Tag: Seattle Mariners

Ichiro says farewell, and Mariners beat A’s in extra innings 5-4

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

photo from Nogi/Agence France-Presse: Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki left the field in the bottom of eighth inning on Thursday night to an ovation from fans in Tokyo

By Jerry Feitelberg

On an emotional day in Tokyo, Ichiro Suzuki said farewell to baseball. The 45-year old Suzuki went 0-for-4 in his last game and left in the eighth inning as the crowd rose to give a standing ovation for the last time an active player. Ichiro, without question, will be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on the first ballot. He will be the first Japanese-born player to reach that lofty level.

There was still a game to play, and the M’s won for the second day in a row as they downed the A’s 5-4 in 12 innings. The M’s sent Yusei Kikuchi to do the pitching honors and he did fairly well in his MLB debut. He went 4 2/3 innings and allowed two runs and 4 hits. Marco Estrada made his A’s debut. His line was five innings of work and he gave up five hits and three runs.

The M’s put two runs on the board when former Oakland Athletic, Ryan Healy, took Estrada deep with a man on board. The M’s increased the lead to 3-0 in the third when Mitch Haniger sent one of Estrada’s pitches into the seats.

The A’s closed the gap when they tallied two in the bottom of the fifth. Marcus Semien singled to drive in Matt Olson with the A’s first run. Jurickson Profar scored the second run on Jay Bruce’s fielding error.

The M’s added a run in the seventh, but the A’s DH Khris Davis singled to drive in Semien and Matt Chapman with the tying runs.

The game remained tied until the top of the 12th inning. The M’s loaded the bases with one out. Domingo Santa, who hit a grand slam on Wednesday, reached on a fielder’s choice. The A’s failed to make the inning-ending double play and the M’s scored the go-ahead run. The M’s bullpen closed out the game for the win. The final score was 5-4 in favor of the M’s.

Game Notes and Stats: Marcus Semien was the hitting start for the A’s with three hits. Ramon Laureano had two knocks.

Up Next: The A’s resume Spring Training with three exhibition games against the San Francisco Giants. The two teams will play in Oakland on Sunday and then play in San Francisco Monday and Tuesday. The A’s are off on Wednesday. The A’s will start the season will a day opener Thursday against the Los Angeles Angels. Game time will be at 1:05 pm. They will have the night opener Friday at 7:05 PM.

Headline Sports with Tony Renteria: SF DA drops domestic charges against Baer; Don’t spend it all in one place, Trout sports richest contract; plus more

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

mercurynews.com photo file: San Francisco Giants CEO Larry Baer whose out on leave of absence has been the focus of a Women’s group who are asking MLB to discipline Baer after his physical March 1st altercation with his wife Pam.

On Headline Sports podcast with Tony R:

#1 San Francisco Giants CEO Larry Baer will not face charges of domestic abuse according to San Francisco DA spokesman Alex Bastian. Baer who had a March 1st altercation with his wife Pam which was video taped.

#2 Women’s right groups in San Francisco still say Baer should be suspended from baseball and that Major League Baseball still has a responsibility to discipline Baer.

#3 The Los Angeles Angels this week set the all time sports record for highest salary paying the Angels Mike Trout a record $430 million.

#4 The Oakland Raiders newest lineback Vontaze Burfict who at one time as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals went helmet to helmet with then Pittsburgh Steeler Antonio Brown concussing Brown. Burfict says it’s all good and that they have one goal now and that’s win together as a team.

#5 The Oakland A’s opened their first two games of the season with the Seattle Mariners in Tokyo on Wednesday and Thursday. MLB is doing all it can to promote the game in Japan. Tony tells us if he sees it as a success.

Tony does Headline Sports each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Revamped Mariners blast their way to start the season with a 9-7 win over the A’s

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Photo credit: @Mariners

by Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s squared off against the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday, March 20th in the Tokyo to start the 2019 season. The Mariners made several moves in the off-season, and loaded up their lineup with power hitters. Those steps paid off as the M’s downed the A’s 9-7.

The A’s sent Mike Fiers to the mound to pitch. It was the first time in Fiers’ career that he had ever started on Opening Day. He pitched well for the first two innings, but things fell apart for him and the A’s in the top of the third. The A’s staked him to an early 2-0 lead. A’s right fielder Stephen Piscotty hit a solo homer in the first to give the A’s a 1-0 advantage. Then, they tacked on an unearned run in the second to lead 2-0.

