Out of Right Field: Recap, takeaways from the Seattle Mariners’ 6-3 victory against the Oakland Athletics
Kyle Seager’s two-run double with the bases loaded in the eighth inning sparked a four-run rally as the Seattle Mariners defeated the host Oakland Athletics 6-3 Sunday afternoon.
Mallex Smith homered for the Mariners, who took two of three games in the series.
Mariners right-hander Mike Leake (6-6) pitched seven strong innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits with no walks and seven strikeouts.
Right-hander Austin Adams, despite allowing a hit and issuing a walk, pitched a scoreless eighth by striking out the side and left-hander Roenis Elias worked the ninth for his seventh save of the season.
Khris Davis and Ramon Laureano homered for the A’s.
Oakland right-hander Lou Trivino (2-5) took the loss, despite just one of the four runs he surrendered in the eighth being earned.
Trivino replaced right-hander Liam Hendriks to start the inning. Seattle’s Smith led off by lining a single to right field, but was then thrown out by A’s catcher Beau Taylor trying to steal second. J.P. Crawford walked and Domingo Santana reached on a fielding error by right fielder Mark Canha. Daniel Vogelbach then walked to load the bases for Seager, who lined a 1-0 pitch into right field for a double, scoring two for a 4-3 lead.
Right-hander Yusmeiro Petit entered but couldn’t stop the rally. Tom Murphy hit a sacrifice fly to center field and Dee Gordon followed with a run-scoring triple to right.
Of note
The M’s selected the contract of C/IF Austin Nola from Triple-A Tacoma to fill the roster spot opened when DH/1B Edwin Encarnacion was traded Saturday night to the New York Yankees. Nola, who hit .327 with seven homers and 37 RBIs for the Rainiers, made his major-league debut after eight years and 773 games in the minors. Nola singled in his first at-bat.
By the numbers
26-16: The M’s all-time record on Father’s Day.
Our take from Right Field
What to say about the upcoming homestand for the M’s? Well, fellow cellar dwellers Kansas City and Baltimore come to town and there’s already talk attendance for the week could set a franchise low since Safeco Field/T-Mobile Park opened in 1999. At least we might learn who really is the worst team in the American League.
Up next
The M’s return home to open a three-game series against the Kansas City Royals at 7:10 p.m. at T-Mobile Park. LHP Danny Duffy (3-3, 4.38 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Royals, while the Mariners had yet to announce their starter.