American League Preview from The Sports Network
Saturday, April 14th
(All times Eastern)
Oakland Athletics (4-4) at Seattle Mariners (4-5), 9:10 p.m.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Oakland - Tommy Milone (1-0, 0.00)
Seattle - Hector Noesi (0-1, 21.00)
(Sports Network) - Tommy Milone tries to match his sensational season debut
this evening when the Oakland Athletics play the middle test of their three-
game series with the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field.
Milone, one of the pieces acquired in the deal that landed Gio Gonzalez in
Washington, was terrific in his first start with the A's on Monday against
Kansas City, as he scattered just three hits over eight scoreless innings to
get the win.
This will be his first-ever appearance against the Mariners, who will hand the
ball to righty Hector Noesi. As good as Milone was in his debut, Noesi was
just as bad, as the Texas Rangers hammered him for seven runs in only three
innings.
Noesi, of course, was part of the package the Mariners received from the
Yankees in the Michael Pineda deal.
On Friday, Bartolo Colon spoiled the Mariners' home opener, tossing seven
scoreless innings for the Athletics in a 4-0 win.
Colon (2-1) allowed just three hits, walked one and struck out five in the
opener of this three-game series.
"He gave a different look today, like a veteran guy he made some adjustments,"
said Oakland manager Bob Melvin. "He's calm on the mound and we feel calm
around him. If you have someone out there who's nervous and fidgety, the rest
of the team feels it."
Jemile Weeks hit a solo homer while Coco Crisp, Kurt Suzuki and Cliff
Pennington added an RBI apiece for the Athletics, who have won three of their
last four.
The A's managed nine hits in the win, but have failed to reach double digits
in hits in all eight games for their longest such streak to start a season
since 2001.
Felix Hernandez (1-1) suffered the loss, allowing two runs on seven hits while
striking out six over seven innings. The Mariners have dropped four of their
last five games.
"He had to battle all night tonight. It says a lot about him when you've got
to battle like that and you give up two runs in seven (innings)," said Seattle
manager Eric Wedge. "He didn't have his best stuff, but he just doesn't give
into it. That's what we saw tonight."
Mariners designated hitter Jesus Montero was 1-for-3 in the loss to extend his
career-best hitting streak to seven games.
04/14 10:34:11 ET

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