SEATTLE — Julio Rodríguez and Mitch Garver both hit two-run home runs, Luis Castillo allowed two runs over six strong innings, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Oakland Athletics 8-4 on Sunday.
Seattle rebounded to take two of three games from the A’s after the Mariners lost their first series in nearly a month earlier this week in Minnesota. And they did it thanks to the long ball.
“Our offense showed up today. Put good pressure on them early, got some big hits, home runs,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “I think I mentioned it last night, I really liked where Julio was headed. His timing looks so much better and we saw it today.”
Rodríguez's homer was just his second of the season and his first at T-Mobile Park in Seattle’s 22nd home game. Rodríguez hit a 2-2 pitch from Oakland starter Alex Wood out to straightaway center field in the second inning for a two-run shot that gave Seattle a 5-0 lead. The homer had an exit velocity of 109 mph and traveled an estimated 409 feet.
“You've got to stay patient and let the results come and I feel like today was the day and I'm really happy about that, that I was able to help the team win,” Rodríguez said.
Rodríguez nearly homered in his next at-bat in the fifth inning, doubling off the top of the wall, but jogged home when Garver hit his fifth of the season to give Seattle a 7-1 lead. Garver also had a two-out RBI single in the first inning.
Seby Zavala added his first home run of the season for the Mariners, a solo shot in the sixth.
Following a sluggish start to the season, Castillo (4-5) has now gone six straight starts allowing two earned runs or fewer each time. Castillo needed 100 pitches to get through six innings, but closed his outing with strikeouts of Shea Langeliers and J.D. Davis with runners on base.
Castillo allowed seven hits and struck out eight. Max Schuemann and Abraham Toro both hit solo home runs to account for the scoring off Castillo.
“The beginning of the season, sometimes it's a little cold. I didn't let that get to me. I stayed focused and I knew better times were going to come,” Castillo said via an interpreter. “I just worked on what I could.”
Brent Rooker hit his 10th homer of the season in the eighth inning off reliever Cody Bolton. It was a two-run shot.
Wood (1-3) wasn’t sharp, lasted just two innings and wasn’t helped by Schuemann’s error to open the second inning that led to four unearned runs for Seattle. Wood allowed four hits but was charged with just one earned run allowed.
After a six-game win streak, the A’s have now dropped six of the past eight games.
“These guys battled back. Every time we scored, they ended up scoring. As much as we’ve been able to lock it down in games that we’ve trailed in — and we actually have come back in a few of them — today we just weren’t able to do that in the bullpen,” A's manager Mark Kotsay said.
UP NEXT
Athletics: RHP Ross Stripling (1-6, 5.14) will open a three-game series at Houston on Monday. Stripling gave up 10 hits and 11 runs — but only five earned runs — over 1 2/3 innings in his previous start against Texas.
Mariners: RHP George Kirby (3-3, 4.15) will start the opener of a three-game series with Kansas City on Monday. Kirby gave up four runs over five innings in his previous start against Minnesota.