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The final week of the 2021 MLB season begins on Monday night with one of the more intriguing matchups in the AL West. The Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics will open up a three-game set at 10:10 p.m. ET. Cole Irvin will be on the mound for the A’s, while the Mariners will start their ace Chris Flexen.
AL Wild Card standings
Yankees 89-67 — +1
Red Sox 88-68 —
Blue Jays 87-69 — 1.0 GB
Mariners 86-70 — 2.0 GB
A’s 85-71 — 3.0 GB
Athletics vs. Mariners odds
Run line: A’s -1.5 (+160), Mariners +1.5 (-190)
Over/under: 8.5 runs
Moneyline: A’s -105, Mariners -115
It’s not surprising to see the Mariners as the favorite having won nine consecutive games over the Athletics, which includes a four-game sweep last week. What catches my eye more is the run line as there is a lot of juice on the Mariners to keep the score within 1.5 runs at -190 odds. This season, Seattle has been one of the best teams in one-run games with a record of 33-18. In their last nine wins against the Athletics, four have been by one run.
Starting pitchers: A’s LHP Cole Irvin vs. Mariners RHP Chris Flexen
The Mariners come into tonight’s series opener with the advantage on the mound. Flexen has quietly put together a stellar season for Seattle with a 13-6 record and 3.56 ERA. The 27-year-old has also pitched well against the Athletics with a 2-2 record and 3.24 ERA in four starts. As for Irvin, he is 10-14 with an ERA of 3.99 in 30 starts this season. The 27-year-old starting pitcher has not had a ton of success against the Mariners. He is 0-4 with an ERA of 7.56 and .377 opponents batting average.
Prediction: Mariners -115
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