By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Saturday, October 1, 2016

With nowhere to go themselves, the Oakland Athletics played the spoiler role to the hilt on Saturday, edging Seattle 9-8 in 10 innings at Safeco Field, and eliminated the Mariners from the AL Wild Card race.

The loss also extends Seattle’s streak of missing the postseason to 15 seasons. The last time the Mariners reached the AL playoffs was 2001, when they won 116 games.

Joey Wendle had the game-winning hit for Oakland, a one-out double into the right-center field gap off Mariners’ reliever Edwin Diaz (0-4).

Bruce Maxwell opened the Athletics 10th with a double off Diaz, who entered the game in the eighth inning. Chad Pinder replaced Maxwell as a pinch-runner and, after Matt Olson struck out, scored on Wendle’s double.

A’s closer Ryan Madson (6-7) shut down the Mariners in the 10th to get the win,

Khris Davis cracked a one-out homer – his 42nd – that gave Oakland a 7-4 lead in the seventh.

Earlier, the Mariners tied the game at 7-7 on a two-run homer by Nelson Cruz that capped a three-run rally. Oakland took an 8-7 lead in the eighth on an RBI single by Marcus Semien – his fourth hit of the game.

Ben Gamel’s two-out RBI single in the bottom of the ninth off A’s reliever Ryan Dull.

Jharel Cotton started for Oakland but left after giving up Robinson Cano’s 39th home run of the season, a two-run shot. Liam Hendriks replaced Cotton and held the Mariners at bay for the moment.

The Athletics and Mariners end their seasons Sunday afternoon.