Athletics fall to Seattle 3-2

The Oakland Athletics took on the Mariners tonight in game two of the four-game set at T-Mobile Park in Seattle.

The A’s sent rookie right-hander Luis Medina to the mound against M’s lefty Marco Gonzales. Medina, 24, is 0-2 in his three starts in 2023 with a 6.88 ERA. Gonzales, a first-round draft selection out of basketball powerhouse Gonzaga University, came into the game 3-1 with a 6.10 ERA in his 8 starts this season.

Esteury Ruiz did not waste any time extending his eight-game hitting streak, singling in his first at-bat against Gonzales. He then stole his league-leading 25^th base and scored the first run of the night on a Ramon Laureano single to right field. Laureano came in to score on a single to left field by Carlos Perez.

In just his fourth major league start, Medina was solid through the first four innings: just allowing one hit, two walks and allowing no runners into scoring position. He lost the lead in the fifth inning when Mariners backstop Tom Murphy doubled, and J.P. Crawford homered to right field to tie it up. Then the next batter Ty France broke the short-lived tie with a rocket to left field making the score 3-2.

Medina came out for the sixth and promptly gave up a hard single to Jarred Kelenic. But he induced a fly ball out to Eugenio Suarez. Mark Kotsay ended his night after 5 1/3 innings and three earned runs. Austin Pruitt replaced Medina and got the final two outs of the sixth.

Trevor May, fresh off his return from the Injured List (IL) entered the game in the bottom of the eighth. He plunked Ty France on the wrist, who stayed in the game for one more batter then left for a pinch runner. He then hit Eugenio Suarez, his second of the inning. But May escaped without allowing a run.

The Mariners bullpen held the A’s to no hits and no runs in the final three innings to close out the game 3-2.