In the third inning, Fiers struggled with his control. The M’s scored a run to make it 2-1. Fiers loaded the bases and had to face Domingo Santana, who had a great year with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2017. He did not do well last year, and the Brewers sent him to Seattle in a trade. Santana put the M’s in the lead with his first home run of the year and his first career grand slam to propel the M’s to a 5-2 lead. The A’s DH, Khris Davis, responded with a two-run shot in the bottom of the third. The A’s trailed 5-4 after three.

Liam Hendriks gave up a run in the fourth, and Ryan Dull gave up three runs in the fifth. M’s shortstop Tim Beckham greeted Dull with a two-run blast. The A’s Matt Chapman brought the A’s closer with a three-run dinger in the seventh to make it 9-7. The M’s bullpen of Corey Gearrin, Zac Rosscup, and Hunter Strickland closed out the win for Seattle.

Game Notes and Stats: The M’s started 45-year-old Ichiro Suzuki in right field. Ichiro received a standing ovation from the sold-out crowd at the Tokyo Dome. He was 0-1 and had a walk before exiting the game in the fourth inning. Ichiro probably will retire after Thursday’s game.

Marco Gonzalez was the winning pitcher. His line was 6 innings pitched, 7 hits, 4 runs, and 69 pitches.

Fiers’ line was 3 innings of work, 4 hits, and 5 runs. He absorbed his first loss of the year.

Matt Chapman was the hitting star for the A’s with 2 hits, including a home run, and 3 runs batted in. Piscotty and Khris Davis also homered. Tim Beckham had three knocks including a big two-run homer for the M’s.

Up Next: The two teams play Thursday again in Tokyo. Righty Marco Estrada will make his A’s debut, and he will be opposed by the Mariners’ Yusei Kikuchi. Kikuchi will be making his first start as a Mariner and is highly regarded by the fans in Japan. Game time is at 2:35 am.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast with Barbara Mason: How Sharks lost three straight at home; Ichiro is just the ticket for opener in Japan; St. Mary’s continues to deliver the thrills

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @NHL

Barbara Mason filling in for Amaury Pi Gonzalez:

#1 The San Jose Sharks, after winning six straight have all of a sudden hit a brick wall with three straight loses to Florida, Nashville and Vegas. Should there be some concern from head coach Peter DeBoer?

#2 Ichiro can still throw from the outfield to the plate. He’s over 40, but can still start as a designated hitter and will be in the starting line up for the Seattle Mariners against the Oakland A’s on Wednesday in Tokyo for opening day.

#3 Ichiro becomes the second oldest position player in MLB history to start a game.

#4 This is a big deal for the Oakland A’s to host and open the season in Japan and there has been a huge contingent of press and fans, who will pack the Tokyo Dome Wednesday night.

#5 St. Mary’s win over Gonzaga last week is something that basketball analysts are still talking about. You have to go back to the 2010 St. Mary’s team, who beat top-10 Villanova in the 2010 NCAA Tournament in the second round.

Barbara Mason does Amaury’s News and Commentary each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: How Murray’s departure for football affects the A’s; Phillies’ big offer on table, will Harper sign?; How opening the season in Japan affects MLB clubs; plus more

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @NFL

On That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Does Kyler Murray’s decision to leave the Oakland A’s for the NFL Draft or will he be a two sport player much like Bo Jackson and Dieon Sanders?

#2 How serious are the Philadelphia Phillies about pursuing Bryce Harper and does Amaury think they’ve got the best chance of acquiring him?

#3 How much does it take out of ball clubs when they open the season in Tokyo because of the distance the A’s open this season in Japan. Do the players enjoy the trip and do they find it productive and challenging?

#4 San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner is still in the shopping sweepstakes. No deals yet, but plenty of interest.

#5 Manny Machado has an seven-year deal on the table that could be as huge as 13 years at $325 million from the Chicago White Sox. Will it be too good to pass up?

#6 White House treated the Clemson Tigers to lunch with hamburgers boxes from Wendy’s, McDonalds, and Burger King on silver platters with paper napkins and plastic containers of mustard, mayo, and ketchup. Could Trump have served better food for lunch.

Amaury does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Matt Olson’s grand slam leads A’s over Mariners 9-3

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: sfchronicle.com

By: Ana Kieu

After a rough, 12th inning walk-off loss, the Oakland A’s had one goal on their minds…to finish off their stay in the Pacific Northwest with a win over the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday night. Did the A’s achieve their goal? Scroll down the story to find out.

