The Seattle Mariners’ current road trip can be described in a way synonymous with their season — missed opportunities.

The Mariners dropped their third-straight game with a 5-4 loss against the Oakland Athletics on Monday. The loss kept Seattle six games behind the Houston Astros for first place in the American League West and dropped them to 69-69 on the season.

It was the Mariners’ third loss in a row and the second time in those losses they were defeated via walk-off home run in the ninth.

“Tough way to start it. Walk-offs are always hard — they’re difficult,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said in a postgame interview Monday. “I thought (starting pitcher Logan Gilbert) pitched a great ballgame. … Bullpen came in and did a great job. … I thought the guys really fought tonight. The effort was there. Really battled all the way until the end. It’s a tough one to take but we come out tomorrow and we get after it again.”

Seattle pulled out in front after Cal Raleigh hit a two-RBI home run in the top of the first to go up 2-0.

The Mariners went up 3-0 in the top of the third after Julio Rodriguez hit an RBI sacrifice fly that scored Victor Robles.

The Athletics stormed back in the bottom of the third with a four-run inning. First Brent Rooker hit an RBI double to cut the lead down to 3-1. Then Shea Langeliers then came to the plate with two runners on and hit a three-run long ball to left field to put Oakland in front 4-3.

“I felt like my direction was a little off on that (home run),” Gilbert said in a postgame interview Monday. “I didn’t really get my hand out front and left it over the middle on a 1-0 count. The curveball before it might have been the bigger pitch to get back. Because if I get 0-1, it’s a different story there.”

Justin Turner tied the game up at 4-4 in the top of the sixth with an RBI single.

The two sides remained knotted up through the top of the ninth.

in the bottom of the ninth, Langeliers came to the plate to lead off the inning and hit his second homer of the game to give Oakland the win.

Seattle left seven runners stranded and 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position. It’s left a combined 25 runners stranded and has gone 3-for-20 with runners in scoring position during its losing streak.

The Mariners had a potential break today with Houston and the Boston Red Sox both losing. There was a chance to gain a game in the AL West and the Wild Card standings.

Seattle needs to win the series for the playoffs to remain a somewhat realistic possibility. And now it has to win three straight to accomplish that.

Such is life for the Mariners this season.

MARINERS TO TAKE ON MUCH-IMPROVED ATHLETICS: The Seattle Mariners are looking to keep their playoff dreams afloat but will have to win a series against an Oakland Athletics team that’s playing much better than most thought they would be. CLICK HERE

MARINERS PITCHERS LOOKING TO BOUNCE BACK AGAINST ATHLETICS: The Seattle Mariners starting rotation will look to get back to form after coming off a a series where they didn’t register a quality start for just the third time all season. CLICK HERE

MARINERS DROP SERIES AGAINST ANGELS: The Seattle Mariners lost to the Los Angeles Angels 3-2 on Sunday and continued to fall in the American League West standings. CLICK HERE

Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on “X” @Teren_Kowatsch and @wdevradiobrady

Former Oakland Athletics pitcher, current Athletics broadcaster and podcast host Dallas Braden was evidently not a fan of how current Seattle Mariners outfielder Randy Arozarena handled himself last week in a series against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Arozarena, who was traded from the Rays to the Mariners, evidently spent some time in the Rays clubhouse when the two teams played each other at T-Mobile Park. Braden was not a fan of it and made his thoughts known on the popular “Baseball is Dead” podcast which is hosted by himself and Jared Carrabis.

You can hear the clip below, but be warned that there is some language that is not suitable for all viewers:

It’s very clear that Braden is mad at Arozarena for fraternizing with the Rays, but it’s unclear why. Is he mad from the Mariners perspective that Arozarena is living in the past when he should be living in the present with his new team? Or, is he upset from the Rays perspective that Arozarena is infiltrating the clubhouse when he doesn’t play there anymore?

The Mariners took two of three in that series against the Rays with Arozarena hitting two home runs along the way. He’s under team control for two more seasons with the Mariners, though there are already questions about if the M’s will spin him off this offseason in an effort to save money.

The Mariners will be back in action against the A’s on Monday afternoon. We’ll see if Braden says anything about Arozarena on the A”s broadcast. First pitch is 4:07 p.m. PT.

