Bullpen shuts down dynamic M’s offense
One night after looking Sleepy in Seattle, the Oakland Athletics hoped to rebound in game two of the three-game set against the red-hot Seattle Mariners. The 75-56 M’s are one game ahead of the Astros in the AL West and had won nine of their last ten games. The Athletics sent lefty Ken Waldichuk to the mound tonight. Waldichuk is 2-7 with a 6.05 ERA in 29 games (eighteen starts) in the 2023 season. Luke Weaver took the mound for the Mariners, replacing George Kirby who was a late scratch with an illness. Weaver is 2-4 with a 6.05 ERA in 21 starts this year, but this is his first start since being traded to the Mariners at the deadline.
Seth Brown got things started early sending a Weaver 84-mph sweeper into the right field stands for his twelfth homer of the year. Brent Rooker lined a double into the gap in right-centerfield, but Tony Kemp grounded out 1-3 to end the inning. Waldichuk breezed through the bottom of the first with the Julio Rodriguez-less lineup. Rodriguez was also a last-minute scratch due to a sore foot.
Jordan Diaz led off the second inning with a base hit. Then Shea Langeliers homered to straight-away center field bringing the score to 3-0. Nick Allen followed with a single. Allen’s hit was the A’s fifth of the night in only the second inning, but that surpassed last night’s nine-inning total. (By the way, Waldichuk held the Mariners hitless through 3)
Diaz singled in the top of the fourth, and Langeliers singled to drive Diaz to third. That chased Weaver and brought in Isaiah Campbell. But Campbell got Nick Allen to ground out weakly to first, and the inning was over.
Teoscar Hernandez, one of last night’s hitting stars got the first hit of the night against Waldichuk in the bottom of the fourth. Cal Raleigh and Dylan Moore both walked to load the bases. Then on a 3-2 count and the runners moving, Waldichuk walked Cade Marlow to drive in Hernandez. Finally, Waldichuk induced Jose Caballero to pop out to shortstop Nick Allen to end the inning.
Waldichuk walked J.P. Crawford to open the bottom of the fifth and A’s skipper Mark Kotsay had seen enough. That ended Waldichuk’s night and brought in Lucas Erceg. He then hit Hernandez on the ribs with a 97-mph sinker. But Erceg got Cal Raleigh to ground into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning. At the end of five, the A’s still lead 3-1.
Sean Newcomb replaced Erceg in the bottom of the sixth and cruised through the inning easily. In fact, he struck out 4 of his five outs. Dany Jimenez struck out his one batter to end the seventh.
With the A’s leading by the score 3-1 in the bottom of the ninth inning, Mark Kotsay called upon Trevor May to slam the door on the Mariners. With the 44,000+ fans urging on their hometown Mariners, May struck out Dylan Moore and Jose Caballero to start the inning. Pinch hitter Josh Rojas singled to shallow right field and J.P. Crawford doubled to left field moving Rojas to third. But Trevor May blew strike three past Eugenio Suarez to seal the victory, 3-1!