J.P. Crawford Hits Pair Of Key Singles, Mariners Beat A's
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — J.P. Crawford hit a go-ahead single in the eighth inning after his tying single in the sixth, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Oakland Athletics 5-1 in extras on Saturday in the first game of a doubleheader.
Tommy La Stella tripled to begin the sixth, but the A's couldn't capitalize against former Oakland right-hander Kendall Graveman (1-3).
Khris Davis hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning, but that was it for the A's, whose hitting is hardly where they would hope with the playoffs coming.
The typically slugging AL West champion A's (35-23), who will host a best-of-three wild-card series starting Tuesday at the Coliseum, are still struggling as an offense but doing just enough. They won 3-1 in 10 innings Friday night on Mark Canha's two-run homer.
Liam Hendriks (3-1) pitched a perfect seventh before finding trouble in the eighth, when Ty France also singled home an insurance run for Seattle.
Seattle was the home team for Game 2, a makeup from a Sept. 3 postponement following a positive coronavirus test result by A's right-hander Daniel Mengden on Aug. 29 in Houston.
Oakland starter Mike Minor struck out seven over five innings but still has just one win since joining the A's — against Seattle on Sept. 14.
Mariners starter Justus Sheffield allowed one run on five hits over five innings with two walks and a strikeout after winning his previous two starts.
TWINBILLS
The A's played their fifth doubleheader overall, fourth in a 19-day span and their second twinbill in 13 days against the Mariners after another on Sept. 14 in Seattle.
Oakland has played its most doubleheaders since also having five in 1986.
SLUMPING A'S
The A's have been held to six hits or fewer in 11 of their last 13 games.
ROSTER MOVE
The Mariners added RHP Seth Frankoff as their 29th player for the doubleheader.
UP NEXT
A's RHP Paul Blackburn (0-0) makes his season debut in Game 2, while the Mariners counter with RHP Justin Dunn (3-1, 4.20 ERA).