NEW PODCAST IS OUT: The latest episode of the “Refuse to Lose” podcast is out as Brady Farkas talks about the criticism that Jerry Dipoto has received in Scott Servais’s firing, the M’s early success under Dan Wilson and the comments made by Ryan Divish recently on the “Marine Layer” podcast. Furthermore, Danny O’Neil, who wrote a tough column calling for Dipoto to be fired joins the show. CLICK HERE:

TURNIN TWO: Justin Turner had a multi-homer game on Saturday night against the Angels, making him just the third player in team history to accomplish this specific feat. CLICK HERE:

HISTORIC CONTROL: The M’s starting rotation is on track for baseball history in 2024. CLICK HERE:

Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on “X” @Teren_Kowatsch and @wdevradiobrady. You can subscribe to the “Refuse to Lose” podcast by clicking HERE:

The Seattle Mariners (69-68) and Oakland A’s (59-78) open a 4-game series Monday. First pitch from Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum is set for 7:07 p.m. ET (MLB Network). Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines around the Mariners vs. A’s odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.

Season series: Mariners lead 4-2

The Mariners dropped 2 of 3 games against the Los Angeles Angels over the weekend. Seattle is just 2-11 across the past 13 road contests dating back to July 31. The Over is on a 3-1 run, while the total has gone high at a 9-4-2 clip in the past 15 outings.

The A’s lost 2 of 3 games against the Texas Rangers on the road this weekend. Oakland is a respectable 6-6 in the past 12 games at home, while the Over is on a 4-1 run in the past 5 outings.

The last time these teams met in Oakland June 4-6, the Mariners won 2 of 3 games, while the Under cashed in all 3 outings.

Mariners at A’s projected starters

RHP Logan Gilbert vs. RHP

Gilbert (7-10, 3.09 ERA) makes his 28th start. He has a 0.90 WHIP, 1.6 BB/9 and 9.0 K/9 in 171 2/3 IP.

• Last start: No-decision, 6 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 10 K in 3-2 home loss vs. Tampa Bay Rays Tuesday
• 2024 road splits: 4-5, 3.81 ERA (87 1/3 IP, 37 ER), 1.00 WHIP, .213 opponents’ batting average (OBA), 19 BB, 80 K in 14 starts
• Career vs. A’s: 2-1, 3.09 ERA (58 1/3 IP, 20 ER), 6 HR, 0.93 WHIP, 7.1 K/9 in 10 starts

Bido (5-3, 3.21 ERA) makes his 9th start and 15th appearance. He has a 1.07 WHIP, 3.9 BB/9 and 9.0 K/9 in 56 IP.

• Last start: No-decision, 6 IP, 5 ER, 9 H (1 HR), 0 BB, 7 K in 7-5 road loss vs. Guardians Wednesday
• 2024 home splits: 3-2, 3.03 ERA (32 2/3 IP, 11 ER), 1.16 WHIP, .188 OBA, 16 BB, 36 K in 5 starts (9 appearances)
• Has never faced Mariners

Who’s going yard? Here’s a breakdown of today’s best home run props with our top picks. Include the BetMGM bonus code SBWIRE to score a $1,500 first-bet offer.

Mariners at A’s odds

Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 6 a.m. ET.

• Moneyline (ML): Mariners -144 (bet $144 to win $100) | A’s +122 (bet $100 to win $122)
• Run line (RL)/Against the spread (ATS): Mariners -1.5 (+120) | A’s +1.5 (-144)
• Over/Under (O/U): 7.5 (O: -108 | U: -112)

Mariners at A’s picks and predictions

Prediction

Mariners 4, A’s 3

Moneyline

The MARINERS (-144) are a solid play as moderate favorites in the series opener. Gilbert has been pitching well all season, including a solid 3.81 ERA and 1.00 WHIP on the road.

The Mariners are a respectable 5-4 in 9 games under interim manager Dan Wilson, and the schedule is set up for Seattle to make a move still, but it needs to get going.

Run line/Against the spread

If you’re a little more conservative of a bettor, A’S +1.5 (-144) is worth playing lightly behind Bido. He has really come into his own for Oakland, posting a 3.03 ERA at home this season and holding the opposition to a .188 batting average. This will be a surprisingly decent pitching matchup.

Play our free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!

Over/Under

UNDER 7.5 (-112) is the lean, but go with a half-unit play at best.

While the Over is 6-3-1 across the past 10 games for the Mariners, the Under cashed in each outing of the previous 3-game set in Oakland.

For the A’s, while the Over is 4-1 in the past 5 outings, the Under is 9-6 across the past 15 games. And the Under has cashed in 4 of the past 5 outings by Bido.

If you’re looking to play a few games of your own, check out the online casino real money action available or play on social casinos instead for free.

For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook.

Fantasy baseball help from BaseballHQ.com:
Subscribe now to dominate the competition.