Sonny Gray struggles in Athletics' loss to the Mariners
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Sonny Gray said it was the best he's felt all year. The results seemed to suggest otherwise.
Gray pitched into the eighth inning but was saddled with the loss after allowing a career high-tying seven runs and 11 hits in the Oakland Athletics' 8-2 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night.
"It's just unfortunate the way it turned out," Gray said. "I threw more strikes, attacked guys. I pitch into the eighth and come out with a bad start. It was a really weird game."
Khris Davis homered and Jed Lowrie had two hits and drove in a run for the A's, who have lost five of seven and have dropped six consecutive series to the Mariners.
"It's temporary. We have to be tough outs and stay within ourselves. It will come," Davis said. "We have to have the confidence we'll pick each other up."
Gray (3-3) walked one and struck out six in losing his second straight decision.
"You don't figure to score more than, maybe, three against him," Mariners infielder Robinson Cano said. "But we all go through that and we were able to take advantage."
Gray, coming off the shortest start of his career, gave up Leonys Martin's two-run homer in the third and the A's never recovered.
"His stuff was good at times," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "He made the one bad pitch to Martin. Cano hit a good pitch out to left. He had movement, was down in the zone. It just got a little bit out of hand."
Cano, who also doubled and scored, led off the fourth with his team-leading ninth homer. Seager drilled a three-run homer off Marc Rzepczynski in the eighth.
The A's loaded the bases with two outs in the second, but a nice play from Ketel Marte ended the threat. Marte went 2 for 4 and is hitting .370 against the A's. Steve Clevenger also had two hits for Seattle.
Hisashi Iwakuma (1-3) took a shutout into the sixth inning and allowed four hits to end a career-worst, four-game losing game dating to last September. He walked two and struck out three.
"I had a lot of life on my fastball, especially down in the zone," he said. "I was able to get strike one, get ahead of the hitters."
Norichika Aoki and Adam Lind also drove in runs for the Mariners, who have won 10 of their past 13 games. Aoki has hit safely in all 14 games he's had an at-bat against the A's.
BUTLER NEEDS AT BATS
Billy Butler is used to playing every day, though he's become a platoon player with the A's. The right-handed slugger hasn't been able to get consistent at-bats since the A's have faced five left-handed starters all year.
"Mentally he has to be strong enough to work on what he needs to work on," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "It's what you have to do sometimes. We'll see some left-handers on the road and he'll start to see more consistent at-bats."
TRAINER'S ROOM
Mariners: RHP Tony Zych was placed on the 15-day disabled list with tendinitis in his rotator cuff. ... RHP Steve Johnson was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma to take his place. "He's just kind of had some nagging soreness in his shoulder, back and forth probably for the last week or 10 days," Mariners manager Scott Servais said. "That's why he hasn't been in there consistently."
Athletics: IF Danny Valencia (hamstring) went 0 for 3 in a rehab game Monday and was with Oakland taking batting practice and working with A's coach Ron Washington. He'll get a second rehab start Wednesday and will most likely rejoin the team on its road trip, which begins Friday in Baltimore.
UP NEXT
Mariners: RHP Felix Hernandez (2-2, 1.38) makes the start Wednesday afternoon in search of his 146th career win, which would make him Seattle's all-time winningest pitcher. He's 11-3 in 22 games at the Coliseum.
Athletics: LHP Sean Manaea (0-0, 7.20) makes his second career start Wednesday against the Mariners.