Miguel Andujar on Tuesday night in the A’s contest against the Seattle Mariners (Photo: Athletics on X)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

WEST SACRAMENTO — The A’s and Mariners faced off in the second game of a three-game series on Tuesday at Sutter Health Park. In front of 9,615 fans, the A’s dropped game two of the series to the Mariners, 5-3.

“Yeah, really tough,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “The kid comes into my office and tells me he’s good to go, and you trust the player. He’s pitched quite a bit, and tonight was his fourth night [in a row]… The at-bat that changed the inning was the pitch inside to Arozarena that hit him… He answered the bell, and it just didn’t go well tonight.”

Kotsay was referring to a taxed bullpen and, specifically, reliever Tyler Ferguson, who took the loss on Tuesday. With Mason Miller and others unavailable, the A’s turned to Ferguson to close out the ninth with a 3-2 lead. But Ferguson didn’t have his best stuff and allowed three runs on two hits, walking one and striking out one in two-thirds of an inning.

The inning began well, with Ferguson striking out J.P. Crawford swinging, but things unraveled quickly. He walked Jorge Polanco, gave up a single to Julio Rodríguez, and then hit Randy Arozarena with a sinker that ran inside, loading the bases for pinch-hitter Cal Raleigh. Raleigh, who had the night off until that point, delivered a sharp two-RBI single into right field to put Seattle ahead, 4-3. Dylan Moore followed with a sacrifice fly to right, plating another run to make it 5-3. Hogan Harris then entered and struck out Rowdy Tellez to end the inning.

In the bottom of the ninth, the A’s fought back but ultimately came up short and dropped the game, 5-3.

It was a tough finish for the A’s, who got strong contributions throughout the night.

Starter Jeffrey Springs pitched five innings of two-run ball, allowing five hits while striking out four. He walked two and gave up a solo homer to Julio Rodríguez in the first inning.

The bullpen—aside from Ferguson—was excellent. Noah Murdock, T.J. McFarland, Justin Sterner, and Hogan Harris combined for 3.1 scoreless innings.

Offensively, the A’s answered right away after Rodríguez’s homer in the top of the first, tying the game in the bottom half on a Miguel Andujar RBI single that scored Brent Rooker. In the third, trailing 2-1, the A’s tied it again on a Rooker RBI single that brought home Nick Kurtz, who had walked earlier in the inning. The A’s last run came in go-ahead fashion in the eighth when Andujar singled home Rooker to make it 3-2. Unfortunately for A’s fans, the rest is history.

With the loss, the A’s dropped to 20-17 on the season, good for second place in the AL West, two games behind the Mariners.

The two teams will meet in the rubber match Wednesday at 12:35 p.m. at Sutter Health Park. The A’s will send Gunnar Hoglund (1-0, 1.50 ERA, 7 K, 6 IP) to the mound against Seattle’s Bryan Woo (4-1, 2.58 ERA, 38 K, 38.1 IP).

Note of the night: A’s first baseman Nick Kurtz remains homerless through 13 games and 42 at-bats in the majors but walked twice Tuesday night. After the game, I asked manager Mark Kotsay what he’s seen from Kurtz’s recent approach.

“I think his at-bats have been good,” Kotsay said. “You don’t just come up here and dominate from day one. I think Nick’s at-bats continue to get better, and the walks are an indication that he’s laying off pitches he was chasing earlier when he got called up. These were good at-bats tonight, and he continues to build off of them.”

A’s fans continue to wait with bated breath for the first Nick Kurtz home run. However, Mark Kotsay doesn’t seem worried one bit.