Field Level Media
Aug 24, 2021
Ty France homered to tie the game and Jake Bauers delivered a two-run single two outs later as the Seattle Mariners rallied for three in the ninth inning to beat the host Oakland Athletics 5-3 on Monday night.
Mitch Haniger also homered for the third-place Mariners, who not only closed within two games of second-place Oakland in the American League West but also within 5 1/2 of the first-place Houston Astros.
Matt Olson broke a sixth-inning tie with his 32nd home run for Oakland. The A's, who blew late leads in consecutive losses to the San Francisco Giants over the weekend, got shutout relief from Andrew Chafin and Sergio Romo leading into the ninth on Monday.
However, France smacked Oakland closer Lou Trivino's third pitch over the fence in right field, drawing the Mariners even at 3-3. The homer was France's 16th of the year.
The visitors weren't done. A single by Abraham Toro and a double by Jake Fraley put runners on second and third. Trivino (5-6) struck out the next two batters before Bauers delivered his key hit to left field.
Anthony Misiewicz (4-4) was credited with the win after pitching a scoreless eighth. Paul Sewald notched his seventh save with a 1-2-3 ninth.
Haniger's homer, his 29th, was a two-run shot in the sixth that erased a 2-0 deficit against Oakland starter Paul Blackburn, who had taken a three-hit shutout into the inning.
J.P. Crawford led off with a single to set up the home run.
Blackburn was pulled two outs later, charged with two runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out five and did not walk a batter.
A's catcher Yan Gomes produced the game's first two runs with an RBI groundout in the first, scoring Mark Canha, and his 12th homer, a solo shot off Mariners starter Marco Gonzales, in the fourth.
Gonzales worked six innings, allowing three runs and five hits. He struck out two without issuing a walk.
Toro finished with three hits and Bauers two for the Mariners, who won for the ninth time in their past 12 games.
Olson complemented his homer with a single for the A's, who have lost seven of nine.
--Field Level Media