Jorge Polanco went 3-for-3, together with a tiebreaking two-run homer with one out within the backside of the eighth inning, because the Seattle Mariners defeated the visiting Athletics 4-2 within the season opener Thursday night time.
Randy Arozarena additionally went deep for the Mariners and Tyler Soderstrom hit a pair of solo homers for the Athletics.
Soderstrom led off the eighth inning by lining a first-pitch, hanging slider from reliever Trent Thornton simply over the right-field wall to present the A’s a 2-1 lead.
The Mariners tied it with one out within the backside of the inning on Arozarena’s solo shot off the facade of the second deck in left subject in opposition to Jose Leclerc. Following a stroll to Luke Raley, Polanco deposited Leclerc’s fastball over the wall in heart subject to present Seattle its first lead.
Thornton received the victory and Andres Munoz labored the ninth for the save.
For probably the most half, the opener was a pitching duel between right-handers Luis Severino and Logan Gilbert.
Severino spent the primary 9 seasons of his profession in New York – eight with the Yankees and final yr with the Mets – earlier than signing with the A’s within the offseason. On Thursday, he threw six scoreless innings and allowed three hits, walked 4 and struck out six.
Soderstrom broke a scoreless tie with one out within the fifth inning, hammering a dangling slider from Gilbert 432 toes over the fence in straightaway heart subject.
That was the lone mistake by Gilbert, who was making his first Opening Day begin. The precise-hander allowed simply two hits over seven innings, with no walks and eight strikeouts.
The Mariners put runners on base in every of the primary six innings in opposition to Severino however weren’t in a position to convert.
They lastly broke via in opposition to reliever Tyler Ferguson within the seventh, tying the rating with out the good thing about a base hit.
Ryan Bliss and J.P. Crawford led off with walks and Victor Robles squared round to bunt. Robles missed the ball, as did A’s catcher Shea Langeliers, with the ball rolling to the backstop.
Bliss tried to attain from second and was initially dominated secure, however a video evaluation decided his lead foot bounced off the grime and did not contact the plate whereas Ferguson utilized the tag. Crawford took third on the play and scored on Robles’ sacrifice fly to heart.
–Area Degree Media