That 9-2 Mariners Beatdown Still Has the A's on Tilt, And Tonight It's Jack Perkins' Turn

Alright, Emerald City! You gotta hear this. Remember that sweet 9-2 victory our Mariners dropped on the Athletics last month? Yeah, the one where Jack Perkins came in for a marathon 4 2/3 innings for the A's? Well, it looks like that beatdown is still messing with Oakland, because guess what? Perkins is actually getting his first start of the season tonight against the Astros, and honestly, the A's might be paying the price for it. This isn't just another game for them, they're walking into Houston already looking shaky, and it feels like that M's game set the tone.

Oakland's Pitching Purgatory and That Mariners Hangover

Let's talk about Jack Perkins. The guy is making his 18th appearance but his first start of the season. He's only thrown 28 innings across those 17 games. His longest outing so far? You guessed it, May 25, when he pitched the final 4 2/3 innings in their 9-2 loss to *our Seattle Mariners*. Yeah, the same game that gave him those extended innings. Tonight, he faces the Astros, a team he actually relieved against last July, tossing two scoreless innings in a 7-1 win. But a relief appearance is a whole different beast than a start, especially when your team just allowed four runs in the ninth inning to lose 7-6 in a walk-off to the Cubs yesterday. Yikes. On top of that, Oakland is still without shortstop Jacob Wilson, who's missed 22 games with a left shoulder dislocation. Manager Mark Kotsay called his bat-to-ball skills "elite" and said it's "hard to replace that type of production from a guy that was an All-Star." You know what that means: they're hurting for offense big time.

Houston's Desperate Moves: Can LaMonte Wade Jr. Deliver?

Over in Houston, they're practically begging for a spark. They just picked up veteran LaMonte Wade Jr., who was released by the Chicago White Sox on Monday. This guy was signed to a minor league deal in the offseason and spent the year at Triple-A Charlotte, hitting .250 with 45 walks in 46 games. He was immediately in the starting lineup Thursday night for the Astros, but it wasn't exactly a splashy debut, going hitless in four at-bats as Houston lost 5-1 to the Pirates. Astros manager Joe Espada is still hyped, though, saying they've "had an interest in him for a while." Espada loves his lefty bat for corner outfield, his swing decisions, and his ability to give "quality at-bats against high-leverage righties" or even spell Christian Walker at first base. He thinks Wade "sees a ton of pitches, and he's someone that you can sandwich in the middle of the lineup." Wade, in his eighth season after stints with the Twins, Giants, and Angels, has a career .235 average with 55 home runs and 185 RBIs in 561 games. The Astros are 2-4 on this nine-game homestand, so they're definitely not feeling great. Peter Lambert (4-4, 3.77 ERA) gets the start for Houston, coming off two straight wins, including a Saturday victory over Milwaukee where he gave up two runs in five innings. But get this, in his only career appearance against the Athletics back in 2024, he's 0-1 with a 13.50 ERA. Wild, right? So, tonight, the A's send out the guy our M's roughed up, while the Astros are grasping for any kind of momentum at home. It’s a huge series for both these teams trying to find their footing in June. Can the A's shake off that M's hangover, or will Houston pour salt on the wound? You know we'll be watching!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.