Seattle Mariners vs Oakland Athletics major league baseball feed ESPN Star 360 gamecast radio commentary live streaming April 03, 2011 Heading into last season, Gio Gonzalez was just trying to earn a spot in the Oakland Athletics' rotation.
With his starting job secure this season, Gonzalez will try to build on a breakout campaign and help the A's avoid their first 0-3 start since 1996 on Sunday against the Seattle Mariners.
The expectations were perhaps low for Gonzalez this time last year as he was 7-11 with a 6.24 ERA in his first two major league seasons. The left-hander was named the fifth and final starter for Oakland in part because Trevor Cahill opened the season on the disabled list with an injured left shoulder.
4:05 PM ET, April 3, 2011
Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, California
Gameday Matchup
Seattle Oakland
W-L 2 - 0 0 - 2
Night 2-0 0-2
Grass 2-0 0-2
Current Streak W2 L2
Last 10 2-0 0-2
Pitching Matchup
Seattle Oakland
Doug Fister
0-0, 0.00 ERA
Gio Gonzalez
0-0, 0.00 ERA
WATCH Seattle Mariners vs Oakland Athletics NOW
Injury Report
Seattle
* David Aardsma RP - Apr 2: 15-Day DL
* Franklin Gutierrez CF - Apr 1: 15-Day DL
Oakland
* Kurt Suzuki C - Apr 1: Day-To-Day
* Rich Harden SP - Apr 1: 15-Day DL
Heading into last season, Gio Gonzalez was just trying to earn a spot in the Oakland Athletics' rotation.
With his starting job secure this season, Gonzalez will try to build on a breakout campaign and help the A's avoid their first 0-3 start since 1996 on Sunday against the Seattle Mariners.
The expectations were perhaps low for Gonzalez this time last year as he was 7-11 with a 6.24 ERA in his first two major league seasons. The left-hander was named the fifth and final starter for Oakland in part because Trevor Cahill opened the season on the disabled list with an injured left shoulder.
Gonzalez took advantage of that opportunity and went 15-9 with a 3.23 ERA in a team-high 33 starts. With his help, the A's rotation finished with a 3.47 ERA -- the lowest mark by an AL team since Boston's 3.32 in 1990.
Gonzalez likely added some optimism for a repeat performance this season by going 1-2 with a 2.30 ERA in six exhibition starts.
"I'm just trying to contribute wherever I can to be a part of that rotation and show them I can hang with (my teammates)," Gonzalez told the team's website during spring training.
The A's could use his contributions immediately after dropping their first two games for the first time since 2007. To avoid another defeat, Oakland will likely need better production from its lineup.
The A's (0-2) have pushed across only two runs in each of their first two games, including a 5-2 defeat Saturday.
"It was a tough loss for us," manager Bob Geren said. "We didn't swing the bats as well as we could have."
The Mariners (2-0) broke a 2-all tie in that game with three runs in the ninth inning. Ichiro Suzuki sent home Jack Wilson with the go-ahead score on an infield single, the team-record 2,248th hit of his career.
Miguel Olivo scored on a subsequent wild pitch and Suzuki came home on Chone Figgins' sacrifice fly.
"I wasn't thinking about my base hit," said Suzuki, who celebrated the 10th anniversary of his major league debut Saturday. "I wanted that run. That's what was more on my mind than the hit."
While Gonzalez will attempt to build on his strong season, Seattle's Doug Fister will try to begin rebounding from a 6-14 campaign.
The right-hander won two of his first three starts in 2010 -- including a split with Oakland in the first two -- but collected only two victories over his next 20 outings. He also had a stint on the disabled list in June because of fatigue in his throwing shoulder.
Fister ended that stretch with a win in Oakland on Sept. 7 and is 4-2 with a 2.90 ERA in seven career matchups. Gonzalez, meanwhile, is 4-0 with a 2.78 ERA in his last five starts against Seattle.
