Tag: Seattle Mariners

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: 2018 MLB Predictions on West and East

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Photo credit: awfulannouncing.com

By: Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

2017 was a great season for Major League Baseball, culminating with the Houston Astros defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers and winning their first-ever World Series.

After another great season in 2017, José Altuve will hang around for at least another seven years with the champs signing a brand-new $163.5 million contract on this month of March.

Many other exciting things happened in the 2017 season like the Minnesota Twins, who finished in last place in 2016, reaching the playoffs. The Cleveland Indians set a new American League record with 22 victories in a row. Los Angeles Angels slugger Albert Pujols reached the magical 600 home run mark. Pujols ranks #7 with 614 on the home run list and he is just 32 hits short of 3,000. Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltré reached 3,000 hits. The Los Angeles Dodgers won their fifth consecutive division title.

However, it wasn’t very good overall for our two local Bay Area teams, the Athletics and Giants, as both finished in last place. This was the first time they both finished as cellar-dwellers the same year. In 1995, they both ended up at the bottom with identical records of 67-77, but that season was shortened by a labor dispute.

So this is how I see this 2018 season that is just around the corner…

American League West
1. Houston Astros
2. Los Angeles Angels
3. Seattle Mariners
4. Texas Rangers
5. Oakland Athletics

The World Champion Astros are an easy pick to win this division again as they got even stronger after acquiring Gerrit Cole along with Justin Verlander.

The Angels picked up young Japanese prospect, Shohei Ohtani, considered by many as “The Babe Ruth of Japan.” Ohtani is a right-handed pitcher who hits left-handed with power. Angels also addressed their infield needs as they acquired Ian Kinsler who will play second base and Zack Cozart (shortstop). who will play at third for Mike Scioscia’s ball club. Scioscia will be on his 19th season as manager, at the start of this 2018 season, currently the longest consecutive tenure for a manager. The Angels watched the playoffs pass by them for the third consecutive season after finishing five games behind the Twins in the American League Wild Card race in 2017. They haven’t won a postseason game since 2009, even with the incomparable New Jersey native Mike Trout on their roster for the past six seasons. Trout is arguably the best player in the game. Because of an injury to his left thumb, Trout played in 114 games, hit .306, hit 33 home runs and drove in 72 runs.

For the Halos, their lone playoff appearance with Trout came in 2014, when they were swept by the Royals in the American League Division Series. Trout remains signed through 2020, but the Angels’ window to capitalize on the 26-year-old superstar in his prime is shrinking.

I had the pleasure of covering Trout for the past seven seasons in Anaheim since his rookie year. In my opinion, he is not only the best player in the game, but he is a great man who is talented, dedicated and always joyful to take the field. He is the whole package.

The biggest question mark for the Angels will be: Can their pitchers stay healthy?

They still have a young and talented rotation with Richards, Othani, Shoemaker, Heaney, Skaggs and Ramirez. They could go to a six-man rotation sometimes during the season, like when they have long stretches of consecutive days, without any days off. It will be fascinating to see how the young Ohtani will do and how would he be used.

I believe the Angels are a serious Wild Card contender. The Angel Stadium in Anaheim will be rocking this year, not only because they have Trout, but Pujols will begin the 2018 season with 614 home runs with the titles of only active player with over 600 and #7 on the top 10 all-time home run list. The Dominican is only 32 hits shy from 3,000.

Not to mention they were the team to sign Japanese super prospect, pitcher and hitter, Shohei Ohtani. The Angels will debut the third-largest electronic message board in baseball in Anaheim. All of this could make their owner, Arte Moreno, very happy this year, but most of all, contingent play all the way until October.

The Mariners are basically the same team as last season. 2017 was a disappointment. It looks like the great Felix “The King” Hernandez is not the same dominant pitcher. Also, most of their starting rotation has been hurt. They are still a great offensive team with Segura, Canó, Cruz, Seager and company, provides enough runs for them to stay in games, but just like the Angels, their pitching is suspect. Ichiro is returning to Seattle (his first team in 2001) on a one- year contract because the M’s said that he is going to play. Ichiro reportedly said he wants to play until he is 50. He is 44 to start the season.

The Texas Rangers and Oakland Athletics have not been picked to win this division, but both teams have lots of talent. In this case, the A’s have a lot of younger talent compared to the Rangers. For Texas, Adrian Beltré, who reached the 3,000 hit mark last season, and a sure pick for Cooperstown, is on his last contractual year. Elvis Andrus, Joey Gallo and Rougned Odor provide solid leadership and offense. The starting rotation has four lefty starters: Cole Hamels, Martín Pérez, Mike Minor and Matt Moore. Their bullpen needs a boost. Bartolo Colón signed a minor league deal with the team, but we all know no team would sign Colón to play in the minor leagues. Well, at least not with his control.

Question: Who will play the longest, Colón or Ichiro? My bet is on Colon since the Dominican Republic native will be looking to win at least six more games so he could pass Nicaraguan Dennis “El Presidente”Martinez as the Latin pitcher with most wins in history (245). Dennis Martinez won two more games than Juan Marichal, who ended his Hall of Fame career with 243 wins. But even with Colon, a very-respectable number five pitcher on any rotation, the Rangers are likely going to be the underdogs this season. My guess, if Colón wins those six games, he will consider retirement.

The Oakland Athletics finished last for the third consecutive season in 2017 with a 75-87 record, but manager Bob Melvin was always an optimist with an abundance of hope.  One of the best home run hitting teams in baseball that plays in one of most difficult home run parks, Khris Davis returns for at least another year, as he signed for 2018, for $10.5 million. Davis hit 43 home runs and drove in 110 runs last season and is the highest paid player in the roster. Davis became the fifth A’s player to hit 40 home runs in a season, alongside Reginaldo Martinez “Reggie” Jackson, José Canseco, Mark McGwire and Jason Giambi.

Strong in the infield with a young, talented Matt Chapman at third and Matt Olson at first, at the corners–“The Matt Boys” supply lots of power. Marcus Semien will enter his sixth major league season and third with the A’s at shortstop. Veteran Jed Lowrie, who gives them an all-around performance at second base.

The A’s picked up Stephen Piscotty of the Cardinals to play in the outfield. He returns to the Bay Area after spending three years in St. Louis. He attended Stanford University.

The A’s also addressed their catching situation shortly after they signed veteran Jonathan Lucroy.

