Taijuan Walker overpowering as Mariners beat Athletics 5-3 in home opener
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JULY 31: Taijuan Walker #99 of the Seattle Mariners pitches in the first inning against the Oakland Athletics during their Opening Day game at T-Mobile Park on July 31, 2020 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Ima
SEATTLE - Taijuan Walker threw one-hit ball over seven innings, Kyle Lewis had his sixth straight multi-hit game, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Oakland Athletics 5-3 on Friday night.
Walker (1-1) was dominant making his first start in Seattle since the end of the 2016 season before being traded to Arizona. Walker struck out eight and walked two. The lone hit was Ramon Laureano’s double leading off the fourth inning, but he was stranded at third after Walker made a good defensive play to snag Mark Canha’s comebacker for the final out of the inning.
Walker’s best inning came when he struck out the side in the fifth after he was given a 2-0 lead. It was Walker’s first win since Sept. 6, 2017, against the Dodgers while pitching for Arizona, before Tommy John surgery cost him most of the past two seasons.
Reliever Bryan Shaw stumbled in the eighth giving up a two-run triple to Marcus Semien and Laureano’s sacrifice fly. That was all Oakland would get as Taylor Williams pitched the ninth for his second save.
While Walker was overpowering on the mound, Lewis continued to rack up hits at the plate. Lewis singled and scored from first base on Kyle Seager’s two-run double in the fourth inning. In the fifth, Lewis lined an RBI single to center to score J.P. Crawford.
Lewis has 15 hits in the first eight games.
Oakland starter Sean Manaea lasted just 4 1/3 innings, giving up six hits and five runs, but only three were earned. Manaea (0-2) set down the first nine batters in order, but ran into trouble in the fourth and was lifted an inning later after Crawford’s second single.
SHOW OF UNITY
Players from both teams all stood along the foul lines during the national anthem. Once the anthem ended a message of social justice and equality from The Players Alliance played in the stadium, Oakland’s Marcus Semien, Seattle coach Joe Thurston and eight of the Mariners Black players — Lewis, Crawford, Carl Edwards Jr., Dee Gordon, Shed Long Jr., Justin Dunn, Justus Sheffield and Mallex Smith — all took a knee as the video was played.
ON THE ROAD
Because of his past history in Seattle, a normal trip to play the Mariners means A’s manager Bob Melvin likes to get out and see the city or catch up with old friends.
That wasn’t the case as the A’s embarked on their first road trip of the season with the focus on being smart, safe and healthy. Oakland had not left the Bay Area since Summer Camp began.
“I think guys are just more, ‘Hey look, we just need to stay in, stay in our rooms, go to the ballpark,’” Melvin said. “We had an off day yesterday, I know I didn’t go anywhere.”
UP NEXT
Athletics: RHP Mike Fiers (0-0, 9.00) gave up seven hits and four runs over four innings in his first start against the Angels. Fiers is 3-2 with a 5.93 ERA in 12 career starts vs. Seattle.
Mariners: LHP Yusei Kikuchi (0-0, 12.27) makes his second start. Kikuchi allowed five runs in 3 2/3 innings in his first outing against Houston. Kikuchi was strong early, but gave up four runs and was knocked out in the fourth inning by the Astros.