Game #121: A’s drop extra inning contest to the Mariners, 2-0

***GameThread with Comments Here***

The A’s lost today 2-0 this afternoon as their attempt at a three game sweep of Seattle was thwarted by the Mariners Mike Leake, Dee Gordon and a host of bullpen arms.

Brett Anderson Shines
Anderson had command of all his pitches in the early going of the game, with his fastball reaching 91-92 mph. He had a little trouble to begin the game, allowing one out first inning singles to Robinson Cano and Jean Segura before retiring A’s killer, Nelson Cruz on a double play to escape the inning. From there it was smooth sailing in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th innings as Anderson allowed only one baserunner (another single by Segura) through the middle innings. The Mariners had a gameplan to be aggresive and Anderson used it to his advantage inducing five first pitch outs in the first five innings (Nelson Cruz saw a total of two pitches in his first two at-bats).

Anderson quickly got two outs in the top of the 7th inning but Kyle Seager, in a lefty vs. lefty matchup, doubled to right, to put a runner in scoring position for the Mariners. Anderson then faced former A’s infielder, Ryon Healy. Healy tried to go opposite field on Anderson but lined out right to A’s firstbasemen, Matt Olson, to end the threat and give Anderson seven scoreless innings on just 73 pitches. In the 8th, Anderson would again retire the first two batters before allowing a two out single to Guillermo Heredia.

With a runner on and two outs in the eighth innings, BoMel made the decision to go to the bullpen and righty, Lou Trivino, with Anderson at 7 ²⁄₃ innings and 83 pitches. The decision proved to be a good one as Trivino recorded the third out of the inning to keep the score knotted at 0-0.

A’s Offense
The A’s bats were slow to get going today as Mariners starter, Mike Leake retired the first 9 batters he faced thru the first 3 innings. In the 4th, Nick Martini got his second look at Leake and tripled to lead off the inning. Matt Chapman came up next and draw a walk (Chapman’s 29th consecutive game of reaching base safely) to put runners on the corners with nobody out and the heart of the A’s order due next. Give Mike Leake credit, he buckled down to strike out Lowrie, Davis and Olson to strand the runners and keep the game scoreless through 4 innings.

The next threat for Oakland came in the Bottom of the sixth inning, when Matt Chapman reached base again, this time on a two out double. Leake was able to get Jed Lowrie to ground out to end the inning and strand the third baserunner of the day for the A’s.

That was all the offense the A’s could muster for the first eight innings as the M’s, Mike Leake, held the A’s to two hits and a walk with six strikouts and no runs in eight innings of work.

Game Turned Into a Bullpen Battle after 8 innings
The A’s turned to newly acquired Fernando Rodney to begin the ninth inning. Rodney was the Mariners closer in 2014-2015, nailing down 64 saves with the ballclub. He came in this afternoon to face the 2, 3 and 4 hitters of Seattle. Rodney successfully retired Robinson Cano to begin the inning but then allowed Jean Segura’s third hit of the afternoon with one out. Segura advanced to second when Rodney hit Nelson Cruz on a 0-1 fastball to put runners on 1st and 2nd. Rodney retired the next hitter Kyle Seager on a fly ball to right (Segura advanced to third base) to bring up pitch hitter, Denard Span, hitting for Ryon Healy. Rodney closed the door on the Mariners rally, striking out Span on 4 pitches to take the game to the home half of the Ninth...

In the Bottom of the 9th, M’s manager, Scott Servais would turn to Alex Columbe who allowed a lead-off single to Nick Martini but then shut down the A’s to take the game into extra innings..

Extra Innings
The A’s would come within a few feet of ending this game on a Matt Olson walk-off in the 10th, only to have the ball fall just short, giving Olson a double. He would be stranded there with one out and that would be as close as the A’s would get to winning the game in extra’s.
After two scoreless innings from Jeurys Familia (including a houdini act with runners on 1st and 3rd with one out), the A’s would turn to Yusmeiro Petit to continue the zeroes. Unfortunately, the Mariners wouldn’t cooperate as Dee Gordon (all 160 pounds of him) launched a two run homerun (after a Mike Zunino walk) to score the first and only runs of the ballgame.

The A’s are now 1.5 games out of first place in the AL West
Houston plays the Colorado Rockies later today (5:10pm PST). If the Astros lose, the A’s will find themselves still a game back, with the visiting Astros scheduled to come into Oakland this weekend for a three game set.

They Lost, But It is a good time to be an A’s fan.
Enjoy the off day tomorrow and let’s listen to Chappy and pack the Colisuem this weekend!