Recap: Seattle vs. Oakland
Sports Network | August 23, 2008
Seattle, WA (Sports Network) - Jeff Clement knocked in three runs on three hits to help the Seattle Mariners snap a seven-game skid, winning a 7-5 decision over the Oakland Athletics in the second installment of a four-game series.
Ryan Feierabend was effective over his five-inning outing, surrendering five hits and one run while striking out five without issuing a walk for the no- decision. Roy Corcoran (4-0) picked up the win with two scoreless innings of relief and Jose Lopez had a pair of hits and as many RBI, scoring twice to help secure the win.
Gio Gonzalez also went five frames in the start, giving up four runs -- two earned -- on five hits and three walks while fanning seven. Jerry Blevins (1-3) allowed three runs on five hits in 1 2/3 innings to take the loss. Rajai Davis was 3-for-3 with a solo home run while Daric Barton had two hits and an RBI for the A's, who have dropped three of four.
The Athletics will look to take Saturday's game in hopes of avoiding losing 12 consecutive series. The last time Oakland won a series was against Seattle in a four-game set July 7-10. Seattle hasn't fared much better with just one series win in its last 12.
Adrian Beltre started the seventh with a double and scored two batters later on a single through the middle from Lopez. Clement eventually hit a two-out RBI double to left to give the M's a 7-5 lead.
J.J. Putz came on to pitch around a walk and a single in the ninth to record his eighth save of the season.
Davis got Oakland on the board in the fourth by stroking a solo home run down the left field line. Seattle responded with four runs in the home half. Raul Ibanez drew a leadoff walk and scored when Lopez roped a double to center field. Wladimir Balentien reached on an error and Clement smacked a two-run double off the wall in left-center.
The Mariners then executed consecutive sacrifice bunts, the second of which was a perfectly executed suicide squeeze by Miguel Cairo, allowing Clement to score for a 4-1 lead.
Oakland took a 5-4 lead off Sean Green in the sixth as Feierabend exited. Green started the inning by hitting both Frank Thomas and Kurt Suzuki with a pitch before Davis reached on a single to load the bases. Carlos Gonzalez plated a run with a fielder's choice and Barton re-loaded the bases with a single. Cesar Jimenez came on to face Cliff Pennington, who lined a two-run single to right.
The M's tied things up in the bottom half as Blevins entered for Gio Gonzalez. A Bryan LaHair single and Cairo double allowed Ichiro Suzuki to plate a run with a groundout.
Oakland leads the season series 6-5 and took two of three at Safeco Field April 25-27...Oakland is an MLB-worst 7-26 since the All-Star break and has not won back-to-back games since July 10-11, a span of 35 contests. It's the longest stretch the franchise has endured without a winning streak since moving to Oakland in 1968...Saturday's scheduled starters are Dana Eveland (7-8) for Oakland and Jarrod Washburn (5-13) for Seattle.
