A's 10, Mariners 2
OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Oakland A's offense had been in a deep sleep for two games against Seattle on the heels of a grueling, 18-inning win over the New York Yankees on Thursday.
The A's had scored just two runs against the Mariners, dropping back-to-back games, and they trailed 2-0 entering the bottom the fourth inning Sunday against right-hander Hasashi Iwakuma, who hadn't allowed an earned run in 31 2/3 straight innings.
But A's third baseman Josh Donaldson crushed a leadoff double to left-center, Seth Smith hammered an RBI double to right, and Josh Reddick lined a run-scoring single to center as Oakland pulled even.
The A's added two more runs in the fifth, four more in the seventh and two in the eighth in a 10-2 rout of Seattle as they avoided being swept at home for the first time this season and prevented the Mariners from notching their first sweep of the year.
In case there were any doubts that the A's bats are once again wide awake, Donaldson and Smith hit back-to-back solo home runs in the seventh off reliever Blake Beaven, and Brandon Moss and Reddick crushed solo home runs off Carter Capps in the eighth.
The A's pounded out 17 hits, and Reddick matched his career high with four hits -- a home run, a triple and two singles.
Iwakuma gave up four runs -- all earned -- on eight hits as the A's decisively ended his five-game winning streak. He lost for just the second time this season, falling to 7-2. His ERA rose from 1.79 to 2.06.
A's right-hander Bartolo Colon survived a rough start to win his sixth straight game, allowing just two runs on eight hits over seven innings. He struck out three and walked none.
The Mariners grabbed a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the second when they bunched five singles together against Colon.
After Michael Morse blooped a leadoff single to right, Jason Bay hit a comebacker that deflected off Colon's glove and dropped to his feet. By the time Colon located the ball, Bay had crossed first base. Rookie catcher Mike Zunino singled to right, loading the bases.
Colon struck out Brendan Ryan, but Endy Chavez lined an opposite-field single to left, driving in Morse and Bay. Nick Franklin reloaded the bases with another opposite-field single to left, and the Mariners looked as if they'd increase their lead when Kyle Seager smoked a line drive to right. But the A's Reddick made a shoestring catch, and Colon retired Kendrys Morales on a fly ball to left for the third out.
The A's left four runners on base over the first three innings but broke through for two runs in the fourth off Iwakuma, pulling even.
Donaldson ripped a leadoff double to left-center, snapping an 0-for-16 skid that ended one shy of his tying his career long. Then Seth Smith brought Donaldson home, one-hopping a double off the right-field fence. Reddick lined an RBI single to center, making it 2-2.
The A's scored two more runs off Iwakuma in the fifth, taking a 4-2 lead. Leading off, catcher John Jaso walked for the third straight time and scored when Yoenes Cespedes rocketed a double to the base of the wall in left-center. Moss lined an RBI single to center, driving in Cespedes.
NOTES: Zunino said he's already had a chance to tap into 41-year-old catcher Henry Blanco's wealth of baseball knowledge. "He's been great so far," Zunino said. "He's one of those guys that just is willing to teach me, and I'm grateful for that. He came in and we started talking right away. I'm just hoping I can learn a lot from him." ... A's shortstop Jed Lowrie was out of the lineup Sunday, and manager Bob Melvin said he wanted to give him a day off after a heavy workout that included Thursday's 18-inning win over the Yankees. "It's still kind of the effects of the 18-inning game. We're giving guys days off because those type of things do take a toll on you and the whole team." ... Mariners first baseman Justin Smoak (strained right oblique) is "doing really good" in his rehab stint at Triple-A Tacoma and might be activated as soon as Monday when Seattle opens a four-game series against the Angels, manager Eric Wedge said. ... Cespedes started at designated hitter for the third straight game as he continued to recover from a strained right hamstring, but Melvin said there's a chance he could return to left field Monday.
