Oakland Athletics vs Seattle Mariners Match Player Stats On Jul 08, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Jul 9, 2017

SEATTLE -- Chris Smith's first career start was a quality one, but Oakland's 36-year-old right-hander didn't receive a decision as the Athletics defeated the Seattle Mariners 4-3 on Saturday night at Safeco Field.

The Athletics broke a tie in the top of the ninth inning, sending the Mariners to their ninth loss in their past 10 home games.

Rajai Davis led off the ninth with an infield single against Seattle closer Edwin Diaz and stole second. With two outs, All-Star Yonder Alonso was walked intentionally.

Diaz got ahead in the count 0-2 to Ryon Healy, but Diaz then hung a slider that Healy hit into the gap in right-center field. The ball bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double, scoring the go-ahead run.

A's closer Santiago Casilla allowed a two-out double in the bottom of the ninth to Mitch Haniger but got Jarrod Dyson to fly out to left field to end the game and secure his 15th save of the season.

The Oakland bullpen pitched three scoreless innings in relief of Smith, with Sean Doolittle (1-0) getting the victory.

Smith, who had made 63 relief appearances since breaking in with the Boston Red Sox in 2008, pitched six innings, allowing six hits and three runs. He walked one and struck out four, leaving with the score tied 3-3.

Mariners rookie right-hander Andrew Moore, making his third career start, matched Smith. Moore also allowed three runs and six hits in six innings, though he walked two and struck out two.

The Athletics took the lead in the second inning as Healy led off with a single, moved to second an out later on a Bruce Maxwell single and scored on a two-out single by Jaycob Brugman.

Oakland extended the lead to 2-0 in the third on Alonso's solo home run with two outs. Alonso hit a 1-1 pitch from Moore 410 feet into the right-field seats for his 20th home run of the season.

The Mariners tied the score in the bottom of the inning when Dyson led off with a double and scored on Jean Segura's one-out double. Ben Gamel followed with a run-scoring single to center to make it 2-2.

Marcus Semien gave the A's a 3-2 lead in the fifth on a solo homer with one out, his first home run of the season. Semien hit a 2-1 pitch from Moore that just eluded the reach of Gamel in left and bounced off top of the fence and over the wall.

Dyson tied it by leading off the bottom of the inning with his fifth homer of the season. It came on a 2-1 pitch from Smith and traveled 391 feet into the right-field seats.

NOTES: The A's made a series of roster moves. They selected RHP Chris Smith's contract from Triple-A Nashville; reinstated C Josh Phegley from the paternity list; optioned INF Franklin Barreto, the organization's top prospect, to Nashville; and designated C Ryan Lavarnway for assignment. ... Oakland rookie RHP Daniel Gossett (1-3, 6.23 ERA) is scheduled to start the series finale Sunday against Mariners RHP Felix Hernandez (3-3, 5.04).