OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Bryan Woo and three relievers combined on a two-hit shutout, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Oakland Athletics 2-0 on Thursday.
Woo, who grew up 10 minutes away from the Coliseum in Alameda, California, allowed two hits and struck out six in six innings. The 24-year-old threw a season-high 85 pitches and didnāt walk a batter while being cheered by friends and family in the stands.
āWow, Bryan was awesome today,ā Mariners manager Scott Servais said. āHe was fantastic. What a season heās putting together. Canāt throw the ball much better than he is right now. I actually thought he was throwing better in the fifth and sixth than he was early in the game.ā
Woo has been strong and effective in his second season in the majors, relying primarily on his four-seam and two-seam fastballs. Woo extended his scoreless streak against the Aās to 21 1/3 innings while large sections of Mariners fans cheered.
āHonestly I think coming home you have to focus a little more just because youāre seeing family, youāre seeing friends, you look up in the stands and you see a lot of familiar faces,ā said Woo after lowering his ERA to 1.07. āSometimes it can actually throw you off a little bit. So you have to lock in a little bit more and be a little bit more focused on baseball.ā
Wooās only mistake came in his final inning when umpires ruled a pitch-clock violation before the first pitch of the frame.
āJust a little bit of confusion,ā Woo said. ā(Catcher Cal Raleigh) was telling me to hurry up and throw it. I wasnāt sure if he was giving me signs to throw something different. He wasnāt looking all the way and then I was making sure he knew I was throwing a fastball.ā
Mitch Garver homered and had an RBI single for the AL West-leading Mariners, who have won nine of 11.
The Aās (25-39) were shut out for the fifth time this season in their sixth loss in eight games.
Woo (3-0) remained unbeaten after pitching out of a pair of early jams. Oakland got its leadoff batter to third base in the first two innings, but Woo retired the next three batters in order in both frames.
āWe just couldnāt hit the heater,ā Aās manager Mark Kotsay said. āI donāt know what it is about his fastball that gives us trouble.ā
Austin Voth and Mike Baumann retired three batters each. Ryne Stanek, pitching the ninth while closer AndrĆ©s MuƱoz recovers from a sore back, set the side down in order for his fourth save and completed the Marinersā sixth shutout of the season.
Garver walked and scored in the third, hit an RBI single off Aās starter JP Sears in the fourth and then homered off T.J. McFarland leading off the ninth.
Seattleās first two runs were scored by players who reached base without a hit.
Garver walked leading off the third and Victor Robles was hit by a pitch. After Ryan Bliss attempted to sacrifice the runners over and reached safely to load the bases, Dylan Mooreās sacrifice fly gave Seattle an early lead.
Cal Raleigh got hit by a pitch in the fourth inning, stole second and scored on Garverās single.
Sears (4-5) matched his season-high of eight strikeouts in six innings. The Aās left-hander allowed three hits and two runs.
TRAINERāS ROOM
Mariners: Servais is optimistic that MuƱoz will not have to go on the injured list. MuƱoz aggravated a back injury while covering home plate after throwing a wild pitch on Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Mariners: RHP Bryce Miller (5-5, 3.18 ERA) starts against the Royals in Kansas City on Friday. Miller is limiting opponents to a .192 batting average, eighth-best in the majors.
Athletics: LHP Hogan Harris (0-0. 3.14) faces the Blue Jays and former Aās ace Chris Bassitt (6-6, 4.13) at the Coliseum on Friday. Harris has allowed five earned runs in 14 1/3 innings this season.
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