Mariners walk off on wild pitch, rally to beat Athletics

Associated Press

SEATTLE — Jean Segura raced home from third base on a wild pitch with two outs in the ninth inning, and the Seattle Mariners rallied from a four-run deficit for a 7-6 win over the Oakland Athletics on Saturday night.

Seattle pulled even at 6-all when Mike Zunino hit a two-out solo home run to right-center field in the eighth inning off Oakland reliever Chris Hatcher. Zunino drove an 0-1 pitch to the gap and watched it barely disappear over the wall for his 21st homer of the season.

Segura opened the ninth with a chopper to first that Matt Olson could not handle, his second error of the game. Yonder Alonso followed with a single to right off Oakland’s Blake Treinen (1-2) and Segura raced to third putting runners at the corners with no outs. Robinson Cano was walked to load the bases, but Nelson Cruz struck out and Kyle Seager popped out. Treinen was low with his second pitch to Mitch Haniger, and it got past Bruce Maxwell and allowed Segura to score.

Seattle won its second straight to get back to .500 for the season (68-68) and remained 3 1/2 games behind Minnesota for the second wild card. Segura had a big night with two doubles and his eighth home run of the season.

Edwin Diaz (3-5) worked the ninth to get the victory. Diaz was wild to start the ninth, walking Matt Joyce on four pitches, before striking out Jed Lowrie and Davis. Ryon Healy had a two-out single but Matt Olson fouled out to end the threat.

Joyce hit a three-run homer for the A’s and Khris Davis added a solo shot for his 37th of the season, but Oakland saw its losing streak extended to five games.

Joyce’s homer was his 21st of the season and was part of Oakland’s four-run fourth inning. Maxwell added his third homer of the season with a solo shot in the second inning and Davis continued to torment Seattle pitching with his fifth home run this season against the Mariners.

Robinson Cano hit a two-run home run in the third inning for Seattle, his first long ball since July 22. Segura and Alonso added back-to-back solo homers in the fifth inning off Oakland starter Jharel Cotton, but the A’s bullpen was able to limit Seattle until Zunino’s long ball in the eighth.