
Smart's defense on KD helps Lakers to 2-0 lead
Lakers defeat Rockets 101-94, lead series 2-0 with Smart's defense on Durant.
The Seattle Mariners lost 5-2 to the Athletics, resulting in a series defeat. Despite having runners on base throughout the game, the Mariners struggled to convert opportunities into runs.
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Seattle Mariners Drop Series in 5-2 Loss Against Athletics
SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners offense was unable to stack up successful at-bats despite getting runners on base in a 5-2 loss against the Athletics on Tuesday at T-Mobile Park in Seattle.
The loss gave the A's the series win.
The Mariners had runners reach in every single inning except three — the sixth, eighth and ninth.
Seattle (10-15) finished the game 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left eight on base.
"(We had) a lot of contact," Mariners manager Dan Wilson said after the game Tuesday. "Just not a lot to show for that contact. It's tough when you have those opportunities and you let them slip away. We were getting the at-bats, we were getting into the at-bat, getting some contact. Just nothing to get the runs in."
Seattle and the Athletics kept pace with each other through the first five innings before the latter pulled away.
The Athletics got on the board in the top of the first after left fielder Tyler Soderstrom hit a two-out RBI double to bring home first baseman Nick Kurtz.
Kurtz got on base with a lead-off walk and subsequently stole second to set himself up to score on Soderstrom's hit.
The Mariners responded in the bottom of the third. Right fielder Rob Refsnyder and catcher Cal Raleigh both got on with respective singles. Refsnyder was moved to third following a flyout hit by center fielder Julio Rodriguez.
First baseman Josh Naylor scored Refsnyder with an RBI sacrifice fly that tied the game 1-1.
The Athletics pulled in front again in the top of the fourth after second baseman hit a two-out solo home run to right field.
The final score was 5-2 in favor of the Athletics.
The Mariners lost due to their inability to capitalize on scoring opportunities, despite having runners on base in most innings.
The Athletics won the series against the Mariners with this victory.
The game was played at T-Mobile Park in Seattle.

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Raleigh tied the game 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth with his own solo homer to left field. It was his second home run in as many games.
The two runs through the first five innings were the only blemishes allowed by Seattle starting pitcher Luis Castillo.
The three-time All-Star struck out six, walked two and allowed two earned runs on five hits (one home run) in five innings pitched. Castillo's six fanned batters were his most this year since his first start of the season against the New York Yankees on March 30 (seven strikeouts).
Castillo started his at-bats well. He threw first-pitch strikes against the majority of the 21 batters he faced Tuesday. However, the Athletics were able to run up his pitch count via long at-bats. The A's fouled off 24 pitches against Castillo.
"It's a very talented team on that side. A lot of talented hitters," Castillo said via interpreter Freddy Llanos in a postgame interview. "It's a team that likes to make a lot of contact, connect the bat with the ball. They just made me work a lot today. And it's something that, at least from our side, we like to talk a lot about ... trying to get ahead in counts. Trying to attack them with the first-pitch strike and I think we were able to do that today."
The long at-bats resulted in Castillo being pulled after the fifth at 95 pitches (62 strikes).
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Luis Castillo throws during a game against the Athletics on Tuesday at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. | John Froschauer/Imagn Images.
This led to the bullpen being tasked with getting through the final four innings.
The combination of relievers — Eduard Bazardo, Gabe Speier and Cole Wilcox — each allowed one earned run.
A's shortstop Jeff Wilson hit an RBI double with no outs in the top of the sixth against Bazardo. The Athletics took a 3-2 lead following the hit.
The A's bolstered their lead to 4-2 in the top of the seventh after catcher Shea Langeliers hit a two-out solo home run to center field off Speier.
After pitching a scoreless eighth inning, Wilcox allowed an RBI single to Wilson in the top of the ninth that resulted in the eventual final of 5-2.
The M's were retired in order in both the eighth and ninth inning and were unable to set up a potential go-ahead or walk-off opportunity.
The Mariners will look to salvage a win in the three-game set and get through the six-game homestand with a 3-3 mark in the series finale against the Athletics at 1:10 p.m. PT on Wednesday at T-Mobile Park.
Logan Gilbert will start for Seattle and Aaron Civale will start for the A's.
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