Yoenis Cespedes busted out of his September slumber to spark the Athletics' offense in a 5-2 victory over the Mariners Sunday at the O.co Coliseum.
A’s top Mariners, 5-2, inch closer in AL West
The Mariners get plenty of opportunities to score early, but the surging Athletics toppled the M’s and moved closer to a postseason berth.
Thearon W. Henderson - Getty Images
Oakland is now just 1½ games behind the Texas Rangers in the American League West, pending the outcome of the second game of the Rangers' doubleheader with the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday night. The Athletics are in a three-way tie for the top wild-card spot with the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles.
Cespedes, who came into the contest hitting .238/.311/.476 in September, got Oakland on the board in the first inning by smacking a triple to right field to plate Stephen Drew. Brandon Moss followed with a sacrifice fly to give the A's a 2-0 lead.
Seattle battered Oakland starter Tommy Milone for nine hits in 4⅔ innings, but many of their runners went for naught. In the second inning, Justin Smoak and Miguel Olivo singled, putting runners on first and second, but right fielder Josh Reddick nailed Smoak attempting to score on a Carlos Triunfel single. The Mariners failed to score during the inning. They did, however, break through to tie the game, 2-2, in the top of the third, off singles by Kyle Seager and Justin Smoak.
Cespedes' solo homer off Shawn Kelley in the bottom of the eighth inning put the A's up for good, and Josh Reddick's two-run job off Lucas Luetge gave Grant Balfour some extra cushion as he shut the M's down in the ninth.
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