A’s drop series finale against Seattle, 6-4

A series split will have to suffice

For the last time ever, the A’s division rival Seattle Mariners took the field at Oakland Coliseum today to wrap up the best of four set.

Joey Estes and Bryan Woo squared off on the bump for what many could’ve expected to be a pitchers led evening. Instead it was offense and the home run ball leading the way as both teams combined for five big flies over ten runs; Brent Rooker would benefit with two of those. But in the end, it’s the Mariners reigning victorious with a 6-4 win to earn a series split after losing the first two.

After exploding for 16 runs in yesterdays onslaught win, Seattle wasted no time getting their bats hot again today. Cal Raleigh slugged a two-run shot to right against Estes just three batters into the game to give the Mariners an early advantage. In the third, Julio Rodriguez added a third run with a solo-shot of his own.

Three singles and a Seth Brown sacrifice fly cut the lead down to 3-1 in the third inning, but Seattle would get that run right back in the fifth thanks to a Raleigh sac fly. Estes would be pulled mid-inning after a Max Schuemann fielding error ending his day at: 4 IP, six hits, four earned and three strikeouts. It’s a rare home blunder for Estes who’s now 4-2 pitching at the Coliseum on the year.

Brown’s third inning sac-fly was the first run the A’s scored against Bryan Woo all season in 13 previous innings. Rooker added another in the bottom of the fifth with a solo-bomb to left-center field — his 34th on the year.

The A’s offense recorded 10 hits on the afternoon but they could never really string together a continuous rally. Seattle grew the lead to four in the ninth thanks to another home run — this one a two-runner off the bat of Luke Raley.

Rooker and the A’s would make things interesting in the ninth getting both of those runs back on his second home run of the day.

The A’s are back in action tomorrow with the Detroit Tigers coming to town for their yearly visit. Mitch Spence and ace Tarik Skubal are set to face-off with a 6:40 PM PDT first-pitch.