James Kaprielian pitched a season-high six innings to earn his first victory of the year as the Oakland Athletics defeated the host Seattle Mariners 3-1 on Friday night.
Sean Murphy went 3-for-5 with a double, a home run and two RBIs for the A’s, who snapped a four-game losing streak.
Kaprielian (1-5) allowed one run on three hits and two walks with four strikeouts. The right-hander allowed just one hit through the first five innings, a one-out single to Eugenio Suarez in the fourth, before running into some trouble in the sixth.
Lou Trivino worked a scoreless ninth inning for his fifth save of the season.
Mariners left-hander Marco Gonzales (4-9) lost despite a quality start. He went six innings and allowed two runs on eight hits with one walk and two strikeouts.
The game was scoreless until the fifth inning.
Oakland’s Tony Kemp, leading off the frame, was grazed by a pitch from Gonzales. An out later, Ramon Laureano walked. Seth Brown grounded into a fielder’s choice before Murphy grounded a run-scoring single into right field.
The A’s made it 2-0 in the sixth. With two outs, Sheldon Neuse doubled into the left field corner and Kemp lined an RBI single to center.
The Mariners got on the board in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Julio Rodriguez tripled high off the wall in center field, and Jesse Winker grounded out to first to score Rodriguez. Eugenio Suarez doubled off the wall and Carlos Santana walked on four consecutive pitches to load the bases, but Kaprielian struck out Abraham Toro to end the threat.
Murphy went deep to right off reliever Penn Murfee in the seventh to restore Oakland’s two-run advantage.
The Mariners loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh, but Winker flied out to the warning track in center field for the third out.
Seattle played without shortstop J.P. Crawford for the second consecutive night. He is serving a four-game suspension for his role in a brawl last Sunday with the Los Angeles Angels.
–Field Level Media