It was another high-scoring game in the Emerald City. The A’s got on the board first as Marcus Semien homered on a fly ball to center for a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.

The A’s made it a 2-0 game when Chad Pinder homered on a fly ball to center in the top of the second inning.

The M’s quickly tied the score 2-2 in the bottom of the second inning. Ben Gamel doubled on a sharp line drive to Mark Canha. Both Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager scored on Gamel’s double. Daniel Vogelbach went to third.

The A’s poured in a whopping six runs in the top of the fifth inning. Nick Martini got things started with a single on a ground ball to Gamel. Canha scored on Martini’s ground ball single. Josh Phegley went to third. Semien then singled on a line drive to Denard Span. Phegley scored on Semien’s line drive single. Martini went to second. Matt Olson broke the ballgame wide-open with a grand slam to right center. Both Martini, Semien and Khris Davis scored on Chapman’s grand slam. The A’s had an 8-2 advantage to end the inning.

The M’s proceeded to pull within five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Cruz hit a sacrifice fly to Canha. Jean Segura scored on Cruz’s sac fly.

After a scoreless sixth inning, the A’s tacked on a run to take a 9-3 lead in the top of the seventh inning. Davis homered on a fly ball to right center. With that homer, Davis led the Major League with 47 homers this season. Other MLB players with 47-plus homers since 2010 include Giancarlo Stanton (59 in 2017), Joey Bautista (54 in 2010), Chris Davis (53 in 2013; 47 in 2015), Aaron Judge (52 in 2017) and Mark Trumbo (47 in 2016).

Neither team added additional runs, and the A’s defeated the M’s 9-3. Oakland’s Ryan Buchter (6-0) was the winning pitcher. Seattle’s Felix Hernandez (8-14), better known as “King Felix,” took the loss.

Notes
The 2018 AL Wild Card Game, presented by Hankook on TBS, has been scheduled for a 5:00 pm PT airtime.

The Las Vegas Ballpark, the soon-to-be home of the triple-A Las Vegas 51’s, officially introduced the two-year Player Development Contract between the 51’s and the A’s.

Up Next
The A’s have a much-needed day off, then they’ll head to Anaheim to close out the regular season against the Angels. Game 1 is set for Friday night at 7:07 pm PT.

Chris Herrmann’s pinch-hit, 2-run homer pushes Mariners past A’s 10-8 in 11 innings

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @710ESPNSeattle

By: Ana Kieu

The Oakland A’s were looking for another win against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field on Tuesday night.

The A’s took a 3-0 lead after the top of the first inning. The A’s jumped out to an early 1-0 lead as Ramon Laureano hit a line drive single to Guillermo Heredia. Jed Lowrie scored on Laureano’s single. Matt Olson to third, and Laureano to second. The A’s added two runs as Matt Joyce hit a two-run, line drive single to Heredia. Both Laureano and Olson scored on Joyce’s single.

The M’s hastily tied the score 3-3 in the bottom of the first inning. Nelson Cruz homered on a line drive to center for his 37th homer of the season. Both Mitch Haniger and Jean Segura scored on Cruz’s game-tying homer.

The A’s, however, extended its lead to 6-3 in the top of the second inning. Nick Martini tripled on a sharp ground ball to Haniger for a 5-3 lead. Both Chad Pinder and Jonathan Lucroy scored on Martini’s triple. Jed Lowrie then singled on a fly ball to Haniger for a 6-3 lead. Martini scored on Lowrie’s single.

The M’s pulled within two runs in the bottom of the second inning. Dee Gordon grounded out, Pinder to Olson. Mike Zunino scored on Gordon’s ground out.

The M’s made it a one-run game in the bottom of the third inning. Jean Segura homered on a fly ball to left for his 10th homer of the season.

The A’s tacked on another run in the top of the fifth inning. Marcus Semien homered on a fly ball to left for his 15th homer of the season.

The A’s tacked on yet another run in the top of the sixth inning. Olson ripped a ground-rule double on a fly ball to left-center. Martin scored on Olson’s ground-rule double. Matt Chapman to third.

Then, the M’s made it a one-run game once again. Denard Span doubled on a sharp line drive to Laureano. Both Ryon Healy and Gordon Beckham scored on Span’s double.

As if things couldn’t get any worse, the M’s tied the score 8-8 in the bottom of the eighth inning. Kyle Seager hit a ground ball single to Mark Canha. Ben Gamel scored on Seager’s game-tying single. Andrew Romine to second.

