Jed Lowrie (S)
7. DH Mitch Moreland (L)
8. LF Chad Pinder (R)
9. RF Stephen Piscotty (R)

• RHP Frankie Montas

Just about full squad!

Mariners lineup (away)

1. 2B Dylan Moore (R)
2. CF Jarred Kelenic (L)
3. 1B Jose Marmolejos (L)
4. C Tom Murphy (R)
5. DH Cal Raleigh (S)
6. 3B Sam Haggerty (S)
7. RF Julio Rodriguez (R)
8. LF Braden Bishop (R)
9. SS Jack Reinheimer (R)

• LHP Nick Margevicius

Let’s go Oakland!