SEATTLE - For the second time on this road trip, the A's couldn't protect a sizable lead that should have equated to victory.
Some losses sting worse than others, and Saturday's was a doozy as Oakland let a four-run lead vanish in a 7-6 defeat the Mariners that extended their losing streak to five on this road trip.
Blake Treinen was trying to work out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam. But with two outs, a low pitch squirted past catcher Bruce Maxwell and allowed Jean Segura to race home from third. The play was ruled a wild pitch, but it appeared a pitch that could have been blocked.
The Mariners tied the game on Mike Zunino's homer off Chris Hatcher in the eighth. The ninth-inning rally was jumpstarted by a fielding error from rookie first baseman Matt Olson. Former Athletic Yonder Alonso singled to put runners on the corners and Robinson Cano was intentionally walked to load the bases. Blake Treinen struck out Nelson Cruz and retired Kyle Seager on a shallow fly before the game-ending wild pitch.
The teams combined for seven homers on a warm night at Safeco Field. Bruce Maxwell and Khris Davis hit solo shots and Matt Joyce connected on a three-run shot to help the A's jump ahead 6-2 by the fourth inning.
On Wednesday, the A's led 8-3 at Anaheim only for the pitching staff to cough up that lead in an eventual 10-8 loss.
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BULLPEN WOES: There were plenty of mistakes to go around in the late innings by the A's, but after Jharel Cotton exited in the fifth, the bullpen was called in for a long night and couldn't get the job done.
Oakland's bullpen came in having converted just seven of its previous 16 save opportunities over the past 41 games. For the season, their 56.3 percent save conversion was second lowest in the American League to Texas' 55.0.
INSIDE KD'S NUMBERS: Khris Davis connected for his 37th homer in the third inning. It also marked his 29th while playing left field, setting an Oakland record and snapping the tie he had with Ben Grieve. At the same time, the A's cleanup man is going through a rough stretch. He entered the night in a 7-for-48 dip (.146) with 22 strikeouts over the previous 13 games. He has 178 strikeouts on the season, third most in franchise history behind Jack Cust in 2008 (197) and 2009 (185).
COTTON'S SHORT NIGHT: After back-to-back encouraging starts, Jharel Cotton couldn't make it through the five innings necessary to qualify for the possible victory Saturday night. Handed a 6-2 lead in the fourth, he allowed back-to-back homers to Jean Segura and Yonder Alonso in the fifth and was pulled after Robinson Cano served a single into center. The rookie gave up four runs on seven hits, with two walks and a strikeout. He also surrendered a monster two-run shot to Robinson Cano that erased an early 2-0 lead. It was the third time this year he allowed three homers in a game, the second time it's happened against Seattle.
THAT NUMBER LOOKS FAMILIAR: Getting his first big league call-up Friday afternoon, lefty reliever Sam Moll has been called upon each of the first two games of this series. He's matched up against left-handed hitting All-Stars in all three batters faced - including former Athletic Yonder Alonso twice. On Saturday - and gotten three outs. On Saturday, he also made the play and throw to first on Robinson Cano's dribbler near the mound. Cano was ruled safe before the call was reversed on a replay review. Moll was given the No. 62 jersey number formerly worn by another southpaw reliever, Sean Doolittle.
DECISIONS IN CENTER: Joyce drew his first start in center field since 2009 with Boog Powell having gone cold. Manager Bob Melvin said he would probably hold off on starting Chad Pinder in center and keep the rookie in the corner spots.
