Josh Naylor’s 100th career home run broke a tie in the seventh inning as the Seattle Mariners edged the visiting Athletics 3-2 Friday night in the opener of a three-game series between the American League West rivals.
Eugenio Suarez and Jorge Polanco also went deep for the Mariners, who snapped a five-game skid.
Brent Rooker homered for the A’s, who had a three-game winning streak come to an end.
Mariners starter Bryan Woo (11-7) allowed just one run on as many hits over seven innings. The right-hander walked two and struck out seven kept alive his streak of going at least six innings in all of his starts this season.
The only hit Woo surrendered was Rooker’s homer into the Mariners’ bullpen in left-center field with two outs in the first.
Mariners closer Andres Munoz worked the ninth for his 30th save, despite some anxious moments.
With the A’s trailing 3-1 and one out in the ninth, Rooker and Tyler Soderstrom singled to left and Jacob Wilson grounded a run-scoring single up the middle before Lawrence Butler walked to load the bases. Darell Hernaiz flew out to shallow center before Munoz fanned JJ Bleday to end the game.
A’s rookie right-hander Luis Morales, making his third major league start, nearly matched Woo. Morales gave up one run on two hits in six innings, with no walks and six strikeouts.
Morales retired the first 13 batters he faced before Suarez stepped to the plate with one out in the fifth. Morales appeared to have struck out Suarez on a 2-2 fastball on the upper outside corner, but didn’t get the call from home-plate umpire James Hoye. Suarez then lined a slider just inside the left-field foul pole for his 40th homer of the season, tied with the New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge for fourth-most in the majors.
Naylor went deep to right with one out in the seventh off reliever Elvis Alvarado (1-1) to break a 1-all tie. Naylor became the fifth Mariner to join the 100-HR club this season — joining Cal Raleigh, Mitch Garver, Randy Arozarena and Julio Rodriguez — to become the first team in major league history to accomplish that feat.
An out later, Polanco hit a solo shot to right-center to add an important insurance run.
–Field Level Media
