Aaron Civale #45 of the Athletics pitches in the top of the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at Sutter Health Park on May 25, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Athletics returned home on Monday night for a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners. The A’s were fresh off a Los Angeles and San Diego trip where they went 4-3, as they won the Angels series and dropped the series to the Padres. Overall, it was a positive trip for the Athletics, who remained in first place in the AL West over the Seattle Mariners by one game in the standings coming into the game. While early, the series against the Mariners would be a good test for the A’s as they battle long term for the division title.

The Mariners defeated the A’s in front of 11,194 on a chilly night in commanding fashion, 9-2.

Aaron Civale, who has been the A’s best starter so far in the 2026 season, got the ball for the A’s to start the homestand at Sutter Health Park.

Civale cruised for the A’s in the first two innings of the game. He allowed two quick base hits with two outs in the first inning but got out of things unscathed, and had a one, two, three inning in the second inning. It was the third inning that did Civale in. After getting two outs in the inning, Civale gave up six runs on six hits as he completely melted down in what was an inexplicable inning. Civale managed to keep himself in the game to pitch the fourth inning, but he gave up a leadoff home run to start the fourth inning of action to continue his rough stretch. All in, Civale managed to go only four innings, giving up seven runs on nine hits while walking one and striking out two. Civale needed 73 pitches in his outing.

Mark Kotsay was forced to go to the A’s bullpen early in the fifth inning, and he elected for Jack Perkins first to relieve the starter, Aaron Civale. Perkins last pitched Friday night against the Angels when he pitched two and a third innings. Perkins was fantastic in the first four innings of his relief, allowing only one hit. However, Perkins found trouble in the ninth inning when he gave up a solo home run before being pulled with two outs in the ninth inning. Perkins tossed four and two-thirds innings in relief as the long man while giving up three hits and two runs in his outing that required 63 pitches.

The last man out of the pen for the A’s was Joel Kuhnel, who came in and got a strikeout for the final out of the top of the ninth inning.

On the offensive side of the ball, there was very slim output from the hitters. The A’s only managed seven hits and two runs in a game they would like to forget. The A’s hits came from Jeff McNeil, Zack Gelof, Henry Bolte, Shea Langeliers, Tyler Soderstrom and Darell Hernaiz, who had two hits. Langeliers was responsible for the A’s run in the eighth inning as he connected for a solo home run. Langeliers’s home run traveled 400 feet to right-center field and jumped off the bat at 104 mph.

The A’s only other run came in the ninth inning when McNeil grounded into a double play. It was the A’s second and last run as they fell to the Mariners 9-2.

The A’s and Mariners will play game two of the series on Tuesday at 6:40 p.m. PST. The A’s will send Luis Severino (2-5, 4.23 ERA) to the mound while the Mariners are scheduled to counter with Emerson Hancock (3-2, 3.07 ERA).