The Seattle Mariners won the final game of their series against the Athletics 5-4 with a walk-off RBI single by Josh Naylor. This victory improved their record to 11-15 and sets them up for a six-game road trip.
Takeaways From Seattle Mariners Series Against Athletics
SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners were able to salvage the series finale of a three-game set against the Athletics on Wednesday at T-Mobile Park in Seattle.
The Mariners (11-15) won 5-4 via a walk-off RBI single hit by first baseman Josh Naylor. The win gave the M's a 3-3 mark in their six-game homestand and sent them on the road for a six-game set against the St. Louis Cardinals and Minnesota Twins with momentum.
Here's several takeaways from Seattle's win in the series finale and the overall trio of contests against the A's:
The Mariners lost the first two games of the series by a combined five runs. In both contests, Seattle either had the lead or was tied with the Athletics early before giving up the lead late.
In those two games, the Mariners went a combined 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position and left 15 potential scorers on-base.
Seattle still wasn't efficient in that regard Wednesday but it was better. It went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position and stranded nine. In the ninth inning, the Mariners had four hits, capped by Naylor's walk-off.
"I think every win gives you a little bit of a boost," Naylor said in a postgame interview Wednesday. "But, yeah. We haven't really been playing our type of baseball the last month. ... But it's early still. We're trying our hardest, it's just not working out. But I tell the guys 'we'd rather start bad and end great then start great and end bad.' We look at all the positives, take all the wins from the day and move forward. Be your better self tomorrow and the day after that."
Seattle's bullpen has been more consistent than the offense this season. However, the series against the A's proved to be a taxing one for the relievers.
The Mariners' bullpen allowed a combined seven runs across the three games, including three apiece in games one and two, respectively.
The final score was 5-4 in favor of the Seattle Mariners.
Josh Naylor hit the walk-off RBI single for the Mariners.
The Mariners' record improved to 11-15 after the series against the Athletics.
The Mariners will face the St. Louis Cardinals and the Minnesota Twins on their upcoming road trip.

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Seattle's relievers bounced back to their usual form Wednesday.
Left-hander Jose A. Ferrer pitched a scoreless two innings in the fifth and sixth despite allowing two hits and issuing a walk.
Righties Matt Brash and Cooper Criswell blanked the A's in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively.
The only run allowed was by closer Andres Munoz, who entered the game in the ninth to try and earn the save. He got two outs before allowing a solo home run to Athletics center fielder Nick Kurtz, which tied the game 4-4.
Seattle Mariners reliever Jose A. Ferrer throws during a game against the Texas Rangers on April 18 at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. | Stephen Brashear/Imagn Images
For the first time this season, the Mariners starting rotation went through a series without posting a quality start.
Emerson Hancock and Luis Castillo each pitched five innings in games one and two, and Logan Gilbert went through four in game three.
Gilbert pitched through his four after a 107.8-mph line drive from A's right fielder Carlos Cortes got lodged in the former's jersey in the top of the first. Gilbert is now sporting a bruise on his stomach and a cut on his wrist following the play.
A lot of the starters' struggles were due to the characteristics of the Athletics lineup. The A's' bats made it a habit to extend plate appearances with foul balls and lengthen innings with two-out base hits during the series.
"We were going to (secondary) stuff," Gilbert said in a postgame interview. "Some of my curveballs were good, changeups were good. Threw some good sliders — they were on the slider, too. So I got a few swing-and-miss early on sliders and I think then, they were looking for it a little more when I wasn't able to locate the fastball as much. They were definitely covering some pitches. Some of mine were working but it was just kind of a toss-up there."
The M's rotation has been near or at the top of the major leagues in quality starts this season. But it'll be worth monitoring how the starters continue to fare against pesky offenses.
-- Wednesday marked the end of a stretch of 13 consecutive games without a day off for Seattle. It finished that stretch 7-6.
The 13 consecutive contests marked a good turnaround for the heart of the Mariners lineup. Center fielder Julio Rodriguez slashed .347/.429/.469; catcher Cal Raleigh slashed .250/.322/.519; Naylor slashed .289/.365/.467 and left fielder Randy Arozarena slashed .327/.382/.510.
Raleigh had a home run in all three games against the A's.
Seattle will have a much-needed off-day Thursday before heading on the road to face St. Louis in the first of a three-game series.
George Kirby will start for the Mariners and Andre Pallante will start for the Cardinals.
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