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Seattle Mariners Game Recap: Miller, Ackley Lead M’s to Victory in 11th
Apr 11, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Seattle Mariners left fielder Dustin Ackley (13) celebrates after hitting a solo home run in the top of the third inning off of Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Sonny Gray (54), not in picture, at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports
4. 96. 5. 62. Final
It took 11 innings, but the Seattle Mariners won 5-4 against the Oakland Athletics on Saturday afternoon at the O.co Coliseum. Tyler Olson (1-0, 0.00 ERA) picked up the first win of his Major League career after hurling a scoreless 10th inning. Fernando Abad (0-1, 3.00 ERA) was saddled with the loss. Mariners’ closer Fernando Rodney was perfect in the final frame, and fired his second arrow of the season.
The M’s got the scoring started early this afternoon. Dustin Ackley has had a great start to the season, and he crushed a solo home run over the fence in center field the top of the 3rd inning. The AckAttack gave the M’s a 1-0 lead over the rival A’s.
The score remained 1-0 until the bottom of the 7th inning. J.A. Happ had 6 shutout innings under his belt, but he could not make it 7. Billy Butler and Cody Ross led off the frame with back-to-back singles. Brett Lawrie laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to put runners on second and third with one out. Catcher Josh Phegley tied the game with a single to right field. Things went from bad to worse when Marcus Semien gave the A’s their first lead of the ballgame on a single to right field. Oakland held a 2-1 lead after 7 innings.
Seattle jumped back in front during the top of the 8th inning. Austin Jackson lined a 1 out single to center field in the top of the 8th inning. The single was AJ’s 800th career hit, and it sparked the M’s rally. Justin Ruggiano hit what appeared to be an inning ending double play ball, but in a strange turn of events, shortstop Marcus Semien missed the base and both Jackson and Ruggiano were called safe. Nelson Cruz has been the target of some harsh criticism over the first 4 games, but he lived up to the hype today. Cruz clobbered a Dan Otero sinker deep to left field for a 3-run dinger to give the Mariners a 4-2 lead in the 8th.
Danny Farquhar ran into trouble in the home half of the 8th inning. Mark Canha has given Mariners’ pitchers fits in the first 2 games of this series, and he led off the frame with a single to center field. Ben Zobrist plated Canha on a double to right-center field. Brett Lawrie came through in the clutch, clubbing a 2-out double to score Zobrist and knot the game at 4
Neither team could break through in the 9th inning, and fans were treated to some free baseball in Oakland. Logan Morrison led off the top of the 11th inning with a single on hard hit ground ball to center field. Dustin Ackley dropped down a sacrifice bunt to put LoMo in scoring position with only 1 out. Brad Miller has been on fire over the first few games this season, and he played the hero today. Miller sliced a go-ahead double down the left field line to give the M’s a 5-4 lead.
Brad Miller’s double proved to be enough, and the Mariners held on for a 5-4 win on Saturday afternoon in Oakland.
The full box score can be found here.
Next: J.A. was Happ-ening!
Apr 11, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Tom Wilhelmsen (54) pitches during the first inning against the Oakland Athletics at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports
J.A. was Happ-ening
The Mariners dealt for J.A. Happ from the Toronto Blue Jays, and the veteran southpaw made his M’s debut Saturday afternoon in Oakland. After a lack-luster spring, expectations were low for the 32-year-old, but he proved up to the task today. Happ allowed 2 runs on 7 hits across 6.1 innings pitched. For much of the day he matched A’s ace Sonny Gray pitch for pitch. Happ tallied just 1 strikeout, but he had excellent command of his arsenal of pitches.
Happ is never going to be a dominant pitcher for the Mariners, but today he showed an ability to locate pitches effectively and record ground ball outs. 54 of his 82 pitches were in the strike zone, and Happ did not issue any free passes all day. 8 of the 13 A’s Happ retired were victims of the ground out. This is a solid ratio, and suggests he was generating quality movement on his pitches.
