Bryan Woo thrilled family and friends with five shutout innings, Jose Caballero belted a two-run home run and the visiting Seattle Mariners opened a three-game series against the Oakland Athletics with a 5-0 victory on Monday.
Tayler Saucedo, Justin Topa, Trent Thornton and Isaiah Campbell contributed an inning apiece to Seattle’s 16th shutout of the season. The five-hitter allowed the Mariners (82-68) to move into a second-place tie in the American League West with the Texas Rangers (82-68), while also gaining ground on the first-place Houston Astros (84-67).
Seattle and Texas, both 1 1/2 games back in the division, are tied for the third and final AL wild-card position.
Woo (4-4) started a major league game in Oakland for the first time, miles from where he starred at Alameda High School. He survived a two-walk first inning to blank the A’s on three hits and four walks. The right-hander struck out six.
Caballero’s homer came in the fourth, after the Mariners had gone up 1-0 in the second against A’s starter JP Sears (5-12) on a two-out RBI single by J.P. Crawford.
The homer, Caballero’s fourth of the season, followed a leadoff single from Dylan Moore and a popout.
Seattle made it 4-0 in the sixth. With two outs, Caballero singled, stole second and scampered home on a double by Luis Torrens.
That hit knocked out Sears after 5 2/3 innings. He was charged with four runs on six hits and four walk while striking out six.
In snapping a three-game losing streak, the Mariners tacked on a run with two outs in the ninth on an RBI single by Eugenio Suarez, his second hit of the night.
Crawford singled, walked three times, scored a run and drove in another for Seattle, which was opening a six-game trip. The Mariners out-hit the hosts 9-5, including getting the only two extra-base hits of the evening.
Esteury Ruiz stole his 60th and 61st bases for the A’s, who were shut out for the 15th time this season.
–Field Level Media