Barry Bonds may not be worried about his single-season homerun record of 72 being snapped anytime soon, but cleanup hitter Michael Morse is finding his reunion to Seattle to be an enjoyable one. Morse hit his fourth moonshot in as many games and is tied with Ken Griffey Jr. for most homeruns through four games in Mariners history. He is on pace for 162 homers this season.
However despite the recent power surge displayed by Morse, the Mariners were unable to produce much more offense, resulting in an ugly 8-2 defeat.
Rookie Brandon Maurer made his major league debut for the M’s and at times the burly right-hander showed why he cracked Seattle’s starting rotation. And at other times, well … he reminded us that he still is just a 22-year-old rookie with a lot to prove if he wishes to REMAIN in the team’s starting five.
Last season was a breakout year for A’s outfielder Josh Reddick. The slugger hit 32 homeruns and drove in 85 runs during his first full season in the big leagues. This season however, Reddick has struggled, going hitless in his first three games of the year. Apparently the fourth game was the charm for Reddick, who in the first inning, recorded his first hit of the season, a bomb to deep centerfield giving the A’s an early 2-0 lead.
Maurer settled down after the first inning homerun and kept Seattle in the ball game.
After taking the day off yesterday Dustin Ackley returned to the lineup and got his first hit of the season in the top half of the fifth, a soft dribbler that fellow second baseman Eric Sogard was unable to handle in time, to throwout the athletic Ackley. Kelly Shoppach made his first start of the season behind the plate for Seattle and followed Ackley’s fifth inning hit with a line drive of his own. Shoppach was impressive going 2-3 in his Mariners debut. After speedster Robert Andino laid down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position, it appeared the Mariners may just take the lead halfway through the ballgame. Unfortunately, the Mariners were only able to score off a Michael Saunders sacrifice fly, Saunders’ first RBI of the season.
Seattle trailed by one.
The Athletics were quick to rebuttal. Chris Young opened the bottom half of the fifth by doubling to left field, then a wild pitch from Maurer let Young advance to third with no outs in the inning. Ex-Mariner Jon Jaso was able to punish his old team after a line drive to left scored Young to extend the A’s lead to 3-1.
Then Morse showed off his power by hitting a solo shot (4) to leadoff the sixth. Seattle trailed by only one run heading into the bottom of the inning.
It was evident that Maurer was out of gas in the sixth. The righty gave up back-to-back doubles followed by a two-run homerun by Yoenis Cespedes. Maurer’s major league debut was finished after giving up six runs on eight hits in six innings of work. Maurer did not allow a walk in the outing, a small bright spot in an otherwise sub-par start.
Lucas Luetge was also disappointing in his first appearance out of the pen for the M’s. The lefty gave up two hits and two sacrifice flies in just one inning of work, giving Oakland an overwhelming 8-2 lead in the eighth. Despite the lopsided loss, Seattle was able to hit the ball often, but after going 0-4 with runners in scoring position (RISP) there was no way the Mariners were going to leave Oakland with a matinee victory.
Seattle split the opening four game series with Oakland and will face the Chicago White Sox tomorrow at 5:30. Blake Beaven will look to put the Mariners two game losing streak to a screeching halt in his first start of the season. The White Sox are 15-3 versus the Mariners in the teams’ last 18 matchups.
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