In his final start in 2010, Fister gave up six runs and a career-worst 13 hits in an 8-1 loss to the A's.
This time, he'll try to help Seattle to its first 3-0 start since 1995.
With his starting job secure this season, Gonzalez will try to build on a breakout campaign and help the A's avoid their first 0-3 start since 1996 on Sunday against the Seattle Mariners.
The expectations were perhaps low for Gonzalez this time last year as he was 7-11 with a 6.24 ERA in his first two major league seasons. The left-hander was named the fifth and final starter for Oakland in part because Trevor Cahill opened the season on the disabled list with an injured left shoulder.
4:05 PM ET, April 3, 2011
Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, California
Seattle Oakland
W-L 2 - 0 0 - 2
Night 2-0 0-2
Grass 2-0 0-2
Current Streak W2 L2
Last 10 2-0 0-2
Pitching Matchup
Seattle Oakland
Doug Fister
0-0, 0.00 ERA
Gio Gonzalez
0-0, 0.00 ERA
WATCH Seattle Mariners vs Oakland Athletics NOW
Injury Report
Seattle
* David Aardsma RP - Apr 2: 15-Day DL
* Franklin Gutierrez CF - Apr 1: 15-Day DL
Oakland
* Kurt Suzuki C - Apr 1: Day-To-Day
* Rich Harden SP - Apr 1: 15-Day DL
Heading into last season, Gio Gonzalez was just trying to earn a spot in the Oakland Athletics' rotation.
With his starting job secure this season, Gonzalez will try to build on a breakout campaign and help the A's avoid their first 0-3 start since 1996 on Sunday against the Seattle Mariners.
The expectations were perhaps low for Gonzalez this time last year as he was 7-11 with a 6.24 ERA in his first two major league seasons. The left-hander was named the fifth and final starter for Oakland in part because Trevor Cahill opened the season on the disabled list with an injured left shoulder.
Gonzalez took advantage of that opportunity and went 15-9 with a 3.23 ERA in a team-high 33 starts. With his help, the A's rotation finished with a 3.47 ERA -- the lowest mark by an AL team since Boston's 3.32 in 1990.
Gonzalez likely added some optimism for a repeat performance this season by going 1-2 with a 2.30 ERA in six exhibition starts.
"I'm just trying to contribute wherever I can to be a part of that rotation and show them I can hang with (my teammates)," Gonzalez told the team's website during spring training.
The A's could use his contributions immediately after dropping their first two games for the first time since 2007. To avoid another defeat, Oakland will likely need better production from its lineup.
The A's (0-2) have pushed across only two runs in each of their first two games, including a 5-2 defeat Saturday.
"It was a tough loss for us," manager Bob Geren said. "We didn't swing the bats as well as we could have."
The Mariners (2-0) broke a 2-all tie in that game with three runs in the ninth inning. Ichiro Suzuki sent home Jack Wilson with the go-ahead score on an infield single, the team-record 2,248th hit of his career.
Miguel Olivo scored on a subsequent wild pitch and Suzuki came home on Chone Figgins' sacrifice fly.
"I wasn't thinking about my base hit," said Suzuki, who celebrated the 10th anniversary of his major league debut Saturday. "I wanted that run. That's what was more on my mind than the hit."
While Gonzalez will attempt to build on his strong season, Seattle's Doug Fister will try to begin rebounding from a 6-14 campaign.
The right-hander won two of his first three starts in 2010 -- including a split with Oakland in the first two -- but collected only two victories over his next 20 outings. He also had a stint on the disabled list in June because of fatigue in his throwing shoulder.
Fister ended that stretch with a win in Oakland on Sept. 7 and is 4-2 with a 2.90 ERA in seven career matchups. Gonzalez, meanwhile, is 4-0 with a 2.78 ERA in his last five starts against Seattle.
In his final start in 2010, Fister gave up six runs and a career-worst 13 hits in an 8-1 loss to the A's.
This time, he'll try to help Seattle to its first 3-0 start since 1995.
