Zack Gelof and Donovan Walton homered as the Athletics defeated the host Seattle Mariners 7-4 on Thursday in the opener of a four-game series.
Scott Blewett (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings of relief and struck out four as the A’s (55-86) logged their second win in a row. Hogan Harris fanned two in a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his 14th save.
The Athletics got two hits apiece from Henry Bolte, Lawrence Butler, Jeff McNeil and Gelof.
The Mariners (66-75), who struck out a season-high 18 times, had a two-game winning streak snapped and fell six games behind the American League West-leading Houston Astros with 21 to play. Seattle is 4 1/2 games back of the Cleveland Guardians (70-70), who hold the final AL wild-card position.
The 18 strikeouts were also a season high for A’s pitchers.
Gelof homered with one out in the first inning off rookie Kade Anderson (0-1), going deep to right-center field.
The Mariners took the lead in the bottom of the inning.
Randy Arozarena drew a leadoff walk, stole second and scored on Julio Rodriguez’s one-out double to left-center. Cal Raleigh grounded an RBI single to right. With two outs, Cole Young (2-for-5) singled to right to advance Raleigh to third, and rookie Lazaro Montes hit a broken-bat single to left to make it 3-1.
The A’s scored again in the second. McNeil drew a leadoff walk and Michael Stefanic and Brian Serven singled to load the bases with no outs. McNeil came home when Alika Williams grounded into a double play.
The A’s took the lead with a two-out rally in the fifth. Bolte walked and Gelof grounded a single to left, sending the speedy Bolte to third. Gelof stole second, and Butler lined a single to center to score both runners for a 4-3 edge.
Walton, who came up in the Mariners’ organization and played parts of four seasons in Seattle, entered the game as a pinch hitter with one out in the sixth and homered to right-center off reliever Carlos Vargas.
Vargas hit the next batter, Serven, with a pitch, causing umpires to warn both teams. Mariners manager Dan Wilson questioned the decision and was ejected by plate umpire James Hoye.
The Mariners got a run back in the bottom of the sixth. Arozarena led off with a double to left off Chris Roycroft, Dominic Canzone singled to right, and Rodriguez grounded into an RBI forceout.
The A’s tacked on a run in the eighth. McNeil lined a single to right off Eduard Bazardo and Walton walked. With two outs, Max Muncy grounded an RBI single to left to make it 6-4.
Back-to-back doubles by Jonah Heim and McNeil with one out in the ninth off Hoby Milner capped the scoring.
Anderson, Seattle’s prized prospect who was making his third major league start, went five innings and allowed four runs on seven hits. The left-hander walked two and struck out three.
A’s starter Jack Perkins lasted three innings and gave up three runs on four hits. The right-hander walked five and struck out seven.
