Josh Naylor hits walk-off single and Cal Raleigh homers as Mariners beat A's 5-4 to avoid sweep
SEATTLE (AP) — Josh Naylor hit a game-ending single, Cal Raleigh homered for the third time in as many games and the Seattle Mariners beat the Athletics 5-4 on Wednesday to avoid a three-game sweep. The Athletics' seven-game road winning streak was snapped, while the Mariners won for just the third time in nine games. With two outs in the ninth, Naylor lined a first-pitch cutter from Joel Kuhnel (0-1) the opposite way into left field to score Raleigh from second.
Naylor finished 3 for 5 to raise his batting average to . 194. Raleigh, also off to a slow start, hit a solo shot to right in the third for his fifth homer.
He also went 3 for 5 — his first three-hit game this season — and is batting . 198. Nick Kurtz tied it in the top of the ninth when he sent a hanging slider from Mariners closer Andrés Muñoz (3-2) 438 feet to center for his fourth homer.
Julio Rodríguez had a pair of singles to extend his on-base streak to 19 games. His RBI groundout in the seventh put the Mariners ahead 4-3. Mariners starter Logan Gilbert, who gave up three runs in four innings, got a comebacker off the bat of Carlos Cortes lodged in his jersey in the first.
Cortes was credited with a single. Athletics starter Aaron Civale gave up three runs in 5 1/3 innings. Tyler Soderstrom, Jeff McNeil and Jacob Wilson drove in runs for the Athletics.