OAKLAND — The Athletics are within the stretch drive to greater than 100 losses, and proof gained in a 10-2 loss to the Seattle Mariners Friday suggests issues aren’t going to get any simpler.
Eugenio Suarez drove in 5 runs with a pair of homers in opposition to Cole Irvin and the A’s couldn’t come by way of offensively with runners on base within the first sport of a 10-game homestand earlier than a fireworks crowd of 16,912 on the Coliseum.
The house runs have been the twenty first and twenty second of the season for Suarez and the sixteenth and seventeenth allowed by Irvin, who fell to 6-11. Left-hander Marco Gonzales (8-12) was the winner for Seattle, going 5 1/3 innings and getting assist from 4 relievers.
The Athletics fell to 43-77, whereas the Mariners, who've overwhelmed the A’s eight occasions in 11 video games, improved to 66-54 and stay within the high place for the three American League wildcard playoff spots. Seattle has received its final 10 video games on the Coliseum.
The Athletics have 42 video games remaining, and run a gauntlet of groups in playoff rivalry, with 28 video games coming in opposition to groups which have at current have profitable data. Headed in the other way, the A’s have received 4 of their final 18 video games.
“We’re going to should buckle down, play good basic baseball and proceed to combat the way in which that we now have all season,” A’s supervisor Mark Kotsay stated earlier than the sport. “We’ve overwhelmed good groups. We’ve overwhelmed groups with profitable data. That’s our mindset.”
Irvin breezed into the fourth, however gave up a one-out single to Mitty Excessive product Mitch Haniger after which served up the two-run dwelling run to Suarez on a 1-1, waist-high breaking ball to place Seattle up 3-2.
Make that FIVE RBI for Geno tonight ‼ pic.twitter.com/jfo5eBQtZX
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) August 20, 2022
The A’s set the desk for one more Suarez bomb within the sixth, with Jesse Winker drawing a stroll in opposition to Irvin, adopted by an error by shortstop Nick Allen. Suarez made them pay, hitting a 2-1 pitch over the middle area fence for a 6-2 lead.
The Athletics received to Gonzales for 2 within the first on Chad Pinder’s first-pitch RBI single to left and a sacrifice fly by designated hitter Shea Langeliers. Two free runners got here in to attain, as Jonah Bride was hit by a pitch with one out and Sean Murphy adopted with a stroll.
The second run was unearned, as Murphy was capable of advance on an outfield throwing error following Pinder’s single.
The A’s by no means scored once more.
Seattle scored in opposition to Irvin within the first on a 4-6-3 double play which introduced Julio Rodriguez dwelling from third. Rodriguez blooped a single to proper to open the sport and went to 3rd on a single to proper heart by Ty France.
NOTABLE
— Norge Ruiz made his big-league debut, pitching the seventh inning and giving up two unearned runs due to a misplay by right-fielder Seth Brown on a fly ball off the bat of Rodriguez. Within the eighth, Ruiz gave up 4 singles in two-thirds of an inning, together with run-scoring singles by Jake Lamb and France.
— The A’s had the bases loaded with one out within the sixth, however Matt Brash relieved Rodriguez and struck out pinch-hitter Vimael Machin (for Sheldon Neuse) and received pinch-hitter Tony Kemp (for David MacKinnon) on an infield grounder.
— Errors by Allen and Brown give the A’s 72 for the season, the fourth-most within the majors and the identical quantity they'd final season in 162 video games.
— A’s followers within the Treehouse past the left area bleachers have been entertained by NBC California analyst Dallas Braden doing commentary within the stands — no less than a few of it shirtless.
— Newark Memorial Excessive product Chris Flexen pitched a scoreless ninth for Seattle.