The Importance of Sunday's Finale Between the A's and Seattle Mariners
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The Athletics haven't been in the postseason since the 2020 season, and because of the pandemic, there were no fans in the stands. The Seattle Mariners have made it just once (2022) since 2001, when the team won 116 games. But on Sunday, there should be some postseason vibes in the air, despite October still being weeks away.
This afternoon will be the final time the A's and Mariners play one another this season, and through 12 games in 2025, the series is completely tied up at 6-6. The A's are a team trying to take that next step towards actual postseason contention, while Seattle is in the hunt at the moment, and each win is precious at this point in the year, meaning there will be stakes for both sides on Sunday.
While the pitching matchup is more a matter of chance than actual game planning, each team will also be sending out their best starter, with the Athletics scheduled to send Jacob Lopez and the M's handing the ball to Logan Gilbert.
Lopez has a 3.28 ERA on the year, along with a 7-6 record in 20 games (16 starts) and 90 2/3 innings. That said, in his last five starts, dating back to July 26, he leads all of baseball in ERA with a 0.60 in 30 frames. He's been getting deeper into games, limiting his walks, and also had a four-start scoreless streak that was broken up in his last appearance.
Over that same span, Gilbert hasn't been quite as sharp, posting a 5.92 ERA in his five starts, lasting 24 1/3 innings of work. This will also be just his second time facing the A's this season, with the first coming on Opening Day. He received a no-decision in that one after going seven innings and allowing two hits, one run (solo home run to Tyler Soderstrom), and striking out eight.
The Mariners won that game thanks to a couple of late inning home runs off the A's bullpen, which is also how they won on Friday night. In fact, every run the Mariners have scored off of A's pitching this series so far has been via a solo home run.
The first two games of this series have been nail biters, with the losing team in each loading the bases down by a run and failing to get that tying--or winning--run across in the final inning. Just eight total runs have been scored in the first two games, with four going to each team as they have traded one-run wins.
While Gilbert hasn't been on his game of late in general, the A's always bring out the best in him. In his career, he's 3-1 with a 2.92 ERA against the club in 13 starts, and A's batters have hit just .190 against him with a .223 OBP.
This is most certainly not a postseason game, but for the A's, this will be a chance to earn some bragging rights over a team that they have gone 17-47 against since 2021. For Seattle, this will be a good test too, since they aren't necessarily playoff tested. Can their stars show up in a big spot with some minor stakes on the line?
In the postseason, especially in the later rounds, you're facing the same pitcher at least a couple of times, and there is a bit of a cat-and-mouse game within the game that happens. It's the same sort of scenario for a divisional opponent, where you're facing pitchers you see fairly regularly.
While it isn't October, it will mean a little bit more than a random Sunday game in August.
Jason has been covering the A’s at various sites for over a decade, and was the original host of the Locked on A’s podcast. He also covers the Stanford Cardinal as they attempt to rebuild numerous programs to prominence.
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