Opening Day: Polanco, Arozarena hit 8th-inning HRs to lift Mariners over Athletics 4-2

SEATTLE — Jorge Polanco and Randy Arozarena hit eighth-inning home runs and the Seattle Mariners rallied to beat the Athletics 4-2 on Thursday night.

Polanco’s two-out, two-run home run to dead center field sealed the win after Arozarena tied it at 2 with a shot to left. The outburst came as Seattle celebrated new Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki, who threw out the first pitch.

Tyler Soderstrom — one of three players under the age of 24 in the Athletics’ opening day starting lineup — hit two solo home runs in his team’s first game of the post-Oakland era. The second put his team ahead 2-1 in the eighth.

Reliever Trent Thornton (1-0) earned the win after allowing the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth. Closer Andrés Muñoz earned the save with a strikeout and a double play in the ninth. Jose Leclerc (0-1) took the loss.

A’s starter Luis Severino spread three hits over his six innings and got out of jams with runners in scoring position in the fifth and sixth innings. He struck out Rowdy Tellez with runners on second and third to end his night.

Seattle starter Logan Gilbert struck out eight and allowed just two hits in seven innings.

Key moment

Muñoz walked Lawrence Butler to start the ninth. But after a strikeout, he induced JJ Bleday into the groundball to the center of the infield. Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford scooped the ball, tagged Butler as he ran to second, then threw out Bleday to end the game.

Key stat

The A’s had just three hits and left only one runner on base.

Up next

Left-hander Jeffrey Springs (2-2, 3.27 in 2024) makes his first start for the A’s after missing parts of 2024 with the Tampa Bay Rays while recovering from Tommy John surgery and a subsequent left forearm strain. He faces right hander Luis Castillo (11-12, 3.64).

___

MARINERS 4, ATHLETICS 2

Umpires—Home, Mark Carlson; First, Jordan Baker; Second, Stu Scheuwater; Third, John Bacon.

T—2:17. A—42,871 (47,929).