Oakland Athletics vs Seattle Mariners Match Player Stats On Sep 01, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Sep 2, 2017

SEATTLE -- Mike Leake, in his Seattle debut, outdueled Oakland lefty Sean Manaea and the Mariners defeated the Athletics 3-2 at Safeco Field on Friday night.

Kyle Seager provided the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly in the third inning and Leake made it hold up in an outing that had a bumpy start, but smoothed as it went along.

The victory snapped a five-game losing streak for the Mariners (67-68), who gained ground in the wild-card race with a loss by the Minnesota Twins, pulling within 3 1/2 games of the last playoff spot. The Athletics (58-76) lost their fourth straight.

Leake (8-12), acquired on Wednesday, pitched seven innings, allowing eight hits and two earned runs while walking one with seven strikeouts.

The cherry on the sundae was Leake pitching his way out of a jam in the seventh after Matt Chapman doubled to right-center field and took third on a wild pitch with one out. But Leake -- who generally pitches to contact -- struck out Boog Powell and Marcus Semien to end the threat.

Manaea (9-9) pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits. He walked three and struck out three.

Matt Joyce went 3 for 3 and scored a run for Oakland.

Mike Zunino homered and had two hits for Seattle, and Mitch Haniger also had two hits.

The Mariners obtained Leake from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for minor-league shortstop Rayder Ascanio and cash considerations with the hope that he'd provide some relief for an injury-riddled rotation.

But Leake started slowly.

The Athletics immediately got to the right-hander with three consecutive hits, singles to center by Marcus Semien and Joyce, followed by Jed Lowrie's RBI double down the right-field line. Matt Olson added an RBI groundout for a 2-0 lead in the top of the first.

Leake got out of the trouble by stabbing Ryon Healy's shot up the middle and firing to first to retire the side.

The Mariners posted their own rally in the third, adding three runs to take a 3-2 lead.

Zunino cut into the lead in the third with his 20th homer, a solo shot off Manaea that snuck inside the right-field foul pole. Haniger evened the score at 2-2 later in the inning with an RBI single to center.

After Manaea hit Robinson Cano and walked Nelson Cruz to load the bases, he gave up a go-ahead sacrifice fly to Seager.

NOTES: Mariners RHP Felix Hernandez threw a bullpen session on Friday, his first action off a mound since going on the disabled list on Aug. 5 with bursitis in his pitching shoulder. LHP James Paxton (pectoral strain) is scheduled for a bullpen session on Saturday. ... The Mariners promoted RHPs Dan Altavilla, Ryan Garton and Andrew Moore and activated OF Jarrod Dyson and RHP Shae Simmons from the disabled list. RHP Sam Gaviglio was claimed on waivers by Kansas City and RHP Christian Bergman was sent down to Triple-A Tacoma. ... Oakland promoted SS Franklin Barreto and LHP Sam Moll from Triple-A Nashville; they also activated C Josh Phegley (left oblique) and CF Jake Smolinski (shoulder surgery) from the disabled list. ... Moll made his major-league debut in the eighth inning, and got pinch-hitter Yonder Alonso to fly out to left.