The A’s bullpen improved as they acquired left-handed pitcher Ryan Buchter, signed Yusmeiro Petit as a free agent and acquired right-handed pitcher and young hardthrower Emilio Pagán early after his season ended from Seattle on the trade that sent the talented Ryon Healy to the M’s.

Melvin will have a young pitching staff. The A’s are starting off as pitching challenged. Jharel Cotton will be out for the entire season with Tommy John surgery, To replace Cotton, they signed Trevor Cahill for this season. Yes, the same Cahill who began his career with the A’s in 2009 and was an 2010 All-Star in Arizona.

Another familiar face in Oakland is returning, lefty Brett Anderson  who pitched with the A’s from 2009 to 2013. Kendall Graveman will be their Opening Day starter for the second year in a row also against the Angels, followed by Sean Manaea, and then guys like Daniel Mengden, Andrew Triggs, Paul Blackburn will all be in the mix.

This year, it could be a challenge for Bob Melvin as well as pitching coach Scott Emerson when it comes to pitching and looking for the winning combination.

The A’s are a glorious franchise that dates to 1901 as a charter member of the American League as the Philadelphia Athletics. They have won nine World Championships, the third-most of all current MLB teams. Only Yankees and Cardinals have won more World Series than the A’s. The A’s have a young and powerful offense, they were the fourth team with most home runs last year, with 234. When a team can hit for power, like the young A’s, they are always entertaining.

Sure, the A’s could surprise us. After all, it is baseball, and there are always surprises each season. Some say, “What excitement these young guys will bring!” and that could be true as the sky is the limit especially for guys like Davis,Chapman,Olson. But at the end of the day, it will probably be another tough season for the Green and Gold.

Note: There’s a new attraction at the Coliseum called “The Treehouse,” which is a new destination area above the left field bleachers in the Oakland Coliseum that is set to debut during the 2018 season. The Treehouse will be open to all fans and will feature two full-service bars, standing-room and lounge seating, numerous televisions and pre and post game entertainment. In good conscience, I had to pick the A’s to finish last again, but I would love it if they were to prove me wrong.

Significant A’s note: Celebrating their 50th Anniversary in Oakland. On April 17, the A’s game vs. Chicago White Sox will provide free admission for everybody. During every Wednesday home game in the regular season, fans can pick the price they pay for their tickets. In addition, there will be more Fireworks at the Coliseum this season.

National League West
1. Los Angeles Dodgers

2. Arizona Diamondbacks
3. Colorado Rockies
4. San Francisco Giants

5. San Diego Padres

I do not see anybody better here than the Dodgers. Although, they will begin their season without their top clutch hitter and third baseman, Justin Turner, who was hit by a pitch in Spring Training on his left wrist, causing a fracture, but no surgery was necessary. He will begin 2018 on the DL.

I think the Dodgers will shoot for a sixth consecutive division title this year. 2018 is the last year on the contract for the best pitcher in the game Clayton Kershaw. With a solid offense, good defense, great bullpen, they should be able win the west.

Arizona is a serious candidate for a wild card as well as Colorado. Arizona signed Japanese right-handed reliever Yoshihisa Hirano as well as veteran catcher Alex Avila. This season, they should take advantage of a window of opportunity since outfielder A.J Pollock, and left-handed pitcher, Patrick Corbin, are eligible for free agency after the season. Their superstar first baseman, Paul Goldschmidt, is just two years away from the same situation.

The Rockies have a good young rotation, but lack a #1 pitcher, a stopper to halt losing streaks. Well-balanced, all-around players like Nolan Arenado–an MVP contender every year–are hard to come by. He finished 2017 with a .309 average, 37 home runs and 130 RBI. He became the first and only third baseman in history to win five Gold Gloves in his first five years in the majors.

Charlie Blackmon is arguably one of the best players in the game. The center fielder enjoyed a tremendous 2017 where he hit .331 with 37 homers and 104 batted in.

Ian Desmond and Carlos González were held back due to injuries, but are two solid players that could easily bounce back. The Rockies appear to hope to improve on the wild card finish they had last season. This Rockies team can hit anyplace, not only in Coors Field.

In 2017, the San Francisco Giants finished 64-98. This offseason, the Giants acquired veterans Evan Longoria and Andrew McCutchen to play in the outfield, while trying to complete revamping their outfield by picking up veteran Austin Jackson.

Madison Bumgarner was struck in his pitching hand by a line drive hit by Kansas City’s Whit Merrifield in the third inning of a game on March 23 and was diagnosed with a left hand fracture, so he will begin 2018 on the DL. Also, Jeff Samardzija will begin this season on the DL with strained pectoral muscles. That being said, the Giants need a healthy closer in Mark Melancon, who was on the DL three times in 2017.

Brandon Crawford and Brandon Bell, also known as “The Brandon Boys,” will need better years offensively. Longoria and McCutchen provide much-needed power to a team that finished last in both leagues last season with a puny 128 home runs and last in runs batted in with 612.

Although Buster Posey hit a solid .320, he only hit 12 home runs and drove in 67 runs. During his nine-year career with the Giants, only once has Posey drove in over 100 runs in 2012. Despite all that, Posey remains the face of this franchise.

Pablo Sandoval is looking for some at-bats to regain the magic he had during the Giants’ three World Championships. Every projected starting position player with the Giants, with the exception of second baseman Joe Panik, is in his 30’s.

At the beginning of Spring Training, the Giants signed left-handed reliever Tony Watson for two years, with a third year option. He is 32, so he fits right in with the Giants over 30 crowd.

It’s hard to believe that AT&T, once SBC and PAC Bell Park is 18 years old! I remember calling their first game there. The San Diego Padres, who finished in the cellar in 2016, passed them last year. The Friars’ big deal this offseason was signing free agent first baseman Eric Hosmer to a sweet eight-year, $144 million contract.

I would place the Giants on top of the Padres this season because they seem to have a deeper club, and they shall start the season with a healthy Madison Bumgarner, unlike 2017. The Padres deserve a lot of respect, they are an overall young club that’s continuing to improve.

The Giants will have to win 17 more games this year to reach the .500 mark with 81 wins. It will not be easy. But if they do, a wild card for Bruce Bochy’s Giants could be in sight.

In today’s game, it doesn’t matter if you win 100 games during the regular season as many teams have won just over 80 games and won the World Series.

Case and point: Last World Series they won in 2014, they ended season with 88-74.

