Oakland A’s manager Bob Melvin’s frustrations boil over in the sixth inning as he is ejected by plate umpire Greg Gibson (53) at the Oakland Coliseum while playing the Seattle Mariners on Wed Sep 22, 2021 (AP News photo)

Seattle 4 – 9 – 0

Oakland 1 – 4 – 0

By Lewis Rubman

Wednesday September 22, 2021

OAKLAND–To hear the A’s tell it, the mood in their club house is one of realistic optimism. But that’s an oxymoron; no realist—other than someone who’s bet on the Astros, Red Sox, Yankees, or Blue Jays—would be optimistic about Oakland’s chances of playing any time between October 3 and the first pitch of the 2022 Cactus League season. Still, there are many ways in which baseball is a beautiful game; the excitement of the pennant race is just one of them.

The daily conflict between the two teams, the drama that unfolds on the field, the esthetic delight, both geometric and kinetic, of a well executed defensive play, the mental complexities of the myriad of interlocking strategic and tactical decisions made by the coaching staffs or, instantaneously, by the players, all these are just some of the joys watching what once was the national pastime affords us.

We don’t need to place tonight’s lackluster performance of Oakland in their 4-1 loss to the Mariners in the context of the hunt for a green October to get that special pleasure that baseball provides, even in its langeurs and disappointments.

What occurred tonight in front of an intimate gathering of 4,149 fans at the Coliseum was like “the turkey that you know will fold” that Irving Berlin wrote about; “you wouldn’t trade it for a sack of gold.” (Well, I wouldn’t go that far. Maybe the lines I should have quoted from “There’s No Business Like Show Business” are “You’re broken hearted / But You Go On.”)

Oakland starter Cole Irvin pitched himself out of minor difficulties but didn’t allow the Mariners to score over the first two frames, while Seattle’s starter, Chris Flexen, kept the first four Athletic hitters off the basepaths.

But then Mark Canha lined a single to right and tried to stretch it into a double. Second base umpire Rob Drake thought he was safe. The video replay on the jumbo scoreboards showed he was safe.

The crew of video review umpires in New York thought differently, and so the the A’s went from a runner on second with one down to bases empty and two outs. It was no surprise that the inning ended with the game still a scoreless tie.

That’s how it remained until Kyle Seager unloaded on an 89 mph four seamer for his 35th home run of the year. The blast came with the bases empty and no outs in the top of the fourth. It travelled 406 feet and landed just over the xfinity sign in center field.

One out later, Abraham Toro singled to center and advanced to second on a wild pitch while Jarred Kelenic, who eventually struck out, was at bat. Tom Murphy singled the Mariner shortstop home to put the M’s ahead 2-0.

Ty France’s 17th round tripper of the season extended that advantage to 3-0. It came on a 1-2 slider with one out in fifth and was followed by a walk to Haniger and Seager’s two bagger to right center that sent Haniger around to third.

Irvin struck Torrens out swinging and retired Toro on a pop up that Olson’s speed and the Coliseum’s spacious foul territory allowed the A’s first sacker to corral. It was Irvin’s 89th pitch, but not a creature was stirring in the Athletics’ bull pen.

It was Matt Chapman who broke the ice for the home team. He led off the fifth by taking a 3-2 fast ball 414 feet deep to center for his 27th four bagger of the year. Although Sean Murphy singled and went to second on a ground out to the mound by Andrus, the Athleltics’ receiver was stranded at second with the score 3-1 in favor of the visitors.

Deolis Guerra was warming up in the the Oakland pen when Irvin took the mound in the sixth. Four pitches later, Irvin had walked Kelenic, and Guerra was on the mound. Irvin had given up seven hits, unleashed one wild pitch, and surrendered three bases on balls, the last of which brought his pitch count up to 93, 58 of which were strikes.

Kelenic stole second on a disputed play, in which Sean Murphy either caught Moore’s foul tip for a third strike or couldn’t handle Guerra’s pitch for the first ball.

This led to a vigorous dispute between crew chief and home plate umpire Greg Gibson and the ever contentious manager Bob Melvin, which led to the former ejecting the latter, along with bench coach Ryan Christianson, from the premises. Mark Kotsay assumed to role of acting manager.Guerra completed the inning without incident, and Irvin’s run allowed total remained at three, all earned.

Guerra hit France with a pitch to open the top of the seventh and then got Haniger on a pop up to Andrus in shallow center field before being replaced by Andres Chafin, who faced the unenviable task of pitching to Seager.

The Mariners’ third baseman lined a single past Olson that advanced France to third. The run he scored on Torrens’ sacrifice fly to deep center was charged to Guerra’s account. Chafin then closed the door on the M’s, who now enjoyed a 4-1 advantage

Michael Feliz, whom the A’s had claimed off waivers from the Red Sox yesterday, made his Oakland debut when he relieved Chafin to start the Seattle eighth. He lasted three batters. A fly to left by Kelenic, a sharp single to left by Tom Murphy, and a walk to Moore brought Yusmeiero Petit into the game. He restored order, retiring Crawford on a fly to Marte and France on a short to second force out.

Seven innings was enough for Flexen. He allowed a single run, on Olson’s home run, and a total of three hts and two walks. He struck out eight.65 of his hundred pitches were strikes. Diego Castillo took over for him and set the A’s down 1,2,3 in the eighth, aided by a lovely diving catch of Harrison’s dying quail to center by Kelenic for the third out.

Domingo Acevedo came in to pitch the top of the ninth for Oakland and put the Mariners down in order.

The A’s had one last shot at drawing even. Facing Drew Stekenrider in the bottom of the ninth, Marte led off with a line drive double to right. But the A’s fell victim to the curse of the lead off double as Olson, Lowrie, Canha left him stranded.

The win went to Flexen. His record stands at 13-6, 3.56. Steckenrider earned his 1th save and lowered his ERA to 2.17. Irvin. was charged with the loss, dropping his record to 10-14 upping his ERA to 3.99.

Perhaps the biggest Athletics story of the day didn’t even occur on the field of play. It was the anticipation generated by the naming of Chris Bassit (12-4, 3.22) to open Thursday afternoon’s game, just four and a half weeks after the horrific facial injury the staff ace suffered in Chicago. His counterpart for Seattle will be Yusei Kikuchi (7-9, 4,32). Game time will be 12:;370.

One last reminder: the A’s still haven’t been mathematically eliminated. Hope springs eternal.