The A’s Twitter was counting the ticks on the clock and then the ballgame went into extra innings. Fans in attendance got a chance to watch some free baseball.

At least, the ballgame came to an end in the bottom of the 11th inning…just not in favor of the A’s. Chris Herrmann homered on a fly ball to right center. Ben Gamel scored on Herrmann’s homer.

The M’s defeated the A’s 10-8 in game two of the series.

Notes

Up Next
The A’s and Mariners wrap up their series Wednesday night at 7:10 pm PDT.

A’s clinch playoff spot, then defeat the Mariners 7-3

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @CaseyPrattABC7

By: Ana Kieu

The good things kept coming to the Oakland Athletics, who beat the Seattle Mariners — in the series finale at Safeco Field on Monday night. Prior to the road game, Oakland clinched the final available American League playoff spot when the Tampa Bay Rays lost to the New York Yankees 4-1. Unless if Oakland erases its five-game deficit, they’ll face the Yanks in the AL Wild Card Game on October 3rd.

The M’s got on the board first. Robinson Cano homered on a fly ball to center in the bottom of the first inning for an early 1-0 lead. As a result, Cano got his 10th home run of the season.

The A’s took a 2-1 lead in the top of the third inning. Jonathan Lucroy homered on a fly ball to left for the go-ahead play, which was his 22nd home run of the season and 100th career home run.

The A’s made it a 3-1 game in the top of the sixth inning. Khris Davis homered on a fly ball to center for his 46th home run of the season. Davis joined Jimmie Foxx (1932, 1933) as the only players in A’s history to hit 45-plus home runs with 120-plus RBI in a single season.

The M’s Dee Gordon hit a game-tying, two-run shot that bounced off the top of the right wall and over. The score was 3-3 in the bottom of the sixth inning.

But the A’s weren’t ready to back down just yet. Matt Chapman homered on a line drive to center. Jonathan Lucroy scored on Chapman’s play to help the A’s to a 5-3 lead in the top of the seventh inning.

The A’s continued to pour in the runs in the top of the eighth inning. Matt Olson singled on a ground ball to Ben Gamel. Stephen Piscotty scored on Olson’s play, and Matt Joyce went to third. The A’s were up 6-3. Then, Marcus Semien hit a sacrifice fly to Mitch Haniger. Chad Pinder scored on Semien’s sac fly. The A’s extended its lead to 7-3.

The A’s defeated the M’s 7-3. Oakland’s Ryan Buchter (5-0) was the winning pitcher. Seattle’s Shawn Armstrong )(0-1) took the loss.

Notes
A’s fans can bring Stomper home with them. Check out athletics.com/auction to bid on this week’s Stomper in the Town statues.

Up Next 
The A’s and Mariners meet again Tuesday night at 7:10 pm PDT.

15 runs, 18 hits, 14 pitchers–September baseball is here! M’s down A’s 8-7 on Saturday night

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

IMG_0623

By Charlie O. Mallonee

OAKLAND — If you are planning to come to the ballpark between now and the end of the season, bring seat cushion with you. Every team in the Major Leagues could expand their roster on Saturday. The A’s added eight players to their active roster, bringing their total of available players to 33.

A’s manager Bob Melvin talked about how much the club was looking forward to having the extra help down the stretch in September. After 136 games, a team is tired, bruised and battered from the rigors of playing every day. Melvin was also looking forward to having extra help in the bullpen.

Oakland lost the services of two starters last week. Sean Manaea was diagnosed with rotator cuff tendonitis and may not be available for the remainder of the season. Brett Anderson went down with a strained left forearm and is eligible to come off the disabled list on September 7. The A’s chose not to go out on the waiver trade market for a starter and instead bolstered their bullpen.

Saturday night was the beginning of a new experiment

IMG_0596

The Tampa Bay Rays shocked the baseball world earlier this season when they began using an “opener” instead of a starting pitcher in their games. Former Giants reliever Sergio Romo made headlines when he “opened” the game pitching one inning then turning it over to what would have been the starting pitching who was now a long relief pitcher. Confused?

There is a method behind the madness. First, the Rays really believe in the strength of their bullpen. Secondly, the Rays are adhering to the concept of limiting the number times hitters are allowed to see a “starting pitcher.” The prevailing thought is that batter should only see a pitcher twice because the hitters become too effective in the third time at bat.