Significant Giants note: On August 11, Barry Bonds’ #25 will be retired at AT&T Park, in a series against his first team, the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Rest

American League
East: The Boston Red Sox have to win this division, just because they have more pitching than the Yankees plus they also improved their offense signing free agent J.D. Martinez. The Yankees have a serious and perhaps the best bullpen in the world. However, the Red Sox’s starting rotation is much more superior, so I see the Yanks good for a Wild Card berth.

Central: I think the Cleveland Indians to win the division, and should be easy for the Tribe.

The Twins did great last year. This offseason, they signed underrated starter Lance Lynn, and they be back as a wild card. Look for their young-powerful third baseman Miguel Sanó to have a monster year. Also, Paul Molitor is an excellent skipper.

West: Houston Astros are going to win the division again. Angels, Yankees, Twins and Toronto will be among wild card contenders.

Duo to watch? Yankees’ Judge and Stanton. Together, they both could produce over 100 home runs.

National League
East: Washington Nationals on a class of their own, should win by 10 games, they won it by 20 last year. There is nobody close to them.

Mets would need two more Céspedes in their lineup, but their pitching should be good.

Central: The Chicago Cubs can win it again with St Louis coming in a close second.West: The Los Angeles Dodgers can win the division again. Arizona, Colorado, Milwaukee and San Francisco will be fighting for those wild cards.

Atlanta and Philadelphia should be better, fighting for .500 record.

World Series: Houston Astros vs. Washington Nationals.
A’s Opening Day on March 29 vs. Los Angeles Angels at 1:05 pm PST.
Giants Opening Day on March 29 at Los Angeles Dodgers at 4:08 pm PST.

Play Ball!

Athletics in Spanish – Oakland A’S Baseball on KIQI 1010AM and KATD 990AM Spanish Language Radio, covering the Bay Area, Oakland,San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento, Stockton. Broadcast of 74 live A’s homes games.including three on the road from San Francisco. SAP in Spanish on TV.

Athletics in English – NBC Sports California/MLB Net/FOX Sports 1. Radio: 95.7 FM The Game, the flagship station for the Athletics Radio Network.

A’s Mark Canhas walk off home run sends the fans home happy in the final home game of the year in Oakland

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Oakland Athletics’ Mark Canha, right, is embraced after hitting a walk off home run off Seattle Mariners’ Shae Simmons in the ninth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND– Wednesday’s game was the final home game for the A’s this season. The A’s, winners of fourteen of the last nineteen games played, did not want to be swept at home by the Mariners. Both teams played hard, and neither team wanted to lose. The A’s took an early lead, lost it, regained it, lost it again but was able to prevail when Mark Canha homered in the bottom of the ninth to give the A’s a well -deserved 6-5 victory.

Kendall Graveman started for Oakland and left after six innings in position to pick up a win. That didn’t happen as the M’s tied the game in the eighth. The Mariners’ starter Erasmo Ramirez went five innings and allowed five runs and eight hits. Two of the runs were unearned. Liam Hendriks and Blake Treinen pitched well, but Chris Hatcher was not able to keep Seattle off the board. The game summary follows below.

The A’s put one on the board in the bottom of the first. A’s right fielder Matt Joyce lofted a high fly to left that Mariners’ third baseman Kyle Seager lost ion the sun. Left Fielder Ben Gamel made a valiant attempt to catch the ball, but it eluded his grasp and dropped safely for a double. Joyce went to third on a single by Jed Lowrie and scored when Khris Davis hit a sacrifice fly to center field. A’s ahead 1-0 after one inning of play.

The A’s added a run in the third inning. Franklin Barreto, starting at second base on Wednesday, led off the frame with a double to center field. Jacob Hannemann, playing center field for Seattle, bobbled the ball and Barreto motored to third on the miscue. Marcus Semien drove in Barreto with the A’s second run when he hit a sacrifice fly.

The M’s put two on the board in the fourth. With one out, Robinson Cano singled to get things started. Big Nelson Cruz, who loves to torment the A’s, crushed Graveman’s pitch and sent it on a line into the seats in left field near the Barbeque Terrace to knot the score. The tie didn’t last long as the A’s scored three runs in their half of the fourth. Two of the runs were unearned, but they still count. Ryon Healy started the rally with a double. He went to third when Erasmo Ramirez dropped the throw as he was covering first for an error. With Healy on third and Chapman on first, Bruce Maxwell singled to center to drive in Healy and Chapman went to third on the throw home. Mark Canha hit a sac fly to drive in Chapman. Matt Joyce hit his third double of the game to drive in Maxwell with the fifth run of the contest. The A’s lead 5-2 after four complete.

The Mariners, however, refuse to go away. The M’s made it a 5-3 game on the strength of three singles. With one out, M’s catcher Mark Marjama singled to start the rally. It was Marjama’s first big league hit, and the ball was sent back to the M’s dugout. Hannemann hit a force play for the first out. Ben Gamel and Mitch Haniger followed with singles to get the third run home for Seattle.

Liam Hendriks set the M’s down in order in the seventh, but Bob Melvin brought in his eighth-inning setup man, Chris Hatcher, to pitch. Hatcher gave up a single to Mitch Haniger and then the M’s All-Star second baseman, Robinson, Cano, homered to tie the game. It was Cano’s twenty-third of the year. Hatcher retired the next three hitters.

Blake Treinen pitched a scoreless ninth, and that set up the scene for a fantastic finish for the A’s. Bruce Maxwell started the ninth by striking out. The next hitter, Mark Canha, hit his fifth homer of the year to win it in a walk-off for Oakland.  There was no doubt about it when the ball left Canha’s bat. The crowd knew it as did Canha and he was pummeled by his teammates when he crossed the plate. Needless to say, Canha took a pie to the face and got the Gatorade bath, and he absolutely loved it.The A’s win 6-5 and snap the eight-game losing streak to the Mariners.

Game Notes- Kendall Graveman did not get a decision, but he pitched a “quality start.” Graveman went six innings and allowed 7 hits and three runs. Chris Hatcher gave up a two-run dinger to Robinson Cano in the eighth that tied the game. Canha’s blast off M’s reliever Shae Simmons in the bottom of the ninth sent the A’s fans home happy as there will be no more baseball in Oakland until next year.

