West bracket: 1973 A's defeat 2019 Mariners in six games

Game One: A's 5, Mariners 3
WP: Hunter (1-0)
LP: Gonzales (0-1)
Save: Fingers (1)
HR: Do. Santana (1), Tenace (1), Jackson (1)

Game Two: Mariners 5, A's 3
WP: Kikuchi (1-0)
LP: Holtzman (0-1)
HR: Moore (1), K Seager (1), Nola (1)

Game Three: A's 4, Mariners 2
WP: Blue (1-0)
LP: Leake (0-1)
Save: Fingers (2)
HR: Vogelbach (1), Kubiak (1)

Game Four: Mariners 2, A's 0
WP: F. Hernandez (1-0)
LP: Knowles (0-1)
Save: Elias (1)
HR: Do Santana (2)

Game Five: A's 4, Mariners 3
WP: Hunter (2-0)
LP: Gonzales (0-2)
Save: Fingers (3)
HR: Haniger (1), Rudi (1)

Game Six: A's 5, Mariners 0
WP: Holtzman (1-1)
LP: Kikuchi (1-1)

The 1973 champions got off to a ringing start in Game One, with both Reggie Jackson and Gene Tenace hitting first ining homers in Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Catfish Hunter allowed two runs in seven innings, both scored by Domingo Santana (homer and double). Paul Lindbald threw a wild pitch to plate a run in the eighth, and Rollie Fingers relieved in the ninth to pick up the save.

Seattle hit three homers off Ken Holtzman to take Game Two. The biggest blow was a three-run shot by Dylan Moore. Kyle Seager and Austin Nola hit solo homers off Holtzman, who went the distance. Yusei Kikuchi allowed one run in six innings, after which Austin Adams and Matt Magill each tossed a scoreless frame. Closer Roenis Elias staggered through a two-run ninth, which ended with two men in scoring position on Deron Johnson's deep fly ball.

The series moved to Safeco Field, where Vida Blue and Fingers combined for a four-hitter. Ted Kubiak, filling in for the injured Dick Green, hit a two-run homer in the fifth off Mike Leake to put the A's ahead, and they tacked on two more runs in the sixth.

King Felix Hernandez reached into his days of greatness in Game Four. He allowed one hit in his first seven innings and left after allowing a one-out double in the eighth. Tommy Milone retired pinch-hitter Johnson and Bert Campaneris to end the eighth, and Elias allowed a harmless single in the ninth. Santana homered off reliever Darold Knowles for the go-ahead run in the sixth, and Mallex Smith singled in the other run in the seventh.

With the series tied at 2, Seattle took a 2-1 lead on Mitch-Haniger's homer in the fifth. But Joe Rudi homered with a man on in the sixth to put the A's in front, and Jackson singled in an insurance run in the seventh. Fingers walked home a man in the bottom of the eighth but allowed nothing more.

Holtzman, battered in the second game, was masterful in the sixth game. He kept the visitors hitless until the seventh, when Seager singled, and finished with a one-hitter. He walked two and struck out four. The A's didn't hit any homers, but got doubles from Sal Bando, Johnson, Green and Ray Fosse and a triple from Tenace as they scored five runs off Kikuchi in four innings.

Player availability: If Holtzman pitches Game Two as planned, he will lose an inning of durablity for that start.

Projected rotation: Hunter-Holtzman (with penalty)-Blue-Odom-(Hunter)-(Holtzman {no penalty})-Blue