Athletics at Seattle Mariners

The pregame message that Athletics manager Mark Kotsay conveyed to his team inside the clubhouse Thursday afternoon was simple: 20 out of 22. “That’s the amount of games we have left against playoff-contending teams,” Kotsay said. “There’s a lot to play for for us. For the experience, and to go out and try to wreck people’s season, really. We’ve got an opportunity here to do that for the next 20 out of 22.” First up is this weekend’s four-game series with the division-rival Mariners, who entered Thursday’s series finale trailing in the American League West race by five games and desperate for wins. “We should have some pride in that,” Kotsay said. “These teams are playing for their lives. … Any time a team is five \[games\