 

 

 

 

 

Yonder Alonso and Danny Valencia homer to beat their former teammates 6-3

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Seattle Mariners pitcher Edwin Diaz works against the Oakland Athletics during the ninth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. Seattle won 6-3. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

By Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- The Seattle Mariners rallied in the bottom of the seventh to beat the A’s and Daniel Mengden 6-3 Tuesday night at the Coliseum. The game was the last night game of the season, and the A’s were hoping to get a win for their starter Daniel Mengden. Mengden entered the game with a streak of sixteen consecutive scoreless innings. He increased it to nineteen, but the Mariners broke through in the fourth on a two-run dinger by former A’s favorite Yonder Alonso. The Mariners sent their best pitcher, James Paxton, out to pitch. Paxton gave up a solo homer to Marcus Semien and a two-run blast to Khris Davis. Paxton would have been the losing pitcher had the M’s not rallied. Each team hit two home runs in the contest. However, the Mariners homers produced five runs while the A’s blasts netted them just three. The game summary follows below.

The A’s put one on the board in the bottom of the first when shortstop Marcus Semien led off with his ninth homer of the season to give the A’s a 1-0 advantage.

The Mariners scored two in the fourth to snap Mengden’s nineteen innings of scoreless ball. With one out, Mariners’ DH Nelson Cruz singled. The next hitter, former A’s first baseman Yonder Alonso, blasted his career-high twenty-seventh homer to give the M’s a 2-1 lead. Alonso also homered Monday night against his former team.

The A’s regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Jed Lowrie singled to start the rally. The next hitter, Khris “Khrush” Davis hit a towering fly to deep right-center field that went over the 388-foot marker and landed in the seats about twenty rows back. Mariners’ manager Scott Servais removed Paxton from the game and brought in Emilio Pagan to pitch.

The Mariners plated four runs on four hits to regain the lead. Mengden gave up a single to Yonder Alonso and then walked Mike Zunino to put two men on with no out. A’s manager Bob Melvin removed Mengden from the game. Mengden received a tremendous ovation from the fans as he exited. Ryan Dull was brought in to face another former Athletic, Danny Valencia. Valencia thanked the M’s for trading for him when he slugged his 15th dinger of the year to put his new team in the lead 5-3. The Mariners added another run before the A’s get the final out of the inning.

The Mariners’ bullpen did its job as they allowed just three hits and no runs in the last 3 and  2/3rds innings of the game. The M’s win 6-3.

Game Notes- With the two home runs, the A’s have now hit 228 for the year. The A’s are 14-5 in their last nineteen games. The A’s did not commit an error Tuesday night for the eighth straight game, a season high.

The A’s finish the home season Wednesday afternoon at 12:35 pm.  Kendall Graveman will pitch for the Green and Gold, and he will be opposed by Seattle’s Erasmo Ramirez.

Time of game was two hours and forty-five minutes and 13, 513 fans were on hand to watch the A’s drop their record to 72-85.

Seattle Mariners sweep A’s out of Seattle with a 10-2 victory on Sunday

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

by Charlie O. Mallonee

Mariners Celebrate sweep
Mariners celebrate sweep of Oakland*

The Oakland Athletics have a major problem to solve between now and the beginning of the 2018 season. They have to figure out how to win games on the road.

Winning at home has been a positive for the 2017 Athletics. They have posted a 37-31 record at the Coliseum this season. The Mariners who swept them this weekend have 37-32 record at home this year. The Athletics home record would make them competitive in any division in baseball.

The Athletics road record is where the team hits the wall at 100 miles per hour. With the loss on Sunday, Oakland is now 21-47 on the road which is the worst record in the MLB. Turning that trend around will not be easy with a team that is as young and inexperienced as the Athletics. They will have to learn the art of winning on the road.

That is all a part of the rebuilding process. If an organization commits to a true rebuilding plan, it involves pain. No one likes pain — owners, executives, coaches, players or fans. But simply put … there will be pain.

Seattle took charge early on Sunday

Mariners Haniger
Mitch Haniger had a 4-for-5 day at the plate*

The Mariners jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back. Seattle added another run in fourth inning to take a 3-0 lead.

While the Mariners were scoring runs, their starting pitcher Andrew Albers was shutting the Athletics down. He allowed the A’s just one hit over the six innings he pitched. Matt Olson hit his 12th home run of the season off the first pitch Albers delivered to him in the sixth inning.

The M’s came right back and scored solo runs in the bottom of the sixth and seventh innings. The A’s added their second and final run in the top of the eighth when Matt Olson hit a single that drove Mark Canha home to make it a 5-2 game in favor of the Mariners.

Then came the disastrous bottom of the eighth inning. The A’s sent Michael Brady to the mound to hold the Mariners at five runs. Carlos Ruiz led off with a double to center field and Gordon Beckham was sent in as a pinch-runner. Jean Segura — who was on fire at the plate the entire series — bunted his way on base and Beckham moved up to third.

With the infield drawn in, Yonder Alonso (yes, another former Athletic) hit a single through the shortstop position as Semien moved toward second to cover the base runner. Beckham scored and Segura stopped at third.

Robinson Cano singled to right field which drove Segura home and moved Alonso up to second. Nelson Cruz singled to left which allowed Alonso to score and sent Cano to second base.

Pitching coach Scott Emerson made a visit to the mound to explain to Brady that no help was coming from the bullpen. The A’s have an afternoon game on Labor Day so they were not going deep into the pen when they were six runs down and there were no outs in the inning.

Kyle Seager singled to left field which allowed Cano and Cruz to advance 90 feet. Mitch Haniger grounded into a force out that erased Seager at second base but Cano scored and the bases remained loaded.

Ben Gamel grounded into a force out that allowed Nelson Cruz to score the fifth and final run of the inning for the Mariners. When the dust settled, Seattle held a commanding 10-2 lead which led them to their third consecutive victory.

Seattle is now just 2.5 games out of being a Wild Card team in the American League.

On the mound

Oakland

Mariners Gossett
Daniel Gossett struggled in his start on Sunday*
  • Daniel Gossett made the start for Oakland and never was able to take control of the game. He worked 3.2-innings giving up three runs (all earned) off seven hits (one home run). Gossett walked five and struck five. He threw 89 pitches (49 strikes) to the 22 batters he faced. Gossett was tagged with the loss and now has a record of 3-8 for the season.
  • Liam Hendriks was strong in his 1.1-innings of relief work. He faced just four hitters allowing no runs on one hit and striking out one.
  • The rest of the A’s relievers broke the rule “Goose Eggs” in their three innings of work. All three relievers gave up at least one run when the goal is to give up no runs — a “Goose Egg”. Cassilla gave up one run, Moll allowed a run and Brady had five runs scored during his one inning on the hill. All seven of the runs allowed by the relievers were earned runs.

