Mariners 6, A’s 3: Some silver linings in latest loss.
It didn’t take long for the A’s to set a team record Tuesday night. Marcus Semien was the leadoff hitter and homered to begin the bottom of the first inning.
It was their 127th home run at the Coliseum, surpassing the 2000 A’s and setting the Oakland record for most homers at home. Khris Davis also homered, but the A’s fell to the Mariners 6-3.
“There are harder places to hit home runs,” Davis said, “but the thing I like about here is there is a lot of green out there, and it makes you feel like you’ve just got to put it in play, and that helps me a lot.”
Davis has 42 home runs, matching his 2016 total, and the combined 84 over two years tied Miami’s Giancarlo Stanton for most in the majors. Davis’ latest was to right-center field.
The Coliseum is supposed to be a pitchers’ paradise with the vast foul territory and dimensions, but Davis has 26 homers at home, 16 on the road.
Davis’ homer Tuesday put the A’s ahead 3-2 in the sixth, but the Mariners responded with four in the seventh — a rally highlighted by Danny Valencia’s three-run homer — to put away the game.
“A home run can change a game really fast,” Davis said. Indeed, four men homered Tuesday, including old friend Yonder Alonso (a former A’s player, like Valencia), and each put his respective team ahead by clearing the wall.
A’s manager Bob Melvin said Oakland’s young core of hitters, including Ryon Healy, Matt Olson and Matt Chapman, have a power-hitting role model they can study.
“They really like him,” Melvin said of Davis. “He’s one of the more popular guys in the clubhouse. Certainly, his body of work is something to watch and learn from, hitting the ball to all fields. He’s one of the best pure power hitters in the league, to any field, and certainly with guys like Healy and Olson and Chapman and these guys, a lot can be learned from how he goes about his business.” Davis loves the role. “I feel like I’m starting to be one of the older guys,” the 29year-old said, “and the main thing is just to have fun, play relaxed and play the game the right way. (Melvin) appreciates that, and that’s what I try to focus on.”
Daniel Mengden ran his scoreless-innings streak to 19 and exited in the seventh with a 3-2 lead only to get tagged with the loss. The first two batters in the seventh reached off Mengden, and Ryan Dull entered and immediately gave up Valencia’s homer.
The A’s played their seasonhigh eighth straight errorless game —and turned in several spectacular plays: Mark Canha and Jake Smolinski made catches at the wall, and second baseman Jed Lowrie began a double play by ranging well up the middle for a backhand.
Chapman, the big-armed rookie, was part of his 33rd double play, the most by a third baseman in fewer than 100 games in big-league history. He has played just 78.
With the Mariners pitching a lefty, James Paxton, Josh Phegley served as A’s catcher instead of Bruce Maxwell, who took a knee during the national anthem for a fourth straight day.