A's Use Big 5th Inning To Cruise Past Mariners 11-1
SEATTLE (AP) — Ramón Laureano and Chad Pinder had two-run singles during Oakland's big fifth inning, and the Athletics thumped the Seattle Mariners 11-1 on Monday night.
Oakland scored eight times in the fifth inning, with all the runs coming with two outs. The A's gave starter Frankie Montas plenty of run support and finished off a successful first road trip by taking three of four from Seattle.
"You look at that inning and there were a few that fell in that weren't necessary hit all that hard ... but the floodgates kind of open there, it was nice for everyone to have a part in it," Oakland's Stephen Piscotty said.
Oakland sent 14 batters to the plate in the fifth and eventually left the bases loaded after Marcus Semien flied out to end the inning. Semien made a pair of outs in the inning.
Laureano's single knocked out Seattle starter Justus Sheffield, who had been excellent through the first four innings. Seattle gave its young lefty a chance to escape the bases-loaded jam, but Laureano slapped a single through the right side of the infield to score Khris Davis and Piscotty.
That was the last batter for Sheffield (0-2), but the A's were just getting started against reliever Bryan Shaw. Shaw gave up five runs on four hits and a pair of walks. Pinder's two-run single was the big blow, as Davis added an RBI infield single and Piscotty doubled to score another.
The 14 batters were the most in one inning for Oakland since Sept. 12, 2018, against Baltimore, when the A's sent 15 to the plate and scored 10 times.
"Just good approaches all the way around," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. "After the first three or four innings, where it was looking like it has been for the first nine or 10 games or so, and then it breaks out in fashion that we typically do with making a pitcher work, getting guys on base and then stringing some hits together."
Davis hit his first home run of the season in the seventh inning on an 0-2 pitch from Zac Grotz.
"He felt good today and you could tell he looked comfortable in the box," Melvin said. "That's a good start."
Montas (1-1) cruised through seven innings, giving up four hits and striking out nine. Seattle's only run came on Kyle Seager's two-out double in the third inning. Montas has allowed two earned runs or less in all three starts.
"Not a fun game to watch by any standards," Seattle manager Scott Servais said. "We walked a lot of guys tonight. We did not control the strike zone and unfortunately, it got ugly there."
STREAK SNAPPED
Seattle rookie Kyle Lewis had his 10-game hitting streak snapped, going 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts. He was the first rookie to hit safety in the first 10 games of a season since Delmon Young in 2007.
GIMMIE 10
Oakland started the day with the second-lowest batting average in baseball at .188, but recorded a season-high 12 hits. Every starter finished with at least one hit after Matt Olson's RBI single in the ninth.
NO RELIEF
Shaw was signed right before the start of the season after he was released by Colorado, but he's been ineffective with Seattle. In his past three appearances for Seattle, Shaw has given up a combined 10 earned runs in 2 1/3 innings.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Mariners: Servais was unsure if RHP Kendall Graveman would be able to make his next start due to a neck issue. Graveman threw 4 2/3 innings on Sunday, but was bothered by the neck problem. Graveman was being seen by team physicians on Monday.
UP NEXT
Athletics: LHP Jesús Luzardo (0-0, 1.35) will make his long-awaited debut in the A's rotation when they open up a three-game series against Texas on Tuesday. Just shy of his 23rd birthday, Luzardo will be the youngest starter for the A's since Brett Anderson in 2010.
Mariners: RHP Justin Dunn (0-0, 6.00) makes his second start for Seattle and second against the Angels. Dunn allowed two earned runs in three innings last week in Anaheim. ___
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