Seattle

Mariners Albers
Andrew Albers pitched six strong innings on Sunday
  • Andrew Albers did everything the Mariners hoped their starter would do on Sunday. He pitched 6.0-innings to make it a quality start allowing the A’s just one run (earned) on one hit (one home run). He walked one and struck five. Albers was credited with his third win of the year to go with just one loss.
  • Emilio Pagan relieved Albers and was credited with 1.0-inning of work. He did face one hitter in the top of the eighth. Pagan allowed one run on two hits but was credited with a hold (5).
  • Marc Rzepczynski took over for Pagan in the eighth and faced two batters giving up one hit.
  • Then it was “Goose Egg” time for the Seattle bullpen. Nick Vincent took over for Rzepczynski and shut the A’s down posting all zeros. Vincent was credited with his 26th hold of the season.
  • Shae Simmons worked the ninth in a non-save situation allowing no runs on one hit and striking out two Athletics.

In the batter’s box

Mariners Olson hits HR
Matt Olson hit his 12th HR of the year Sunday

Athletics

  • Matt Olson was the real story at the plate for Oakland on Sunday as he went 2-for-3 with two Rbi and a run scored. He hit his 12th home run and upped his Rbi total to 26.
  • The A’s had just five hits in the game. They had just one hit — Olson’s home run — in the first six innings.
  • The Athletics were 1-for-3 with runners in scoring position (notice the lack of opportunity) and left four runners on base.

Mariners

  • Robinson Cano was the man of the day with the bat going 4-for-5 with four Rbi and scoring two runs. He hit his 21st home run of the season — a two-run shot in the first inning — off Gossett.
  • Mitch Haniger also had a 4-for-5 day that included two Rbi and run scored. He hit his 10th home run and his 18th double of the year in the contest.
  • Jean Segura had a 3-for-4 day scoring three runs. He upped his doubles total to 27 and upped his stolen base total to 20.
  • The M’s scored 10 runs on 17 hits and left 10 men on base.
  • Seattle went 6-for-17 with runners in scoring position.

The Mariners and Athletics have three games left to play against each other in Oakland on September 25, 26 and 27.

Up next

The A’s come home for Labor Day to play a day game with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at 1:05 p.m. Rookie RHP Parker Birdwell (7-2, 3.52) will start for the Angels while the Athletics will counter with RHP Chris Smith (0-4, 6.27) who is still seeking his first victory of the year.

*Photos by USA Today Sports

 

 

Wild pitch in the ninth inning gives Mariners a 7-6 win over A’s

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

by Charlie O. Mallonee

M's Jharel Cotton
Jharel Cotton started the game for Oakland*

The Oakland Athletics lost their fifth game in a row as they dropped a 7-6 decision to the Seattle Mariners on Saturday night at Safeco Field. The A’s (58-77) have lost the first two games of the three game series in Seattle to the Mariners (68-68).

The game was tied 6-6 going into the bottom of the ninth inning. The A’s sent Blake Treinen to the hill to hold the game at 6-6 and to take it into extra innings. That plan did not work out as intended.

Jean Segura led off the ninth inning for the Mariners and reached base safely on a fielding error by Matt Olson. Former Athletic Yonder Alonso then singled to right field which allowed Segura to move to third base. The A’s then decided to intentionally walk Robinson Cano to load the bases with no outs.

The M’s Nelson Cruz went down on strikes and the A’s followed that with a defensive substitution moving Matt Joyce to left field and inserting Boog Powell into center field while having Khris Davis exit the game.

Kyle Seager then flied out to left field for the second out of the inning. That left everything up to the Mariners Mitch Haniger. With the count at 1-1 to Haniger, Treinen threw a wild pitch that allowed Segura to scamper home giving Seattle the walk-off win 7-6.

A’s manager Bob Melvin did not see the pitch as a wild pitch in a quote given to Reuters. “He (Treinen) gets himself a position to get out of it, we don’t handle the ball behind the plate and it costs us the game,” said Melvin.

Oakland blows a big lead

M's Matt Joyce HR
Matt Joyce hits his 21st home run of 2017*

The A’s let another solid lead be eroded on Saturday night. Oakland scored individual runs in the second and third innings to take a 2-0 lead. Seattle came back and scored two runs in the bottom of the third inning to tie the game at 2-2.

In the top of the fourth inning, the Mariners made a pitching change. Seattle pulled their starter Yovani Gallardo and sent Casey Lawrence to the mound. The A’s capitalized on that change.

Matt Chapman led off the inning by grounding out to first. Bruce Maxwell then drew a walk. Marcus Semien then hit his 13th double of the season off Lawrence that moved Maxwell up to third base.

Matt Joyce came to bat with runners at second and third. He hit a three-run home run (21) off Lawrence to give the A’s a 5-2 lead.

Jed Lowrie was the next hitter and he drew a walk. After a visit to the mound by the pitching coach, Khris Davis stepped into the batter’s box and hit a double (24) to left field and moved Lowrie up to third base. That would be the end of the game for Lawrence as he was removed and replaced by reliever Ryan Garton.

Ryon Healy was the first Athletic to face Garton. He hit a fly ball to center field that would be caught by Jarrod Dyson but Lowrie was able to tag up and score the A’s sixth run of the game. Davis was able to advance to third base on Healy’s sacrifice fly.

Matt Olson flied out to left fielder Ben Gamel in foul ground to end the inning.

That would be the end of the scoring for the Athletics in the game. Seattle would add two runs in the fifth inning, one in the sixth, one in the eighth and then the final winning one in the bottom of the ninth.

It is tough to win when you allow your opponent to score five unanswered runs and take away your four-run lead.

On the mound

Oakland

Jharel Cotton started the game for the A’s and lasted four innings. It was the long-ball that did him in on Saturday night. Cotton gave up three home runs in his four innings of work which resulted in four Seattle runs (all earned). He gave up seven hits, walked two and struck out one.

The Athletics used six relievers to finish the final five innings. Combined they gave up three runs (one earned) off three hits while walking two and striking out five. They also gave up one home run. It was not a picture perfect “Goose Egg” night by any means.

Treinen was charged with loss and his record fell to 1-4 for the season.

Seattle

Yovani Gallardo did not have a quality start for the Mariners. He lasted just three innings on Saturday night giving up two runs (all earned) off five hits. Gallardo walked two, struck out two and gave up two home runs.

The Mariners relief corps had an odd night. Lawrence lasted just 0.1-inning while giving up four earned runs of three hits. After he left the game, the Seattle bullpen settled down and did its job.

