Oakland A’s Seth Brown slugs a ninth inning RBI single that scored the winning run against the Seattle Mariners at the Oakland Coliseum on Tue Sep 3, 2024 (AP News photo)

Seattle (69-70). 200 000 000 2 5 0

Athletics (61-78). 100 100 001. 3.6 0

Time: 2:15

Attendance: 3,924

Tuesday, September 3, 2024

Oakland CA

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–The 80 degree game time temperature before Tuesday night’s encounter between the Seattle Mariners and the betwixt and between Athletics this balmy Tuesday evening was an invitation to a slug fest.

For one brief inning it looked like the teams had accepted the invitation, but then their pitchers stepped up and showed that, Tuesday night at least, good pitching could beat good hitting. The result was a 3-2 walk off win by the Athletics on Seth Brown’s full count single to right center in the bottom of the ninth.

The Mariners started the scoring with their first two batters. JP Crawford led off with a single to right center and advanced to third on a double to left by Julio Rodríguez. Both of them scored on Cal Raleigh’s two bagger to right center. A’s starter JT Ginn settled down after that and didn’t give up another tally until he was relieved by Hogan Harris to face the M’s in the top of the seventh.

Ginn left with the score tied at two after his labor of six innings and, so, had to settle for a no decision. His work was superb. He allowed only two hits in the five frames that followed the Mariners’ three hit first. The 25 year old rookie righthander struck out seven M’s and walked only one.

Ginn threw a total of 88 pitches, of which 23 were balls. Both of the runs he gave up were earned, and his ERA went down to 4.30. He has yet to be credited with a win or charged with a loss.

Harris matched his predecessor’s performance, allowing the visitors from the Puget Sound only two baserunners, both of whom walked. He earned the win to improve his record to 3-3, 2.73. The 37th and last pitch he threw was clutch pitching at its best.

With Randy Arozarena on first and one out, Justin Turner, pinch hitting for Luke Raley, worked a full count. Arozarena broke for second. Harris zipped a 92mph four seamer past Turner, umpire Manny Rodríguez called the third strike, and Shea Langeliers threw Arozarena out at second.

Ginn’s opposite number for Seattle, the veteran Luis Castillo was almost impermeable after Lawrence Butler led off for the A’s in the bottom of the first with a 408 foot home run to right center, his 21st round tripper of the year.

The shot came off an 87 mph changeup that left Butler’s bat 108 mph. Castillo allowed only one more run. It came on Brown’s 13th homer of the season, a 410 foot blast to center off a 94mph four seamer. Brown had a three hit night and drove in two of the Athletics’ three runs.

Butler and Brown provided the only four hits off Castillo in his seven innings of work. He struck out five and walked on, throwing 99 pitches, 29 of which were balls. Like Ginn, he got a no decision. His record now stands at 11-12, 3.60.

Troy Taylor pitched a perfect eighth for the Mariners, and Trent Thornton, who struck out Brent Rooker, walked JJ Bleday, who scored the winning run, and yielded back to back singles to Langeliers and Brown, took the loss. He’s now 3-3, 4,19.

Butler’s blast extended his hitting streak to 13 games and validated his status as the most recent AL Player of the Week. He now has tied the franchise record of eight consecutive games.

Wednesday, evening at 6:40pm PT, both two teams will go at each other again. George Kirby (10-10, 3.63) will take the mound for the Mariners; JP Sears (11-9, 4.21) for the Athletics.