Mariners: RHP Hisashi Iwakuma (13-7) makes his 13th career start against the A’s on Saturday night. His primary nemeses, as per usual: Seth Smith, Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz, who combined to go 5-for-9 with three runs and four RBIs. Seattle (61-54) got another solid outing from its bullpen.
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SEATTLE: The Mariners have now won seven of eight overall, are 5-1 in their last six games coming off a win, and are 4-1 in their last five games versus an opponent from the American League West. “My body was starting to fly open”. I wasn’t as high as I wanted it to be. But Oakland’s offense, resurgent as it has been the past few days, left men at third base in the first, second, fourth and seventh innings, hardly the recipe for success.
Iwakuma (14-7) allowed three runs on nine hits for his eighth win in the last nine starts. He had an RBI double in the third inning and a three-run double in the sixth.
“Our bullpen was outstanding”, Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “But he battled. These are the type of learning experiences for young pitchers that are actually good for them”. “We didn’t have much room for error”. “That’s a good formula for a win”.
Seager followed by driving a three-run double into the right-center gap and, although he got trapped between second and third for an out, the Mariners led 7-1.
Fantasy Impact: Manaea allowed a home run which came in the fifth inning with two out and nobody on base.
Neal (L, 2-2, 5.19 ERA) took his second stab at the Mariners, against whom he was romped for seven runs over four innings in his first career start. James Paxton, who was hit in the elbow by a line drive August 7, is still sore but Servais is hopeful to have the lefty back in the rotation early next week. “Whatever way you can score runs, they’re welcome”. Seattle has won six of LeBlanc’s seven starts. LeBlanc worked 5 1/3 scoreless frames versus the Athletics in his last outing against them on September 23, 2014, to improve to 1-0 with a 5.17 ERA in four games (two starts) against them.Neal made a seamless transition from a long-relief role to the rotation for the second time this season to get the win against Baltimore on Tuesday, yielding one run on two hits over 5 1/3 innings.
Only once in his first 22 games did Kendall Graveman get scorched by having the first pitch of an at-bat taken out of the park. “It’s a lengthy season – I don’t think it’s a bad thing to cut it short”. “We had some guys rested come in”.
Davis’ homer total is an ongoing career high, as is his RBI total of 73. It was the ninth homer Cano has hit on the first pitch this season, tied for most in baseball with Chris Davis of the Orioles. Those disappointed in being unable to see a Butler triple would not be disappointed for long, as Jake Smolinski would follow by hitting a pitch at chin level the opposite way into the right-center field gap, and, aided by Smith’s throw going to second rather than to a cutoff man, Butler scored from second on the single, narrowly, with one of the most flawless and lovely slides into home the A’s have had in a long while.
“He’s making the Coliseum look like a hitter’s park, ” Oakland catcher Stephen Vogt said.
Left-hander James Paxton reported no day-after problem with his elbow following a bullpen workout Saturday and remains on track to return to the rotation Tuesday against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, Calif. Paxton is on schedule to pitch Tuesday in Anaheim but a decision won’t be made for certain until the team sees how he responds Sunday.
Plans call for former closer Steve Cishek to begin a rehab assignment Monday at Everett in the Northwest League as the next step in his recovery from a torn labrum in his left hip. The plan is for Doolittle to make two more appearances in the minors before potentially joining the A’s on their next homestand beginning August 22. RHP Jesse Hahn (right shoulder strain) threw 30 pitches off the mound and could begin a rehab assignment soon. Iwakuma has 12 wins over his last 15 starts.
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Coco Crisp of the Oakland Athletics hits an RBI single scoring Billy Butler against the Seattle Mariners in the bottom of the second inning at the Oakland Coliseum on August 13, 2016 in Oakland.
