by Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s stormed back from a five-run deficit and scored eleven unanswered runs to pound the Seattle Mariners 11-5 Monday night in Seattle. The win ended the A’s eight-game road losing streak. Lefty Felix Doubront made his second start for Oakland. Doubront was injured in the first inning when a line drive hit his right foot. Doubront finished the first and second innings, but he limped off the mound at the end of the second. The A’s had to go to the bullpen early in the game. Evan Scribner pitched the third and Seattle torched him for five runs. Melvin let Scribner pitch another inning. Edward Mujica retired all six hitters he faced in the fifth and sixth innings. Switch-pitcher, Pat Venditte, also retired all six hitters in order in the seventh and eight. Melvin brought in Drew Pomeranz to pitch the ninth and he, too, retired the Mariners in order to close out the game.  In all, the A’s relievers retired sixteen Mariners in a row to secure the win.

The A’s had just one hit off Mariners’ starter Hisaki Iwakuma in the first four innings of play. The A’s scored seven runs with two out to drive Iwakuma from the game. In fact, the A’s scored ten of their eleven runs after two were in both the fifth and ninth innings.

Evan Scribner had a rough outing as he allowed five runs in the third inning. Rookie shortstop, twenty-one-year-old Ketel Marte, led off the third with a double to right centerfield. Marte then stole third. Scribner hit Nelson Cruz with a pitch to put men on at first and third with one out. Robinson Cano singled to drive in Marte with Seattle’s first run, Franklin Gutierrez followed with a blast to center to put the Mariners up 4-0. Scribner retired the next hitter, but big Mark Trumbo hit a hanging curve into the left field seats for the fifth run of the frame. 5-0 after three. Scribner has given up fourteen home runs in just 57 innings of work this year.

Things turned around in the top of the fifth for the A’s. They sent eleven men to the plate and scored seven runs in the inning. All the runs came with two out. Stephen Vogt led off the inning with a double. Looked like he would be stranded there, but Billy Butler walked and Eric Sogard singled to load the bases. Billy Burns Doubled to drive in two. Mark Canha doubled to drive in two more to make it a 5-4 game. Josh Reddick reached on a single to Mariner first baseman Jesus Montero. Montero fielded the ball and failed to flip it to Iwakuma who was running to cover the bag. Montero lost the foot race to first. Reddick was ruled safe and Montero failed to check on Canha. Canha running at full speed scored from second to tie the game.  A’s third baseman, Danny Valencia put an Iwakuma slider over the fence in left to put the A’s in the lead 7-5.

The A’s added a run in the seventh. Mark Canha singled to left and advanced to second on a throwing error by Mark Trumbo. Trumbo was charged with the error, but it was sloppy play by the Mariner infield that allowed Canha to take the extra base. Reddick singled to drive in Canha.

The A’s weren’t done. They scored three more runs in the ninth. All the runs scored with two out. Josh Reddick homered to right. It was the fifteenth dinger of the year for Josh. Valencia and Vogt singled and Brett Lawrie doubled down the right field line to drive in two more for Oakland. 11-5 final in favor of the Green and Gold.

Game Notes- Stephen Vogt had two extra base hits (doubles) in the fifth inning. He became the seventh A’s player to have two extra-base hits in an inning. It was also the second game in a row that Vogt had two hits in an inning.  It was the first time since 1975 that the A’s have scored seven runs in an inning in two consecutive games

The A’s bullpen, with the exception of Scribner, retired sixteen hitters in a row,

Earlier in the day, the A’s announce they placed Kendall Graveman on the 15-day DL with a strained oblique muscle. The A’s recalled infielder Max Muncy from Nashville to take his place on the roster. It marks the third time that Muncy has been with the A’s this year.

The A’s also announced that third base coach Mike Gallego has been relieved of his duties and Ron Washington has been named third base coach for the remainder of the season. Washington returned to the A’s on May 21st after managing the Texas Rangers for nearly eight seasons.  He compiled a 664-611 record and guided the Rangers to back-to-back World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011.  Washington has more wins than any other manager in Texas/Washington history.

Jesse Chavez will pitch for Oakland Tuesday night and he will be opposed by Seattle’s Mike Montgomery.

Time of game was three hours and nine minutes and 19,907 were on hand to watch.

The line score for Oakland 11 runs fifteen hits and no errors Line for Seattle five runs nine hits and one error.