Tough Loss in Oakland 
Fellow Mariners fans, this was a tough one to swallow. We started with a bang, but the Oakland Athletics just managed to edge us out in the end. Let's break down what happened in this rollercoaster of a game.Early Fireworks 
Our boys came out strong in the top of the 1st inning. J.P. Crawford walked and Cal Raleigh sent a two-run shot right over the right field fence (386 feet) to give us an early lead, 2-0. An electrifying start, right?But the Athletics couldn't touch us in the bottom of the 1st—all thanks to some stellar pitching and defense.
Mid-Game Momentum Swings 
Things continued to look good for us in the 3rd inning. Victor Robles doubled to left, and later stole third. Julio Rodríguez stepped up with a sacrifice fly to right, bringing Robles home and extending our lead to 3-0.Then came the storm. In the bottom of the 3rd, Oakland went on a tear. Back-to-back doubles by Lawrence Butler and Brent Rooker got them on the board. Shea Langeliers then hit a crushing three-run homer to left (400 feet), pushing the Athletics to a 4-3 lead.
Late Inning Drama 
In the top of the 6th, Julio Rodríguez single-handedly sparked us again. He singled, stole second, and reached third via an infield single by Randy Arozarena. Justin Turner drove him in to tie the game at 4-4, but despite loaded bases, we couldn't capitalize further.Our bullpen did an excellent job containing the Athletics from the 6th through the 8th innings. Jason Chargois and Chris Snider were fantastic, but our bats fell silent when we needed them the most.
Heartbreak in the 9th 
We entered the bottom of the 9th all tied at 4-4. Unfortunately, Shea Langeliers had other plans. He hammered another long ball to left field (418 feet) off Austin Voth to walk it off for the Athletics. Final score: 5-4.Final Thoughts 
Heartbreaking loss, yes. But let's not lose hope. There were plenty of positives to take from our performance. Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez showed why they’re integral to our lineup, and our bullpen showed some real potential.Hang in there, Mariners fans. We’ll bounce back from this!
Scoreboard for Mariners @ Athletics (September 2nd, 2024)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 0 |