Bleday homers, Estes earns first win as A’s beat Mariners 8-1

SEATTLE — Rookie starter Joey Estes struck out five in five solid innings after being called up earlier in the day for his first major league win, and the Oakland Athletics beat the Seattle Mariners 8-1 on Saturday night.

Abraham Toro and Brent Rooker hit run-scoring singles in the two-run third inning to put Oakland up 2-1. Max Schuemann added a three-run double in the eighth and JJ Bleday had a two-run homer in the ninth as Oakland snapped a two-game losing streak. The A’s had lost five of six following a six-game winning streak.

Estes took a liner off his right bicep from Julio Rodríguez in the first inning, but gathered the ball for the throw to first and waved off the trainer as he retook the mound.

“You knew he was locked in when Julio’s line drive went off his biceps and I didn’t realize it,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “That kid, I don’t know how to describe him really. You take a line drive like that off the biceps, and don’t have the trainers come out, don’t want it recognized. He came in the dugout and we finally got to him and it was already swollen.”

Cal Raleigh hit his 10th home run, a solo shot in the second inning to put Seattle up 1-0. But Estes settled down and it was all Athletics after that.

A’s starters had allowed 55 runs over the previous six games, including an 8-1 loss to the Mariners on Friday night, before Estes (1-0) was called up to replace fifth starter Joe Boyle (lower back injury). He gave up two hits and walked none on 61 pitches.

“That’s awesome,” Estes said after some hazing in the shower room. “I’ve worked my whole life to be able to say I got a win, so it’s definitely something I’m going to cherish.”

Bryce Miller (3-3) struck out nine, allowing five hits, but started the costly third inning with one of his two walks, to Lawrence Butler. The speedy right fielder moved to second on Brett Harris’ single and scored on Toro’s single to right field. Rooker’s hit to shallow right scored Harris for the 2-1 lead.

The Mariners had beaten the A’s in 13 of their last 14 dating to the start of the 2023 season. They’ve lost three of their last four and four of six. Seattle had been 12-1 in Miller’s last 13 quality starts.

Relievers Mitch Spence, Austin Adams, Lucas Erceg and Michael Kelly combined to give up one hit over the final four innings. Seattle had just three hits and left just one runner on base.

“Coming into the series, Oakland is much improved,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “They have a different ball club. They tightened up their bullpen and they’ve got guys who can put the ball in play.”

SCHUEMANN’S REVENGE

The Mariners intentionally walked Shea Langeliers to get to Schuemann in the eighth, loading the bases for the shortstop.

“I was a little upset obviously,” Schuemann said. “I took it as, like, a motivational thing. My first swing, I took as big a hack as I could, you know? And then I was like, ‘All right, I need to settle down.”

He then sent the ball into the left-field corner to put the game out of reach.

RALEIGH’S BIG BAT

Raleigh is the first AL catcher to hit 10 or more homers in his team’s first 40 games since the Yankees’ Jorge Posada in 2003. Three NL catchers have accomplished the feat over the same span.

ROSTER MOVE

The A’s optioned LHP Easton Lucas to Triple-A Las Vegas when they recalled Estes for the start.

UP NEXT

Athletics: LHP Alex Wood (1-2, 5.30) closes out the series. He is 1-0 with a 1.72 ERA in his last three starts.

Mariners: RHP Luis Castillo (3-5, 3.54) is first in the AL and fourth in the majors with 56 strikeouts.

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ATHLETICS 8, MARINERS 1

Runners left in scoring position—Oakland 4 (Butler, Harris, Soderstrom, Schuemann); Seattle 1 (Raley). RISP—Oakland 4 for 12; Seattle 0 for 2.

Inherited runners-scored—Speier 1-1. IBB—off Speier (Langeliers). WP—Bazardo.

Umpires—Home, Roberto Ortiz; First, Lance Barksdale; Second, Alfonso Marquez; Third, Lance Barrett.

T—2:21. A—32,398 (47,929).