The Mariners final three relievers did their job almost to perfection. They posted the coveted “Goose Eggs”. They gave up 0-runs. Over those final 5.2-innings, the three Seattle relievers allowed just three Athletics to reach base.

In the batter’s box

Athletics

The A’s hit three home runs in the game. Bruce Maxwell (3) and Khris Davis (37) each hit solo shots. Matt Joyce (21) hit a three-run blast in the fourth inning.

Two A’s went 2-for-5 in the game — Marcus Semien and Khris Davis. They both scored a run and Davis had an Rbi.

Matt Joyce went 1-for-3 in the game with two walks, a run scored and three Rbi. His one hit was a home run.

The glaring stats of the night for Athletics offense has to be that they were just 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position and that they left nine men on base in the game.

Mariners

M's Zunino HR
Mariners catcher Mike Zunino hits a home run*

Shortstop Jean Segura led the way for Seattle against the A’s on Saturday night. He went 3-for-5 in the game with two Rbi and two runs scored.

Former Athletic Yonder Alonso had a nice against his old mates as he went 2-for-4. He scored two runs, had two hits and had one Rbi in the game.

The M’s catcher Mike Zunino also had a good night with the bat. Zunino went 2-for-3 scoring two runs and adding one Rbi.

Robinson Cano went 2-for-4 at the plate posting two Rbi and scoring one run.

Up next

The Athletics and Mariners will close out this three-game series on Sunday at 1:10 p.m. PDT.

The A’s will send rookie RHP Daniel Gossett (3-7, 5.21) to the hill. Gossett took the loss last Monday night in Anaheim against the Angels.

The Mariners will counter with LHP Andrew Albers (2-1, 4.20). Albers came to Seattle from the Braves in a trade last month.

*Photos from Associated Press Sports

Athletics scratch out a 4-3 win over Mariners Saturday night in Seattle

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

by Charlie O. Mallonee

Oakland puts it together in the top of the ninth inning

ms healy double
Healy hits game winning RBI-double

In the top of the ninth inning on Saturday night, the game between the A’s and Mariners was tied 3-3. Seattle replaced Nick Vincent with Edwin Diaz on the mound.

Rajai Davis led the inning off by legging out an infield single on a ball hit to third baseman Kyle Seager. That brought a visit from the Mariners’ pitching coach but Diaz remained in the game.

Matt Joyce went down on strikes but Davis moved up by stealing second base on the strike three pitch. Marcus Semien then flied out to left field for the second out of the inning.

Seattle then decided they did not want to pitch to All-Star first baseman Yonder Alonso who had hit his 20th home run of the year earlier in the game so they intentionally walked him.

That brought A’s DH Ryon Healy to the plate. With a count of 0-2, Healy hit a line drive into right-center field that bounced into the stands for a ground-rule double. Davis scored but Alonso — who would have scored easily — by rule had to hold at third.

Jed Lowrie grounded out to first to end the inning and the A’s took a 4-3 into the bottom of the ninth.

The Athletics called in Santiago Casilla from the bullpen

Casilla induced Kyle Seager to fly out to left field for the first out and then struck out former Athletic Danny Valencia for second out of the inning.

Just when it looked like it would be an easy close for Casilla, Mitch Haniger hit a double to center field and the M’s had the tying run just 180-feet away from home plate.

After a coaching visit, Casilla was able to get Jarrod Dyson to fly out to left field for the final out of the game.

For Casilla, it was save number 15 of the season.

Chris Smith made his first MLB start for the A’s (BTW he is 36-years old)

ms smith

The A’s pitching staff is literally the walking wounded. Pitchers have moved on and off the disabled list on a regular basis. On Saturday night, the A’s had to turn to a 36-year old pitcher who had made 63 appearances in the major leagues but had never started a game.

Chris Smith made the start and even though he did not figure into the decision, Smith did the job he was asked to do by the Athletics. He worked 6.0-innings giving up three runs (all earned) on three hits. Smith struck out four Mariners and walked just one. He did allow one home run while throwing 97 pitches (55 strikes).

The A’s bullpen gave Smith the support he needed. Ryan Madson, Sean Doolittle and Santiago Casilla worked one-inning apiece and allowed no runs on one hit combined over those three innings. Doolittle picked up the win as he was pitcher of record in the top of the ninth when the A’s took the lead.

Top performers for the Athletics

  • Ryon Healy — had a 2-for-4 game including what proved to be the game-winning RBI-double in the top of the ninth inning. It was his 19th double of the year and his 52nd RBI. Healy also scored a run in the game.
  • Yonder Alonso — the All-Star first baseman hit his 20th home run of the season in the third inning off Seattle starter Andrew Moore. Alonso also lifted his RBI total to 43.
  • Marcus Semien — continued to show he is ready to be back on the field and be productive for the A’s. Semien hit his first home run of the season in the fifth inning off Moore. He 3-for-13 in the series with three RBI.

The A’s can win the series on Sunday and move up in the Wild Card Standings

Oakland (39-49) has won two of the three games in series in Seattle with the victory on Saturday night. A win of Sunday would give a series victory to Oakland and give them their 40th win of the season. That would be a very nice way to into the All-Star Break.

The A’s are currently just 6.5 games out of a Wild Card spot in the American League. In fact, no team in the AL in more than 6.5 games out of Wild Card contention. That should serve as motivation to this young A’s team.

Mariners stars at the plate

  • OF Jarrod Dyson — did everything he could to give his team a victory on Saturday night. He went 2-for-3 at the plate including a home run (5) in the fifth inning off Smith. Dyson also hit a double and upped his RBI total to 22.
  • Jean Segura — continued to be hot in the leadoff spot. He went 2-for-4 with a double, RBI and a run scored. His batting average stands at .355 after the game on Saturday.

Seattle on the hill

  • Andrew Moore — struggled over his 6.0 innings on the mound. He gave up three runs (all earned) on six hits while walking two and striking out two. Moore also issued two home runs which really was his undoing.
  • James Pazos — made his 35th appearance of the season working one inning of perfect baseball from the mound striking out one Oakland hitter.
  • Nick Vincent — worked the eighth inning for the M’s giving up one hit, one walk and striking out two.
  • Edwin Diaz — worked the disastrous ninth for Seattle and was hung with the loss.

Up next

The final game of the series and the final game before the All-Star Break will played on Sunday at 1:10 p.m. PDT.

