Kirby Lee – USA TODAY SPORTS
Missed opportunities are to blame for the Seattle Mariners‘ latest loss, a 2-1 walk-off win for the Oakland Athletics. The team stranded seven baserunners and suffered from regrettable baserunning by Kendrys Morales, who failed to slide into third base and was subsequently thrown out trying to go from first to third on a single in the top of the seventh. That out proved to haunt the Mariners in the final inning.
Before the final dagger, the series opener in Oakland featured a superb duel between the Mariners’ Aaron Harang and the Athletics’ Jarrod Parker. Harang went seven innings and gave up only one run on five hits, but Parker bested him by going the full nine innings while giving up one run on eight hits, securing his ninth win of the season.
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Reliever Carter Capps was charged with the loss, giving up the deciding walk-off home run to Brandon Moss with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Mariners have been looking for someone in the bullpen to become their new closer since Tom Wilhelmsen was sent down to Triple-A Tacoma a few weeks ago after struggling to secure wins for the team. Danny Farquhar has been serving as closer more often than not, but the ninth inning was given to Capps last night.
Seattle will try to put the walk-off loss behind them when Joe Saunders takes the mound against the Athletics.
Matt Lanka is a Mariners writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @mattlanka, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
