SEATTLE — The Oakland A’s became one of baseball’s biggest surprises last weekend when, after six straight wins, they improved to .500 for the season and pulled within a game and a half of first place in the American League West.
It’s been a bit of a struggle for the A’s since. On Sunday, they lost 8-4 to the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park, marking their sixth loss in the last eight games.
The A’s led 5-0 after two innings, but a Max Schuemann error set the stage for a second four-run streak for the division-leading Mariners, who won two of three in the series.
After losing three of four to the Texas Rangers early last week, the A’s (19-23) are now 3 1/2 games out of first place in the division heading into their four-game series against the Texas Astros. Houston. The series begins Monday.
A’s starting pitcher Alex Wood allowed four hits, including a two-run homer to Julio Rodríguez, in two innings before leaving the game with a shoulder injury, which he said had been bothering him for a time. A’s manager Mark Kotsay said the team would likely have an announcement on Wood on Monday.
“He worked hard,” Kotsay said of Wood. ” He does not feel well. He was able to take all the starts, but today you saw his bike go down; his cursor wasn’t as sharp. He gave us everything he had for two innings. Obviously, he’s disappointed that he had to pull out of the match.
When asked if he might have to go on the injured list, Wood said, “We’ll see how the next few days go.” I’ve been throwing around with this for a while now. You just need to receive treatment and manage the workload.
For the Mariners, Julio Rodríguez and Mitch Garver both hit two home runs, and Luis Castillo allowed two runs in six solid innings.
“Our offense showed today. Put some good pressure on them early on, get some big hits and home runs,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said.
Rodríguez’s home run was only his second of the season and his first at T-Mobile Park in Seattle’s 22nd home game. Rodríguez hit a 2-2 pitch from Wood to center field immediately in the second inning for a two-run shot that gave Seattle a 5-0 lead.
The homer had an exit velocity of 109 mph and traveled approximately 409 feet.
“You have to stay patient and let the results come. I feel like today was the right day and I’m really happy about it, that I was able to help the team win,” Rodríguez said.
Rodríguez nearly scored in his next at-bat in the fifth inning, doubling off the top of the wall, but came home when Garver hit his fifth of the season to give Seattle a 7-1 lead. Garver also had a two-out RBI single in the first inning.
Seby Zavala added his first homer of the season for the Mariners, a solo shot in the sixth.
After a slow start to the season, Luis Castillo (4-5) now has six straight starts, allowing two earned runs or fewer each time. Castillo needed 100 pitches to finish six innings, but closed out his outing with strikeouts of Shea Langeliers and JD Davis with runners on base.
Castillo allowed seven hits and struck out eight. Schuemann and Abraham Toro both hit solo home runs to account for Castillo’s score.
Brent Rooker hit his 10th home run of the season in the eighth inning off reliever Cody Bolton. It was a two-point shot.
“These guys fought back. Every time we scored, they ended up scoring. Even though we managed to lock it down in games where we were trailing – and we actually came back in a few of them – today we just couldn’t do it in the “bullpen,” Kotsay said. .
FOLLOWING: Ross Stripling (1-6, 5.14) will open a three-game series at Houston on Monday. Stripling allowed 10 hits and 11 runs – but only five earned runs – in 1 2/3 innings in his previous start against Texas.
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