Mariners Open It Up Late, Beat Athletics, Tied For 2nd In AL West

May 6, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Roenis Elias (29) throws to the Oakland Athletics in the first inning of their baseball game at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports

Dare we say we have something going here? After the eight-game losing streak, there were people calling for next year already. But now, the Mariners are back over .500 after beating the AL West-leading Oakland Athletics for the second straight night in Oakland by a score of 8-3.

The Mariners are now 9-2 since snapping that losing streak and have won four in a row. More good news, with the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels losing today, the Mariners move into a tie for 2nd place in the AL West with the Rangers.

Roenis Elias went 6.1 IP for the Mariners, allowing three runs on five hits and three walks while striking out six. He was able to settle in comfortably early as the Mariners got him a 3-0 lead before he even took the mound.

James Jones, recently recalled from Triple-A Tacoma, got the start in center tonight and batted 2nd. He responded with a 2-for-5 performance with a run scored in the 3-run 1st inning.

Dominic Leone, Charlie Furbush and Tom Wilhelmsen pitched 2.2 innings of near perfect relief. Fernando Rodney was set to come in for the 9th, but the flood gates opened.

In the 9th, Brad Miller led off with a walk and Michael Saunders laid down a perfect bunt to move Miller to 2nd. But Jim Johnson rushed the throw to 1st and it went into right field.

After Jones struck out, Johnson walked Robinson Cano to load the bases. Corey Hart hit a high chopper to short. Cano was forced out at 2nd but Hart beat the throw to 1st, scoring a much desired insurance run.

But the fun didn’t end there sports fans. Justin Smoak singled and Kyle Seager doubled in three more runs to give the M’s an 8-3 win.

Every Mariner in the lineup tonight either scored a run or drove in a run. That is a happy thing to report.

The Mariners and Athletics will wrap up the series and the road trip with a double header on Wednesday. Be sure to check Sodo Mojo in the morning for the pitching matchups and projected lineups.

BOX SCORE

Seattle Batting

1-Ran for Hart in the 9th.

BATTING
2B: Smoak (9, Chavez, J), Seager 2 (8, Gregerson, Johnson, J).
TB: Jones, J 2; Cano 2; Ackley 2; Smoak 3; Seager 4.
RBI: Smoak 3 (20), Ackley (13), Zunino (15), Hart (12), Seager (18).
2-out RBI: Smoak 3; Ackley; Seager.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Zunino 2; Seager; Saunders, M; Miller, B; Ackley.
SAC: Saunders, M.
SF: Zunino.
GIDP: Cano.
Team RISP: 3-for-14.
Team LOB: 8.

BASERUNNING
SB: Gillespie (1, 2nd base off Johnson, J/Norris, D).

FIELDING
E: Miller, B (4, throw).
DP: (Seager-Cano-Smoak).

Oakland Batting

1-Ran for Callaspo in the 8th.

BATTING
HR: Cespedes (5, 6th inning off Elias, 0 on, 0 out).
TB: Moss; Crisp 2; Cespedes 4; Punto; Norris, D; Gentry.
RBI: Punto 2 (3), Cespedes (19).
2-out RBI: Punto 2.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Crisp; Punto; Donaldson 2; Moss.
GIDP: Callaspo.
Team RISP: 1-for-8.
Team LOB: 9.

FIELDING
E: Johnson, J (1, throw).
DP: (Moss-Lowrie-Moss).

Seattle Pitching

Oakland Pitching

  WP: Elias, Chavez, J.
IBB: Ackley (by Gregerson), Cano (by Johnson, J).
HBP: Seager (by Chavez, J).
Pitches-strikes: Elias 107-64, Leone 27-16, Furbush 3-3, Wilhelmsen 22-14, Chavez, J 97-61, Doolittle 15-14, Gregerson 23-12, Johnson, J 25-13, Otero 3-2.
Groundouts-flyouts: Elias 8-2, Leone 2-1, Furbush 0-0, Wilhelmsen 1-0, Chavez, J 7-4, Doolittle 0-0, Gregerson 2-0, Johnson, J 2-0, Otero 1-0.
Batters faced: Elias 27, Leone 7, Furbush 1, Wilhelmsen 4, Chavez, J 26, Doolittle 4, Gregerson 5, Johnson, J 7, Otero 1.
Inherited runners-scored: Leone 1-0, Furbush 2-0, Doolittle 1-0, Otero 1-0.
Umpires: HP: Ed Hickox. 1B: Lance Barrett. 2B: Dana DeMuth. 3B: Ron Kulpa.
Weather: 63 degrees, clear.
Wind: 22 mph, Out to RF.
Venue: O.co Coliseum.
May 6, 2014

Seattle Batting

Oakland Batting

Seattle Pitching

Oakland Pitching