Lawrence Butler runs the bases after hitting a first inning home run for the Sacramento A’s against the Seattle Mariners at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento on Sun Sep 13, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Mauricio Segura

WEST SACRAMENTO–In nine innings, two Lawrence Butler home runs and one furious comeback turned a four-run deficit into an 8-7 win over the Seattle Mariners. Butler’s second shot was a game-winning walk-off two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth, sending Zack Gelof home ahead of him and giving the Sacramento A’s the season series against the Mariners, seven games to six.

Gelof and Butler gave the A’s a dream start by going back-to-back in the first inning against Bryce Miller. Gelof drove a fly ball over the wall in left, and Butler followed with one to right-center for a 2-0 lead. The pair already belonged to a notable group before the game, joining Henry Bolte as three Athletics with at least ten home runs and ten stolen bases this season, only the eighth time in franchise history the club has had three such players.

Seattle erased the lead in the third. Jhonny Pereda doubled, and Randy Arozarena followed two batters later with a two-run homer to left. The Mariners then worked over Jacob Lopez in the fourth. Josh Naylor singled, Michael Arroyo walked and Weston Wilson loaded the bases with a single. Pereda’s sacrifice fly scored Naylor, J.P. Crawford brought home Arroyo with an infield single, and Arozarena greeted reliever Scott Blewett with another single that scored Wilson for a 5-2 Seattle advantage.

The Mariners added another run in the fifth when three walks helped bring Cal Raleigh home. Luis Medina took over with the bases loaded and struck out pinch-hitter Lazaro Montes, but Pereda drew a bases-loaded walk before J.P. Crawford grounded into a force play. At 6-2, Seattle appeared to have firm control.

The A’s changed the game in the seventh. Alika Williams opened the inning with a ground-rule double and Bolte was hit by a pitch. An Athletics challenge overturned the call on Jeff McNeil’s ground ball, turning it into an infield single and loading the bases. Gelof followed with a walk that scored Williams, and Butler’s groundout brought Bolte home.

Then Shea Langeliers, one day after being reinstated from the injured list following right-knee meniscus surgery, stepped up as a pinch hitter against Seranthony Domínguez. Langeliers lined a ball to right that deflected off Domínguez, scoring McNeil and Gelof to tie the game 6-6. Langeliers had undergone surgery after suffering a torn meniscus and had only returned to the active roster one day earlier.

Seattle answered in the eighth. Arozarena hit his second homer of the game, this one off Hogan Harris, to put the Mariners back in front 7-6. The A’s nearly answered in the bottom half when Williams doubled and reached third on Dominic Canzone’s throwing error, but Andrés Muñoz struck out Bolte and retired McNeil to keep Seattle ahead.

Elvis Alvarado handled the ninth without allowing a run, giving the top of the Athletics order one final chance. Gelof singled to left, bringing Butler to the plate as the potential winning run. Butler ended the discussion himself, lifting a two-run homer to right-center for his second homer of the game and an 8-7 victory.

The finish gave the Athletics their first season-series victory over Seattle since 2020 after dropping the previous five, a meaningful reversal against a division opponent that had given them trouble for years.

After Monday’s off day, the A’s open a three-game set at Tampa Bay on Tuesday, with Jack Perkins (3-11, 6.53 ERA, 119 K) facing Griffin Jax (7-10, 3.99 ERA, 103 K) at 3:40 p.m. Pacific.

Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.

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⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

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Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

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