Game #136: Winless in Seattle; M’s Beat A’s 10-2

***Check out today’s Game Thread***

Well...at least Bob Melvin seems as lost for words as I am.

I’d like to put a positive spin on this loss, or at least find some semblance of silver lining. I’d like to tell you about Olson’s jack, and Healy’s walk, and Hendrik’s shutdown inning. I’d like to tell you the wins and losses record doesn’t matter anyway and tell you it’s not even about next year, let alone this year. But honestly, I’m just crabbed.

It’s true that the wins and losses don’t matter this year. It’s likely they won’t matter next year too. But like, the second best thing to come out of these three hours you invested in this team is that our three hitter saw enough pitches to take a walk? How does one spin that?

In any event, I’ll at least I’ll try to describe what happened in a mild-mannered...manner.

The Mariners scored ten runs. Five of those were plated in the bottom of the eighth so the score was actually closer for most of the game than it might appear. Even so, the M’s scored two in the bottom of the first and the A’s never really felt in the game from that point.

Both first inning runs were scored on a Robby Cano (don’t ya know) homer. Cano plated the third Mariners run in the fourth. A batter later, Oakland starter Daniel Gossett was replaced. His final line: 3.2 innings pitched, seven hits, three runs, five walks, and five strikeouts. Gossett wasn’t good. The five walks are indicative of his lack of command and he doesn’t have the stuff to be “effectively wild.”

Even so, the game was still young upon Gossett’s exit; it was the fourth inning and the A’s were only down three. But I come back to the feeling I had that the A’s were never really in the game. Not then. Not even after Matt Olson’s sixth inning homer that ended Andrew Albers’s no hit bid and cut the deficit to two.

Part of that, perhaps, is that Santiago Casilla allowed a Carlos Ruiz homer to lead of the M’s half of the sixth. But why dwell on the negative? Olson was indeed a bright spot for the Green and Gold on Sunday, driving in both of Oakland’s runs. Other positives? Jake Smolinski pinch hit and singled. Mark Canha and Ryon Healy each got hits, Canha’s of the doubles variety.

But unfortunately the negatives are too voluminous to ignore. The A’s used four relievers after Gossett couldn’t finish the fourth. Hendriks pitched 1.1 clean innings. The other three allowed runs. Casilla and Sam Moll each allowed homers; Michael Brady didn’t allow a homer but did allow six hits and five runs. The A’s also made an error and hit into two double plays.

Perhaps the most positive aspect of today’s drubbing is it only took 3:21 minutes, a fast game by today’s standards. This is good news too.

The A’s will have no time to reflect on the winless road trip and jump right back on the saddle tomorrow afternoon, hosting the Angels at 1:05 PM. Good night everyone. Enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend!