Road trip! The A’s left Sacramento to head north to Seattle, preparing to face the division rival Mariners in a three-game series in midweek. The 11-11 A’s are tied for the lead in the AL West, so a win tonight would be huge since Texas is bye today. A win tonight and the A’s will once again have sole possession of the division. Early but exciting!
Tonight on the Green & Gold mound will be JT Ginn. The right-hander is on a roll tonight, making two quality starts since taking Luis Morales’ rotation spot. The 26-year-old is taking advantage of this opportunity and will aim to keep the momentum going tonight against the M’s, who entering tonight are in fourth place in the AL West at 10-13. Seattle’s offense has yet to find its groove, as they have the 24th team OPS in the league. A lot of that is due to catcher Cal Raleigh’s struggles, but there are still solid hitters in that lineup that Ginn will have to watch out for. This will be his first appearance against these guys, so he has that advantage going for him as well.
Advertisement
Here’s what the lineup behind Ginn will look like:
The first lineup of the series will see the typical 1-2 at the top of the lineup with Nick Kurtz opening followed by Shea Bangeliers. Interestingly, Mark Kotsay will slot the backup outfielder into the designated hitter spot and bat third tonight. The designated hitter, that makes sense. But so high in the lineup? Interesting move, although he has a .372 OBP. Behind him in the batting cleanup will be Tyler Soderstrom.
The middle of the lineup offers a little more than the typical high standard with Jacob Wilson and Jeff McNeil hitting back-to-back. That could provide something of an initial spark in the middle of the batting order. Max Muncy and Lawrence Butler follow, but then we get a surprise at the end. Zack Gelof will start today in center field, as Kotsay wants more offense there against a tough starter. This will be his second game at the position after he managed one inning there in a blowout last week. If he can provide a decent glove in the middle, it would be huge for both him and the team, considering Denzel Clarke’s struggles with the bat so far.
Advertisement
Those nine starters will face Seattle right-hander Emerson Hancock. Emerson, once one of the game’s top prospects, is living up to those expectations early this season. After struggling in the first two years of his major league career, he is off to a good start here in 2026, posting a 2.28 ERA in his first four starts. He has been especially demanding with free passes, issuing only four so far. If the A’s can get him some walks, they will need to take advantage of those opportunities.
And here is Seattle’s lineup for the first game at T-Mobile Park of this series:
The A’s are having a little luck tonight as the Mariners placed third baseman Brendan Donovan on the injured list ahead of tonight’s game. Donovan, one of their biggest additions this past offseason, is off to a good start for his new team. His absence will deprive them of one of their best hitters, which bodes well for the A’s in this series. Hey, after all, we miss Rooker too.
Advertisement
The rest of Seattle’s lineup is loaded with starters. Catcher Cal Raleigh is off to a painfully slow start this year, but that can’t be counted on to last all year. Julio RodrÃguez is another hitter who is off to a slow start. But Seattle has gotten big contributions from Randy Arozarena and Luke Raley, so the A’s pitchers have to be very careful with them.
It’s time to get back in the win column and start a new winning streak. Let’s Go!