A's ride strong relief pitching, power surge into rematch vs. Mariners

The Athletics have had the worst bullpen in baseball this season by a wide margin.

Their relievers' 5.54 ERA is nearly a quarter of a run higher than the Washington Nationals (5.30), and one of only three in MLB above 5.00.

But you wouldn't know it judging by the past two nights in Seattle.

On Thursday, four A's relievers combined for six innings of one-run ball in a 7-4 win.

Brady Basso, Geoff Hartlieb, Elvis Alvarado and Hogan Harris added 6 1/3 innings of one-run relief Friday as the A's held on for a 7-6 victory, further damaging the Mariners' spiraling playoff hopes.

The four-game series between American League West rivals continues Saturday in Seattle.

Basso got the victory with three scoreless frames and Hogan earned his second save in as many nights for the A's (56-86), who have won three in a row.

"Basso did a phenomenal job. This is a kid that just threw 40 pitches two days ago and took the ball again and threw another 40 tonight. So, outstanding job by Basso," A's manager Mark Kotsay said. "And Hartlieb, since he's been back in these last two outings has really showed the ability to attack the zone, got us out of that inning with a big out and then gave us another one. Alvarado's had the flu. He's a little bit gassed, so for him to go out and grind through that inning was great. And then Hogan Harris for a third straight day ... really phenomenal, by all of them."

The Athletics' Max Muncy, Alika Williams, Jeff McNeil and Zack Gelof homered in a five-run third inning to erase a 2-0 deficit.

Seattle tied it at 5-5 in the bottom of the frame on Cal Raleigh's two-run homer, but the A's regained the lead for good in the fifth on Gelof's run-scoring triple.

The Mariners (66-76) dropped seven games behind division-leading Houston and six back in the chase for the AL's third and final wild-card berth with 20 to play.

Mariners starter Logan Gilbert set a franchise record by allowing four homers in a single inning.

"Make some adjustments that we need to make, and execute pitches when we need to. I think that's the main thing," Gilbert said. "I made some mistakes. It's pretty disappointing. This was a game we had to win and I let the team down for sure. So I'll come back next time, ready to go."

On Saturday, the A's are set to send left-hander Jeffrey Springs (3-13, 6.37 ERA) to the mound against Seattle right-hander George Kirby (9-10, 4.19).

Springs has dropped 13 straight decisions since April 14 after opening the season 3-0. He lost 8-5 Sunday to visiting Baltimore when he gave up seven runs through 4 2/3 innings.

Springs is 3-1 with a 2.35 ERA in 15 career appearances against the Mariners, including seven starts. His lone loss came May 27 in West Sacramento, Calif., when he allowed five runs (two earned) on six hits over five innings, with one walk and seven strikeouts in a 9-1 blowout.

Kirby didn't get a decision Monday in a game the Mariners lost 9-8 in 10 innings at Boston. He surrendered seven runs on seven hits through five innings.

Kirby is 5-0 with a 3.68 ERA in nine career starts against the A's.

--Field Level Media