The A’s will send rookie Daniel Gossett to mound to face the Mariners. He has a record of 1-3 with a 6.23 ERA in his five starts this season. The home run has been a problem for Gossett who has given up seven round-trippers in 26 innings.

Seattle will counter by sending the willey veteran King Felix Hernandez out to make the 368th start of his career. The King is 3-3 this season with a 5.04 ERA in nine starts. He had a no-decision in his last start versus the Royals when gave up five earned runs in five innings.

Athletics win fifth game in a row downing the Mariners 4-3

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

by Charlie O. Mallonee

MLB: Seattle Mariners at Oakland Athletics
A’s starter Jharel Cotton labored but picked up the win on Saturday Photo Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports

The Oakland Athletics now have the longest winning streak in the American League with five consecutive wins. They have also taken the first three games of the four-game series with the Seattle Mariners by recording 4-3 win on Saturday in Oakland.

The A’s fell behind quickly in the game when Robinson Cano hit his third home run of the season off of A’s starter Jharel Cotton with two outs and the bases empty in the top of the first inning. It looked like Seattle was ready to put up a fight in game three of the series.

The Athletics did not allow the M’s to hold the lead for long as Adam Rosales did his best Ricky Henderson imitation by hitting a leadoff home run over the center field wall to tie the game at 1-1 off Seattle starter Ariel Miranda.

The A’s were not done scoring in the bottom of the first. After Jed Lowrie singled, Ryan Healy took Miranda deep for two-run homer (3) over the left field wall. Oakland staked their starter Cotton to a 3-1 lead after the first inning.

Both teams scored again in the third inning of the contest. The Mariners added a run when Nelson Cruz hit a sacrifice fly that allowed Mitch Haniger to score. The A’s posted a run when Ryan Healy doubled to left driving Jed Lowrie home from third base. After four innings, Oakland held a 4-2 lead.

The Mariners gave the A’s a scare in the top of the eighth inning. Cano led off with a single. After a pitching change, Nelson Cruz drew a walk off of Oakland reliever Liam Hendriks. Taylor Motter grounded into a double play but Cano moved up to third on the play. Kyle Seager was brought in as a pinch-hitter and hit a towering fly ball to center field that grazed the wall and fell in for a triple. Cano came home from third to score the third and final run for the M’s.

MLB: Seattle Mariners at Oakland Athletics
Ryan Madson picked up the save for the A’s on Saturday Photo Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports

The Athletics tapped Ryan Madson to come out of the bullpen to closeout the eighth inning which he did by getting Guillermo Heredia to ground out four to three.

Madson returned in the top of the ninth to close the came game out for Oakland and preserve the 4-3 win.

On the hill

Athletics

  • Starter Jharel Cotton (2-2, 4.76) picked up the win going 6.0-innings giving up two runs (both earned) on six hits. Cotton struck out two and walked two. He still had a tough day. After the game, A’s manager Bob Melvin said that Cotton was not able to get into his regular rhythm. Melvin said it was a growth opportunity for Cotton who pushed through the difficulties.
  • Ryan Madson earned his first save of the season going 1.1-innings allowing just no runs on one hit. He struck out three and walked none.
  • Daniel Coulombe and Liam Hendriks also appeared in relief for Oakland.

Seattle

  • Ariel Miranda started the game for M’s and took the loss. His record is now 1-2 on the season. Miranda went just 3.0-innings giving up four runs (all earned) on seven hits. He struck out three and walked none, but Miranda gave up two home runs.
  • Chase De Jong worked four innings of relief allowing no runs on just one hit. He struck out two and walked two.
  • Edwin Diaz closed out the game for the M’s tossing one inning of scoreless baseball

In the Batter’s Box

A’s

MLB: Seattle Mariners at Oakland Athletics
Ryan Healy hits a two-run home run Photo Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports
  • Ryan Healy was the man with the bat for the Athletics on Saturday. He went 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run scored. Healy hit his third home run, his fifth double and upped his RBI total to nine.
  • Jed Lowrie also had a big day for the A’s. He went 3-for-4 at the plate and scored two runs on Saturday.
  • Adam Rosales hit his second home run of the young season.

M’s

  • Robinson Cano led the offense for Seattle with a 3-for-4 day at the plate scoring two of the M’s three runs.
  • Jarrod Dyson had a two for five day in the batter’s box. Dyson had one stolen base and one caught stealing.

Looking ahead to Sunday

Seattle (7-12) and Oakland (10-8) will meet in the fourth and final game of the four-game series on Sunday at 1:05 PM. RHP Yovani Gallardo (0-2, 6.19) will take the hill for the Mariners. The man who has become the “Ace of the Staff” – Andrew Triggs – will start for the Athletics. Triggs is 3-0 with an 0.00 ERA in 17.2 innings for the A’s this year.

The Oakland A’s vs the Seattle Mariners preview.

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

by Jerry Feitelberg

AP file photo: Seattle Mariners pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma starts on Friday against the Oakland A’s at the Oakland Coliseum is seen throwing against the Los Angeles Angels Sat Sep 4th at Safeco Field in Seattle

OAKLAND–The Oakland A’s have seven games left to play against the Seattle Mariners this season. They will play three here in Oakland this weekend and the travel to Seattle to play the last four games of the 2016 season. The A’s are not ging to make the playoffs this year, but these games are vital to Seattle as they are still alive in the race for the second Wild Card slot. The two teams have met twelve times so far this year, and the Mariners lead the series 7-5.

The Mariners will be using the regular starters this weekend. Righties Hisashi Iwakuma (14-11) will pitch Friday night, and King Felix Hernandez (10-5) will pitch Saturday night. Hernandez has had a tough season as he spent some time on the DL and his season’s ERA is over four. He usually owns the A’s, but Oakland pummeled him here in Oakland earlier in the season. Lefty James Paxton (4-6) has not had a good season either. The Mariners were hoping for big things from Paxton, but stuff can happen and Paxton did not meet expectations. The A’s, on the other hand, are playing for pride. A’s manager Bob Melvin is taking a good look at some of the younger players as the season is nearing the end. Danny Valencia and Billy Butler are two players that are seeing their playing time diminished.The A’s are using Brett Eibner, Jake Smolinski and Khris Davis in the outfield and Ryon Healy has supplanted Valencia at third. Marcus Semien remains at short, while Joey Wendle, recalled from Nashville,  is playing second base in place of the injured Jed Lowrie. Yonder Alonso is at first, and he was the batting star Wednesday against the Angels. Stephen Vogt still handles most of the catching chores, but Melvin will use Bruce Maxwell or Matt McBride. Other players that may see action are Chad Pinder and Max Muncy.

