Oakland Athletics vs Seattle Mariners Match Player Stats On Jul 06, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Jul 7, 2017

SEATTLE -- Paul Blackburn scattered eight hits in 7 2/3 innings for his first major league victory as the Oakland Athletics defeated the Seattle Mariners 7-4 Thursday night at Safeco Field.

The rookie right-hander, who was acquired from Seattle in an offseason trade for first baseman Danny Valencia, walked one and didn't strike out a batter in his second major league start. The only run he allowed came on a solo homer by Mitch Haniger.

The Athletics (38-48) posted their third win in a row after snapping a season-high, six-game losing streak.

Valencia hit a three-run homer, his ninth long ball of the season, off A's reliever Daniel Coulombe with one out in the bottom of the ninth for the final margin.

Jean Segura went 4-for-4 with a double for Seattle (41-46), which took its eighth straight home defeat. It was Segura's fourth four-hit game of the season.

Bob Melvin earned his 500th win as Oakland's manager. He is 500-495 with the A's, 993-1,003 overall in 14 seasons as skipper of the Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks and Oakland.

Blackburn, who gave up only one unearned run on three hits in his debut Saturday against the Atlanta Braves, retired the side in order only once.

He allowed hits in the first three innings but got double plays in each. The Mariners put two runners on in the fifth before Blackburn induced cleanup hitter Nelson Cruz to ground into a fielder's choice to end the inning.

Blackburn (1-0) was replaced after allowing a two-out double to Segura in the eighth. Left-hander Coulombe came on to induce an inning-ending groundout from Ben Gamel, who entered the game as the American League's leading hitter.

The A's struck early against Seattle starter Sam Gaviglio, scoring three runs in the first inning.

Matt Joyce led off with a single, Marcus Semien walked, and Yonder Alonso, Oakland's All-Star representative, hit a run-scoring double down the right field line. An out later, Jed Lowrie smacked a two-run double to right-center field.

Oakland extended the lead to 7-0 in the fifth.

Semien led off with a single and stole second. Following a walk to Alonso, Khris Davis hit his 24th home run of the season, a three-run shot to right field.

Lowrie singled but was erased on a double play, and then Bruce Maxwell hit his first homer, a solo shot.

It was easily the worst of Gaviglio's nine career starts. The rookie right-hander lasted just 4 2/3 innings, the first time he failed to make it through the fifth. He gave up seven runs on nine hits, including the two home runs. He walked three and struck out six, which matched his career high.

The Mariners snapped the shutout on Haniger's homer with two outs in the bottom of the fifth.

NOTES: Three Oakland pitchers failed to record a strikeout in the game. ... The A's reinstated SS Marcus Semien from the 60-day disabled list Thursday and put RHP Jharel Cotton (right thumb blister) on the 10-day DL. Semien had been out since April 15 with a fractured scaphoid bone. He missed 74 games. ... Oakland LHP Sean Manaea (7-4, 3.75 ERA) is scheduled to face Seattle LHP James Paxton (6-3, 3.27) on Friday.