The set-up. The Mariners opened a three-game series vs. the A's last night, entering on a six-game overall winning streak, as well as having won their last seven games in Oakland. However, "the going nowhere" A's won 6-3, dropping Seattle 7 1/2 games back of Texas in the AL West plus leaving them two back in the race for the AL's second wild card spot. The 52-64 A's can only play a spoiler role, the rest of the way.

The pitching matchup: Hisashi Iwakuma (13-7, 3.79 ERA) and Kendall Graveman (8-7, 4.29 ERA) square off on Saturday night. Both have become their respective teams' ace here in 2016. Iwakuma leads Seattle in wins with 13 (no one else owns more than seven!) and makes his team-high 24th start Saturday, at least nine more starts than any other Mariner, including "King Felix." The Mariners have used 12 starting pitchers this season. Graveman's eight wins is tops on the A's and he makes his team-high 23rd start (that's two more than Sonny Gray, who's on the DL, and at least six more than every other Oakland starter). Graveman is the only member of the A's original rotation who is on the active roster and the only one who hasn't spent time on the disabled list.

The pick: Graveman is 7-1 with a 3.67 ERA in his past 13 starts (team is 10-3) and he's 4-0 with a 2.25 ERA in his past five home starts, all Oakland wins. However, after opening 1-4 through his first eight starts (team was 3-5), Iwakuma is 12-3 over his last 15 starts, earning a decision in each outing! He's 7-4 with a .89 ERA in 12 career starts vs. Oakland (team is 7-5). Graveman has allowed 17 hits over 10 2/3 innings in two starts this year against Seattle (5.06 ERA) and this total is too low. 10* on the over.