The Mariners are a veteran club with players that can put up excellent numbers. Second baseman Robinson Cano is the team leader. He is hitting .304 with 32 homers and 86 ribbies. The designated hitter, Nelson Cruz, continues to hammer the ball. He owns a batting average of .282 and has 35 homers and 85 RBIs on his stat chart this year. Third baseman Kyle Seager is another power hitter. Seager knocked 26 big flys out of the park this year and his brother, Corey, the rookie shortstop of the Los Angeles Dodgers, has 24. The are the first pair of brothers to hit 50 dingers in a season since the Upton brothers, Justin and Melvin, did it in 2011. Adam Lind and Dae-Ho Lee share playing time at first base. They have hit 33 homers combined and have knocked in 105 for Seattle. The Outfield features Seth Smith and Nori Aoki in left. Franklin Gutierrez and Leonys Martin share center field and Ben Gamel obtained in a trade with the Yankees, has seen playing time in right.

Edwin Diaz, Vidal Nuno, Pat Venditte, a former Athletic, and closer Steve Cishek will all see action this weekend. The A’s bullpen has been a strong point for Oakland most of the year. Ryan Dull, Liam Hendriks, John Axford, and Ryan Madson have all pitched well. However, there have been times when they haven’t done the job, but the good outweighs the bad.

Should be interesting as the young A’s will be trying to end the season on a high note and the Mariners will have to play at their best if they hope to reach the Wild Card slot.

 

 

 

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The Mariners pound the A’s; M’s Lind hits for six RBIs

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

by Jerry Feitelberg

The Seattle Mariners pounded A’s pitching Wednesday night in Seattle, sending them down to defeat by a score of 13-3. The A’s Zach Neal made his first Major League start, and it was not pretty. Neal went just four innings and allowed eight hits and seven runs.

The A’s scored first in the top of the second. Khris Davis homered to right field to put Oakland in the lead 1-0. The Mariners’ Adam Lind hit a solo homer in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game.

The Mariners took charge in the bottom of the third. The Mariners scored six runs on seven hits. The big blow was Adam Lind’s second home run of the game. With two out and two on, Lind drove a ball into the seats in right field to make it 7-1.

The A’s managed to score two in the top of the fifth but the Mariners got one back in the bottom of the frame. The Mariners scored four more in the seventh. Nelson Cruz hit a two-run dinger for the M’s. Robinson Cano homered in the eighth with a man on board to end the scoring for Seattle.  Seattle wins 13-3.

Game notes- The Mariners took two out of three from the A’s to win the three-game series.  Adam Lind was the star of the game for the Mariners. Lind had two home runs, a double and a single and he drove in six runs. The A’s have now lost six of the last seven games and their record for the season is 20-28. The only bright spot for Oakland was the performance of Rich Hill Monday night.  The starting rotation has not performed well so far, and things do not look as if they will improve soon. Sonny Gray is on the DL, and his return is uncertain.

A’s second baseman Jed Lowrie returned from a stint on the DL, but his presence in the lineup did not help the offense Wednesday night. Zach Neal took the loss, and Hisashi Iwakuma won his third game of the year. Seattle leads the AL West with a record of 28-18.

The A’s have an off-day on Thursday and return to play Friday night against the Detroit Tigers.The Tigers took three out four from the A’s earlier this year in Detroit. Also, the Tigers are hot. They have won eight of the last ten games played. The A’s Sean Manaea will handle the pitching chores for Oakland, and he will be opposed by the Tigers’ Michael Fulmer. Game time will be at 7:05 pm Friday night at the Oakland Coliseum.

 

 

The Mariners rally to subdue the A’s

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by Jerry Feitelberg

AP photo: The Seattle Mariners Leonys Martin hits a two run walk off homer to lead the M’s to a one run win over the Oakland A’s at Safeco Field on Tuesday night

The Seattle Mariners rallied from a three-run deficit to score two runs in the eighth and two runs in the ninth to beat the A’s 6-5 Tuesday night in Seattle. The A’s Kendall Graveman went for the A’s and pitched fairly well, but Bob Melvin took him out with one-out in the bottom of the fifth. Graveman walked a batter and then gave up a single. Melvin removed him as the next batter was Robinson Cano and Melvin brought in the lefty, Daniel Coloumbe, to pitch to Cano. Coloumbe was up to the task and retired the side without any damage. The scoring summary follows below.

The Mariners scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the first. Robinson Cano doubled to drive in former Athletic, Seth Smith. The A’s tied the game in the top of the third when Coco Crisp hit a solo home run. For Crisp, it was his fourth of the year. The Tie didn’t last long as the Mariners scored again in their half of the inning.Singles by Leonys Martin and Seth Smith put men on at first and second with no out. Cano grounded into a double play, but Nelson Cruz singled to give the Mariners a 2-1 edge.

The A’s drove Nathan Karns out of the game in the sixth. They scored four times to put the A’s up 5-2. Khris Davis drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Marcus Semien doubled to drive in a run and Coco singled with the bases loaded to drive in two more.

The game was now in the hands of the bullpen. Sean Doolittle retired the Mariners in the seventh. The A’s brought in John Axford to pitch the eighth. The Mariners’ Franklin Gutierrez double off the center-field wall to start the inning. The next hitter was the ever-dangerous Robinson Cano. Cano entered the game leading the AL with forty RBIs. He added two more to that total when he took Axford’s offering over the right-center-field wall to make it a 5-4 game. Melvin removed Axford and used Rzepczynski and Rodriguez to close out the eighth. Ryan Madson was brought in to pitch the ninth. Madson had been 11-for-12 in save opportunities so far this season. He retired the first two batters he faced. Nori Aoki blooped a double down the left-field line. Crisp made a valiant effort to catch the ball, but it just eluded him. Madson had a count of 1-2 on Leonys Martin. The A’s were just one strike away from a victory. Martin killed that thought when he blasted a home run into the seats in right field. The Mariners win in a walk off 6-5.

Game Notes- Ryan Madson took the loss, and the winning pitcher was Mike Montgomery, who pitched 3 and 1/3rd innings of relief for Seattle. The A’s and the Mariners will play the rubber game of the three-game series Wednesday night in Seattle. The A’s will send Zach Neal to the mound and he will be opposed by Hisashi Iwakuma. Game time will be at 7:05 PM. The A’s are off on Thursday and return home to face the Detroit Tigers this weekend.