Athletics 8, Mariners 2
Athletics 8, Mariners 2: Josh Reddick went 2-for-3 with a homer and four RBIs and A.J. Griffin continued his mastery of Seattle as host Oakland managed a split of its season-opening four-game series.
Reddick also scored twice while Yoenis Cespedes added a two-run home run to pace the Athletics, who accumulated 14 runs and 21 hits over the final two games of the series after managing one run and six hits in the first two losses. Griffin (1-0) allowed two runs and seven hits over six frames to improve to 3-0 in as many starts against the Mariners.
Brandon Maurer (0-1) had an up-and-down major-league debut, sandwiching three solid innings in between a two-run first and four combined runs over the fifth and sixth frames. The right-hander surrendered six runs and eight hits before departing after 74 pitches through six innings.
After serving up a Reddick’s two-run shot in the bottom of the first, Maurer settled down before running into trouble in the fifth. The right-hander yielded a leadoff double to Chris Young and unleashed a wild pitch to John Jaso that allowed Young to move to third before Jaso drove him in with a single.
Michael Morse’s league-leading fourth homer trimmed the Mariners’ deficit to 3-2, but the Athletics reached Maurer for three more runs in the sixth. Reddick followed Jed Lowrie’s one-out double with one of his own to push across a run before Cespedes drilled a slider into the left-field stands to give Oakland a 6-2 advantage.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Reddick, who recorded his first four-RBI game since Aug. 31, entered Thursday hitless in 10 at-bats. … Oakland tallied 13 extra-base hits Wednesday and Thursday after managing two in the first two games combined. … Morse, who sat until June 2 last season with the Washington Nationals due to a strained right lat muscle, didn’t hit his fourth home run until July 4.