OAKLAND – This looked more like the Mariners team we were expecting this year.
Seattle earned its fourth straight comeback win Thursday afternoon, beating the Athletics 5-3 to cap off the Mariners’ second win of the season.
After breaking out for seven runs in the last four innings Wednesday night, the at-bats stayed hot in Thursday’s series finale. Taylor Trammell started a two-run homer in opposite field in the third inning, and six straight hitters reached base with two outs in the fourth to ignite a three-run rally.
“It’s like a breath of fresh air,” Trammell said of the early runs. “We really want these starters to have some comfort in later innings. That was huge for us.”
Trammell missed the first month of the season with a broken hamate bone in his right hand, but in just four games since his return he has already started two crucial homers and had seven runs.
“Trammell brings a lot,” said manager Scott Servais. “The biggest thing he brought is that he made some adjustments to his swing. He couldn’t do the ball he hit today a year ago and never in recent years. I think, [it’s so] effortless, didn’t swing hard just trying to make contact and he has some sort of ability. The ball just bounces off his racket. Huge hit.”
Kolten Wong, who struggled with his new team earlier in the year, had the go-ahead, two runs in the fourth singles for a 5-3 win. For his third multi-hit game of the season, he added another single in the sixth.
“It was huge,” said Servais. “He had chances, didn’t get through here up to this point in the season. But everyone has to do their part. All five RBIs came from the bottom of our lineup today. We need it.”
The Mariners finished the game with seven hits, including three extra base hits, and perhaps most impressively, a season-high seven walks.
Trammell got his third RBI of the game when he pulled a base-heavy walk in the fourth to keep the game at 3.
“It’s huge,” he said. “Just keep the baton moving.”
After a shaky first few innings, George Kirby went about making his fifth straight quality start, allowing three runs in seven innings.
Kirby (3-2) kept Oakland scoreless after the third.
“Those runs bother you a bit,” Kirby admitted. “But at the end of the day you just have to keep hitting into the zone and attacking thugs. … I wouldn’t say it wasn’t my best stuff, but I did a really good job going at the guys with the sinker all day.
The bullpen was phenomenal again, maintaining the two-run lead in the final two frames and extending his scoreless streak to 16 innings. Paul Sewald scored a perfect ninth place on his ninth save.
“I think he threw the ball really well after maybe the first or second game of the season,” Servais said. “He has a good rhythm and it’s really crucial for Paul to land the breaking ball. Paul has a lot of confidence. Paul thinks he’s one of the best helpers in the league and he is. When he executes, he’s hard to hit.”
After losing as many as five games under .500, the Mariners nearly evened their record to 15-16 before entering a showdown series against defending World Series champions Astros this weekend in Seattle.
“We’re looking forward to this series,” said Trammell. “It will be a nice test for us. Obviously we know Houston. They are a well-established team. We’re going to come out, do our thing, compete every day that we’re out there and hopefully get some wins.”