Field Level Media
Apr 14, 2018
Mitch Haniger hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the seventh inning as the Seattle Mariners rallied for a 7-4 victory against the visiting Oakland Athletics on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at Safeco Field.
Haniger, who has been batting cleanup with designated hitter Nelson Cruz (sprained right ankle) on the 10-day disabled list, also had a run-scoring single in a two-run first inning as the Mariners won their third game in a row.
With two outs in the bottom of the seventh and Seattle trailing 3-2, Jean Segura singled off A's reliever Yusmeiro Petit. Left-hander Danny Coulombe then walked Robinson Cano, bringing in Chris Hatcher to face Haniger.
Haniger hammered a 2-2 pitch over the left field wall to give the Mariners their first lead of the night. It was Haniger's third homer of the season.
Kyle Seager then singled and Daniel Vogelbach hit a two-run shot, his first in the majors, to right field to cap a five-run outburst.
Mariners right-hander Dan Altavilla (1-1) got the victory with a scoreless inning of relief and Edwin Diaz earned his fifth save of the season. Coulombe (0-1) took the loss.
Both teams scored two in the first and were locked in a 2-2 tie until the sixth inning, when Oakland's Matt Chapman hit a solo shot to center field. It was Chapman's fifth home run, tying the Los Angeles Angels' Mike Trout and the Chicago White Sox's Matt Davidson for the American League lead.
Oakland's Khris Davis hit a two-run shot to center field in the first inning and a solo homer in the eighth. Davis has four home runs this year and 16 against the Mariners in his career.
Athletics starter Andrew Triggs got off to a shaky start, allowing two runs in the first inning, but kept Seattle off the scoreboard for the rest of his outing. The right-hander allowed five hits in five innings, with two walks and four strikeouts.
Seattle starter Mike Leake allowed three runs on seven hits in six innings. The right-hander walked two and struck out four.
With one out in the bottom of the first, Segura and Cano singled. Haniger followed with a run-scoring single to left field and Seager hit an RBI double to right to tie the score at 2-2.
--Field Level Media