Martinez Tribune The website of the Martinez Tribune.
BY RICK PORCARO
In a lost season that seems destined to surpass 100 losses by early September, the Athletics suffered what might be remembered as their worst loss of all Thursday afternoon, wasting 7 2/3 no-hit innings by Frankie Montas only to see their wretched bullpen gift the Seattle Mariners with a 2-1 win Thursday afternoon at the Coliseum.
Frankie Montas delivers a pitch Thursday afternoon on the way to 7 2/3 innings of no-hit pitching against the Mariners. It wasn’t enough as Oakland’s bullpen blew the game in the ninth and Seattle scored a 2-1 victory.
Montas pitched brilliantly, holding Seattle hitless while striking out eight before Adam Frazier got to him for a two out single to left for the Mariners first hit. A noticeably shaken Montas gave up another single to Luis Torrens before settling down to get J.P. Crawford to ground out to end the inning.
“This might have been my best fastball day,” Montas said. “My fastball was pretty good. Cutter was working. I don’t think I threw that many splitters, and that’s my go-to pitch. But I was feeling good with the fastball and it was working today.”
Oakland jumped ahead 1-0 in the first inning on the strength of a leadoff single by Sheldon Neuse, a walk to Sean Murphy and an RBI single by Christian Bethancourt off of reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray, who would then settle down to pitch thru the sixth while only allowing two more hits.
The A’s held the lead throughout the game until Zach Jackson (1-2, 3.90) and A.J. Puk came on to pitch in the ninth, where Seattle would score two runs without the benefit of a hit to secure the win.
Seth Brown steals second base ahead of the throw to Adam Frazier in the seventh inning of Seattle’s 2-1 win over the A’s Thursday afternoon.
Jackson proceeded to walk two of the four batters he faced before Puk was summoned to record the final out, but it never happened as he added two wild pitches to two walks of his own to complete the carnage.
“Frankie goes out and dominates again,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “Frankie had his best stuff today. A reflection of how deep he went without giving up a hit. It was a baseball game we should have won.”
With the worst record in the Majors secured, the Athletics departed for a three game weekend series in Kansas City after the game. Cole Irvin (2-4, 3.14) takes the mound against the Royals Zack Greinke (0-4, 5.05) in the opener Friday night at 5:10PM.
GAME NOTES:
The Athletics are now 8-28 in their last 36 games and have the second worst record (23-48) in Oakland history at this point of the season, behind only the 1979 squad.
Oakland’s record in June dropped to a Major League worst 3-16.
The Mariners set a franchise record with 21 straight games in which their starters allowed three runs or less.
