SEATTLE _ A recipe for relief, this game was not.
Seattle Mariners right-hander Dan Altavilla, one day after being recalled from Class AAA Tacoma, was summoned from the bullpen with one out in the top of the seventh inning, his team clinging to a one-run lead with two runners in scoring position.
Altavilla promptly threw four consecutive balls to Oakland's No. 9 hitter, loading the bases and igniting a round of here-we-go-again grumbles from the 15,431 fans in attendance on a cold Monday night at Safeco Field.
Altavilla threw two more balls _ grumble, grumble _ to start an at-bat against Oakland's Matt Joyce. Then a funny thing happened. Altavilla ditched his slider after a mound visit from pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre and found the strike zone _ striking out Joyce on consecutive fastballs of 97, 97 and 98 mph.
Three pitches later, Altavilla got Jed Lowrie to ground out to second base to leave the bases loaded. That, it turned out, was just the beginning of a dramatic night for the Mariners' bullpen in a hold-your-breath, 6-5 victory.
Nelson Cruz had a two-run homer in the second inning to help the Mariners build a 4-0 lead, and Kyle Seager added a two-run blast in the eighth inning to extend the lead to 6-3.
What looked like a relaxed save situation for Edwin Diaz was anything but. One night after allowing a walk-off homer in a loss at Toronto, Diaz walked four consecutive batters with one out in the top of the ninth, cutting the Mariners' lead to 6-4.
Tony Zych relieved Diaz and got Oakland slugger Khris Davis to ground out for the second out, but not before another run scored to get the A's within 6-5. The Mariners intentionally walked Yonder Alonso. Zych, oozing every ounce of drama out of this game, went to a 3-2 count on pinch-hitter Adam Rosales _ before getting Rosales looking at a fastball to end it.
In the opener of their weeklong homestand, the Mariners (17-21) snapped a four-game losing skid ad improved to 11-5 at home this season.
After Altavilla's dramatics in the seventh, the Mariners continued their unconventional recipe for relief in the top of the eighth, using three relievers to get three outs.
Steve Cishek, on the same day he was activated from the disabled list, made his season debut and got slugger Khris Davis to ground out for the first out of the inning.
Marc Rzepczynski came on and struck out Yonder Alonso for the second out. Mariners manager Scott Servais then made another change, calling on right-hander Nick Vincent, who allowed a bloop ground-rule double to Ryon Healy before striking out Trevor Plouffe on three pitches to end the eighth.
In a starting rotation torn apart by one injury after another, Yovani Gallardo gave the Mariners the kind of effort they need from their last veteran still standing.
The 31-year-old veteran right-hander pitched into the seventh inning, allowing three runs on four hits with five strikeouts and two walks. It's his third start in May in which he's allowed three runs or less.
After a long flight back from Toronto on Sunday night, which followed a disastrous four-game sweep against the Blue Jays, the Mariners got a bit of a gift from Oakland left-hander Sean Manaea early Monday.
Manaea walked five of the first 10 batters he faced, including two in the first inning with the bases loaded, staking the Mariners to a 2-0 lead.
Cruz belted a 433-foot home run in the second inning, a two-run shot to dead center, to give the Mariners a 4-0 lead.
Gallardo didn't allow his first hit until the fourth inning, when A's slugger Khris Davis capped a 12-pitch battle with a long solo homer to center. That cut the Mariners' lead to 4-1.
In the fifth, A's catcher Stephen Vogt pulled Gallardo's 0-2 curveball into the seats in right field, cutting Oakland's deficit to 4-3.
