Jeffrey Springs pitched seven scoreless innings to win for the first time since April 14 as the Athletics defeated host Seattle 6-2 Saturday night, further damaging the Mariners’ dwindling playoff hopes.
Max Muncy and Lawrence Butler homered for the A’s (57-86), who have won four in a row. They’ll go for a sweep of the four-game series with their American League West rivals on Sunday afternoon.
The Mariners (66-77) lost their third in a row and are seven games behind division-leading Houston and six back in the chase for the AL’s third and final wild-card berth with 19 to play.
Springs (4-13), who dropped 13 straight decisions after opening the season 3-0, didn’t allow a hit until Cal Raleigh lined a one-out single to right in the fourth inning. The only other hit the left-hander gave up was Raleigh’s liner to center leading off the bottom of the seventh. Springs walked two and struck out six.
Springs improved to 4-1 with a 2.04 ERA in 16 career appearances against the Mariners, including eight starts. He avenged his lone loss to them May 27 in West Sacramento, Calif., when he allowed five runs (two earned) on six hits over five innings in a 9-1 blowout.
The A’s scored runs in the second, third and fourth innings to take a 4-0 lead Saturday.
With two outs in the second, Muncy hit a solo shot off George Kirby (9-11) to the back of the Mariners’ bullpen in left-center field, a drive estimated at 428 feet. It was Muncy’s second straight night with a homer.
Alika Williams led off the third with an infield single and advanced to second on a groundout. He scored on Henry Bolte’s double to right.
Zack Gelof lined a leadoff single to center in the fourth and stole second. With two outs, Muncy lined a run-scoring single to center to make it 3-0. Donovan Walton doubled Muncy home in the next at-bat.
Butler hit a two-run shot to left-center off reliever Michael Rucker with one out in the eighth.
The Mariners finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the frame. Cole Young was hit by a one-out pitch from reliever Geoff Hartlieb. With two outs, Randy Arozarena and Dominic Canzone singled to bring home the run.
Raleigh led off the ninth with his third hit, a double, took third on a one-out single by J.P. Crawford and scored on a wild pitch by Elvis Alvarado.
Kirby gave up four runs (three earned) on seven hits over 6 2/3 innings. The right-hander walked one and fanned five.