The A’s decided to go with the same philosophy on Saturday night. Reliever Liam Hendricks was put into the role of “opener.”  He lasted 1.2 innings, giving up two runs off two hits. He gave up both runs in the second inning. Danny Coulombe came on to relieve Hendricks and gave up an RBI double to the only batter he faced. Emilio Pagan then took over from Coulombe and ended the second inning by getting Haniger to fly out in foul territory. That second inning set the tone for the rest of the game.

“Starter” Daniel Mengden entered the game in the top of the third inning and lasted 2.0 innings. He gave up four runs (three earned) on five hits. Mengden walked one and struck out one Mariner. You will want to listen to Melvin’s comments about Mengden’s performance.

The A’s newest pitcher–reliever Cory Gearrin–made his Oakland debut in the game in the fifth inning, and it was less than a stellar beginning. Melvin said that Gearrin is not used to pitching from behind (the A’s were down 8-1 at that point). Gearrin allowed two runs (both earned) on three hits. Melvin said Gearrin just needs to get his feet on the ground and he will be fine.

The A’s also used Hatcher, Buchter, Wendelken, and Familia as relievers in the game. For those of you scoring at home, that is a total of nine pitchers used by the A’s in nine innings.

Those nine pitchers gave up 8 runs (7 earned) off 12 hits. They struck out five M’s batters and walked two.

The M’s used six pitchers in the game even though their starting pitcher (who was a traditional starting pitcher) James Paxton lasted 5.0 innings. Seattle pitching gave up 7 runs (6 earned) on six hits. They walked six and struck out 18 Oakland batters. Paxton struck out 10.

Oh, you would like to know who won the game

IMG_0644

I am sorry. I am so tired from the length of the game (3 hours and 33 minutes) that I forgot to mention the Mariners won the game 8-7. Paxton was the winner and is now 11-5 on the year. “Opener” Liam Hendricks took the loss and is now 0-1 for the season.

The M’s (76-60) now lead the four-game series 2-1. The Astros (83-53) beat the Angels Saturday night, so the A’s (81-56) are now 2.5 games back of Houston for first-place in the AL West. The win moves Seattle within 4.5 games of the A’s for second-place and for the second Wild Card slot.

Just when you thought it was over–it wasn’t

The A’s were trailing 8-2 as they came to bat in the bottom of the eighth inning. If it had not been a fireworks night, a good portion of the 28,760 fans in the crowd would have already been on the freeway headed home. Instead, the fans were still in their seats after three-plus hours and were ready to see their team make some fireworks of their own.

Alex Colome came out of the bullpen to take over the pitching duties for Seattle. The first batter he faced was Khris Davis who promptly dispatched a 2-1 pitch into the right field seats for his 40th home run of the season. The crowd came to life and this reporter got his focus back because the A’s are team of late-inning miracles.

Stephen Piscotty followed up the home run with a single. Matt Olson struck out pinch hitting for Pinder. Ramon Laureano singled up the middle and Piscotty moved up to second base. Mark Canha walked to load the bases with one out. Dustin Fowler entered the game as a pinch hitter and struck out.

That brought a pitching change by Seattle, who sent Edwin Diaz to the mound and Colome to the showers. Marcus Semien hit a double to left-center field that cleared the bases with the help of a fielding error charged to Denard Span and made the score 8-7. Matt Chapman struck out to end the inning.

Another wild ninth inning
In the top of the ninth, Jeurys Familia took the hill to stop the Mariners from scoring additional runs. Familia set the side down in order giving the A’s a chance to win it in the bottom of the ninth.

The M’s brought in their closer Edwin Diaz to stop any thoughts the A’s had of winning the game. Jed Lowrie led off the ninth with a base-on-balls. Khris Davis went down swinging. Stephen Piscotty also struck out, so it all came down to Matt Olson with Lowrie at first. Olson also became a strikeout victim and Diaz notched his 51st save of the season.

Back to the need for a seat cushion
This game featured 15 runs, 18 hits, and 13 pitching changes. That required 3 hours and 33 minutes to complete. Trust me, you will want a seat cushion for any game that goes that long. Plus, get seats close to a restroom.

Up next
The A’s and M’s wrap up this four-game series on Sunday at 1:05 PM PDT.

Seattle will send RHP “King” Felix Hernandez (8-12, 5.49) to the mound to make his 401st MLB start. The A’s will return to using a traditional starting pitcher by sending RHP Edwin Jackson (4-3, 3.03) to the hill.