Happ went 11-11 last season with a 4.22 ERA as a member of the Blue Jays. I expect similar numbers in a Mariners’ uniform, but hopefully playing his home games in the pitchers paradise known as Safeco Field produces a slightly lower ERA. Happ’s next outing will likely come next Friday against the Texas Rangers in Seattle.
Next: Nelson Cruz has a Big Day!
Apr 6, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners designated hitter Nelson Cruz (23) is greeted by teammates and coaches during player introductions before a game against the Los Angeles Angels at Safeco Field. Seattle defeated Los Angeles, 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Nelson Cruz has a Big Day!
Nelson Cruz signed a 4 year 57 million dollar deal this offseason with the Mariners, and with it came high expectations. Cruz led Major League Baseball with 40 home runs in 2014, and M’s fans are hoping that power is the missing ingredient in the Mariners’ playoff recipe. After a slow start, Cruz broke through in a big way today in the East Bay.
The 34-year-old went 3 for 5 with a home run and 3 RBI’s today against the Athletics. Cruz’s dinger was a no-doubter, and proved to be critical to the M’s win. Cruz got the start in right field, and held his own by making a couple of nice plays. Fans were worried about Cruz prior to the start of today’s game, but his performance this afternoon should settle their nerves.
Cruz raised his average to .200 on Saturday, and I expect that number to climb rapidly in the coming days. Nelly may not hit 40 home runs this season, but his big fly today proved there is still plenty of power left in his swing. He should be fun to watch this summer at Safeco.
Next: Brad Miller and Dustin Ackley Make Seattle’s Lineup Very Dangerous
Apr 11, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Seattle Mariners left fielder Dustin Ackley (13) hits a solo home run in the top of the third inning off of Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Sonny Gray (54), not in picture, at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports
Brad Miller and Dustin Ackley Make Seattle’s Lineup Very Dangerous
Robinson Cano, Kyle Seager and Nelson Cruz received much of the press for the M’s heading into the season, but Brad Miller and Dustin Ackley have carried this team during the first 5 games. Miller and Ackley both provided the M’s with key hits on Saturday, and the Mariners would not have won today had it not been for their performances.
Apr 11, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Seattle Mariners shortstop Brad Miller (5) hits a single that drove in Seattle Mariners first baseman Logan Morrison (20) in the top of the eleventh inning against the Oakland Athletics at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports
Brad Miller has been brilliant this season, hitting .333 with 1 home run and 2 RBI’s. His double today showed how he has matured as a hitter. Last year Miller would have rolled over on the Jesse Chavez knuckle curve, but today he went with the pitch, slicing it beautifully down the left field line. The Mariners shortstop has been equally as impressive on defense, making difficult plays look easy. He saved today’s game by firing a relay throw from behind second base to the plate to get a sprinting Ben Zobrist in the bottom of the 10th inning.
Dustin Ackley has provided plenty of pop in the bottom half of the Mariners’ lineup thus far. The AckAttack hit his second home run of the season this afternoon. The dinger gave the M’s an early lead, and some much needed confidence after last night’s drubbing. His defense is also improved this year, and for the first time in his career he looks comfortable in left field. Ackley was arguably Seattle’s best hitter last season in July and August, and he appears destined for a career year in 2015.
Next: Looking Ahead
Apr 6, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez (34) throws against the Los Angeles Angels during the fifth inning at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Looking Ahead
With the win, the Seattle Mariners inched closer to the American League West leading Oakland A’s. The Mariners sit just 0.5 games back of the Athletics, and will have the opportunity to take the division lead on Sunday afternoon.
The Oakland A’s (3-3) will host the Seattle Mariners (2-3) in the series finale on Sunday afternoon in Oakland. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 pm at the O.co Coliseum in the East Bay. Felix Hernandez (1-0, 1.29 ERA) will try to win the series for the M’s, and Jesse Hahn (0-1, 4.50 ERA) will be tasked with dethroning the King. Root Sports Northwest will carry the rubber match live, and MLB.tv subscribers can watch on connected devices.
Next: Mariners Game Notes: Seth Smith Returns, Cruz Starts in RF