A's Ninth Inning Rally Falls Short In 6-5 Loss to Mariners
SEATTLE (AP/KPIX 5) — Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager each hit a two-run homer, and Yovani Gallardo pitched effectively into the seventh inning as the Seattle Mariners made the most of four hits to hold off the Oakland Athletics 6-5 on Monday night.
Oakland scored twice in the ninth, when Mariners closer Edwin Diaz walked four of the five batters he faced to force in a run. Tony Zych relieved, and the second run scored on Khris Davis' groundout. After an intentional walk to Yonder Alonso loaded the bases again, Zych struck out Adam Rosales looking on a 3-2 pitch for his first major league save.
Cruz's home run, his ninth, put Seattle up 4-0 in the second as the Mariners capitalized on five walks by Sean Manaea (1-3), activated earlier in the day off the disabled list.
Oakland pulled to 4-3 on a solo homer by Davis in the fourth and a two-run shot by Stephen Vogt in the fifth. Both came off Gallardo (2-3), who allowed three runs and four hits in 6 1/3 innings.
Seager made it 6-3 in the eighth with his third home run. Guillermo Heredia, who reached on a two-base throwing error by shortstop Chad Pinder, scored ahead of Seager.
Manaea's four walks after a leadoff single by Jean Segura led to a pair of Seattle runs in a 38-pitch first inning. Manaea escaped further damage by striking out Tuffy Gosewisch with the bases loaded to end the inning.
In the second, Cruz sent a 1-2 pitch over the center-field wall after a one-out walk to Segura. After that, Manaea retired the final 10 batters he faced. He allowed four runs and two hits in five innings with seven strikeouts in his first start since April 26.
Davis made it 4-1 with one out in the fourth, fouling off six consecutive pitches with a full count before launching his 11th homer.
Oakland pulled to 4-3 when Trevor Plouffe singled to open the fifth and Vogt followed with his second home run.
Seattle escaped in the seventh after Vogt walked with one out and Pinder doubled, chasing Gallardo. Dan Altaville relieved and walked Rajai Davis on four pitches to load the bases, but Matt Joyce struck out and Jed Lowrie bounced to second.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Athletics: RHP John Axford (strained right shoulder) is likely to make his second rehab appearance with Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday. ... C Bruce Maxwell was optioned to Nashville to make room for Manaea, who had been sidelined with a strained left shoulder. Manaea made one rehab start at Nashville. ... LHP Sean Doolittle, on the 10-day DL since May 3 with a strained left shoulder, was expected to make sock throws Monday or Tuesday. "If everything goes well there, we're kind of on a path that we can look forward to him playing catch soon thereafter," manager Bob Melvin said.
UP NEXT
Athletics: RHP Andrew Triggs (5-2, 2.21 ERA) has given up just one home run in 40 2/3 innings over seven starts. In four of his starts, he did not allow an earned run. One of his two losses, however, was at home against Seattle, when he was tagged for a season-high six runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Mariners: Rookie RHP Chase De Jong (0-3, 7.85), acquired from the Dodgers in early March, makes his third major league start. He's had one solid start — one run on four hits in six innings — between a pair of rocky outings. He was 2-0 with 1.74 ERA in two starts at Triple-A Tacoma.
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