It’s the bullpen to the rescue! A’s beat the Mariners 7-5 on Friday night

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
Final SEA FRI
Photo: @NBCSCA

By Charlie O. Mallonee

OAKLAND — The Oakland Athletics scored five runs off five hits in the bottom of the first inning to take a 5-0 lead on the Seattle Mariners. Matt Chapman hit his 22nd home run of the season off of M’s starter Mike Leake. Stephen Piscotty hit a two-run home run (19) off Leake. Matt Olson and Marcus Semien each hit an RBI double. Everyone in the Coliseum knew that this game was going into the “W” column for the A’s.

Everybody in the Coliseum knew that the game belonged to the A’s except the 25 guys in blue uniforms from Seattle. The M’s put up a run in the top of the second inning and then came back for more in the top of the fourth inning. Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz hit back-to-back home runs off A’s starter Mike Fiers who did have his best stuff on Friday night. Then, Ryon Healy–the former Athletic–hit a two-run home run to tie the game at 5-5. Everything changed.

The A’s bullpen took over for Fiers and gave their team a chance to get it together.

HR vs SEA
Chapman rounds third after hitting his 22nd HR of the year Photo: @Athletics

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Oakland retook the lead when rookie outfielder Ramon Laureano delivered a sacrifice fly that allowed Matt Olson to score the go-ahead run. The A’s then added some cushion when Jed Lowrie hit a one-out double and then scored on a Khris Davis RBI single.

The bullpen held on to that 7-5 lead to get the A’s (81-55) the win.

This critical four-game AL West series is now tied at one game apiece.

The win was awarded to Yusmeiro Petit (6-3) who relieved Fiers and was the pitcher of record when Olson scored the go-ahead run in the fifth inning. Blake Treinen picked up his 34th save of the season. Treinen now sports a 0.94 ERA.

Mike Leake (8-9) was hung with the loss for Seattle (75-60).

This is how the A’s pitching line is going to look the rest of the season
Mike Fiers only lasted 3.2 innings in his start on Friday night. A’s manager Bob Melvin certainly wants his starting pitchers to go at least five innings per start, but five innings are all that may be required from the starters for the A’s to be successful. The 2018 A’s are all about the bullpen.

In the win 7-5 win over Seattle on Friday night, Oakland used 5 relief pitchers. It was a parade of fresh arms stepping up on the rubber to deliver a devastating variety of pitches designed to stop opposing hitters in their tracks.

Yusmeiro Petit, Lou Trivino, Fernando Rodney, Jeurys Familia and Blake Treinen combined to pitch 5.1 innings of shutout baseball. They allowed the M’s just two hits while walking just two batters and striking out seven. They slammed the door on the Seattle offense to give their A’s the chance to win the game, which they did 7-5.

Every game will not feature five relievers, but you can expect to see games that feature three men out of the bullpen on a regular basis. The help that is coming with the expanded September rosters is going to be most welcome.

The standings are shaken up again
This A’s win really changed the standings in the AL West. The Astros lost, the A’s won and the M’s lost. Oakland is now just 1.5 games behind Houston for first place in the West. Seattle falls 5.5 games back of the A’s in the West and 7.0 games behind Houston.

By losing, the M’s also are now 5.5 games down to the A’s in the Wild Card race. These head-to-head division matchups are critical to a team’s standing when fighting for a post-season slot.

Food for your brain

  • Matt Chapman hit a home run and a double to give him a major league leading 22 extra-base hits in August. Those 22 extra-base hits also tied a franchise record.
  • Stephen Piscotty’s home run was just his fourth round-tripper hit in Oakland this season. He has hit 19.
  • Mike Fiers worked only 3.2 innings which was his shortest outing for the A’s.
  • Khris Davis ended a 0-for-19 streak with his RBI-single in the sixth inning.
  • The A’s are 57-0 when leading after seven innings.
  • The M’s Mike Leake has not won a game since June 23rd in Boston.
  • Nelson Cruz hit his 16th career home run at the Coliseum on Friday night which is the most among active players.
  • Dee Gordon now leads the American League with 30 stolen bases.
Ramon vs Sea
Laureano scores in the 1st inning vs Seattle Photo: @Athletics

 Up Next
The A’s and Mariners will play game three of this crucial four-game series on Saturday night at 6:05 PM PDT.

The M’s will send LHP James Paxton to the mound. Paxton is 10-5 on the season and will be making his 25th start of the year. He has a 3.68 ERA.

The A’s will counter with RHP Daniel Mengden, who was recalled from Triple-A Nashville last Monday. This is Mengden’s second tour of duty with the big club. Mengden has a 6-6 record on the year with a 4.28 ERA.