Get Your Brooms Out, Mariners Complete Sweep of A’s in Oakland
The Seattle Mariners (66-71) accomplished something today that they had not done since April 2009, they swept the A’s (58-79) in Oakland. Hisashi Iwakuma (7-3, 4.03 ERA) was credited with the win for the Mariners. Sean Nolin (0-1, 4.50 ERA) took the loss in his first start of the season. Tom Wilhelmsen earned his 10th save of the season.
Sunday’s game was a relativity quiet affair, however Seattle broke things open in the 5th when they plated 3 runs. Oakland fought back to plate a run in the home half of the 7th and in the 8th, but that was all they could muster. Both teams pitched well, but Nolin made a couple more mistakes than ‘Kuma.
Hisashi Iwakuma dominated the A’s on Sunday, allowing 1 run on 5 hits through 6.1 innings pitched. Iwakuma fanned 3 and walked 1 en route to earning his 7th victory of the season. ‘Kuma did not quite have no hit type of stuff, but it was pretty close.
Vidal Nuno was called on to face Josh Reddick in the 7th with 1 out and a runner on first base. Unfortunately, Nuno did not get the job done, and Reddick reached on a single. Tony Zych was able to tip toe out of danger in the 7th, preserving the M’s 2-run lead in the process. Logan Kensing allowed 1 run in the 8th before giving way to Tom Wilhelmsen. The Bartender worked out of trouble in the 8th, and shut the door in the 9th to pick up a rare 5-out save.
The M’s came out on top today despite only tallying 7 hits as a club. Brad Miller was the lone Mariner to record multiple hits, as he finished 2 for 4 with a run scored. Crazy Legs has now hit safely in 7 consecutive games. Mark Trumbo extended his hitting streak to 8 games with a double in the top of the 9th. Ketel Marte and Kyle Seager drove in a run each. Shawn O’Malley went 1 for 2 with a walk and a run scored. O’Malley also made key running grab in center field during the 7th inning.
Sean Nolin made his Oakland A’s debut on Sunday, and he fared reasonably well. The 25-year-old southpaw allowed 3 runs on 5 hits through 6 innings. Nolin’s 1:3 strikeout to walk ratio was not overly impressive, but he did a nice job limiting the damage. Ryan Dull hurled a perfect 7th for Oakland, and Drew Pomeranz blanked Seattle in the 8th. Sean Doolittle has been hurt for much of the year, but he showed little signs of rust retiring the M’s in the 9th.
Billy Butler brought the thunder for the A’s today. The big boy connected on a solo home run in the 7th to trim the Mariners lead to 2. Butler finished 2 for 5 on the day. Mark Canha seems to love facing the M’s, and he had another nice game today. The rookie went 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored. Danny Valencia made it a 1-run game with an RBI groundout in the 8th inning.
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With the win, Seattle extended their winning streak to a season high, 5 games. The Mariners remain 9 games back of the American League West leading Houston Astros. The M’s are also just 6 games out in the wildcard chase.
The Seattle Mariners (66-71) return home on Monday afternoon to host the Texas Rangers (71-64) in the opener of a four game series. It will be a Labor Day special, as first pitch is scheduled for 3:40 pm from the corner of Edgar & Dave. Roenis Elias (4-7, 4.35 ERA) will be on the bump for the M’s, and Yovani Gallardo (11-9, 3.27 ERA) will get the ball for the visiting Rangers. Root Sports Northwest will broadcast the game live locally, and MLB.tv subscribers can watch worldwide on connected devices.
Next: Mariners Game Notes: Seattle Goes for Sweep in Oakland vs. A's
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