OAKLAND, Calif. — For at least one victory, there was no late-inning drama to turn Scott Servais’ insides into an amusement park.
Mariners hitters didn’t need to grind out plate appearances against a late-inning leverage reliever trying to get the go-ahead or tying run on bases. Seattle relievers weren’t being asked to tightrope along without allowing a run.
It all felt so unfamiliar on a sun-drenched Tuesday afternoon in the cavernous but largely empty Oakland Coliseum.
The Mariners got a solid outing from right-hander Chris Flexen, who worked through early trouble to produce another quality start, took an early lead by the third inning, added to that lead in later innings and closed out the eight-game road trip with a decisive 5-1 win over the A’s.
The Mariners wrap-up the road trip with a 6-2 record and improve to 69-58 on the season. The 11 games over .500 represent the high-water mark of the season. The A’s have lost eight of their last 10 games and their last five games against the Mariners, who now lead the season series with an 8-4 record.
Seattle sits a game behind the A’s in the American League wild card standings and 2 ½ games behind the Red Sox, who play later Tuesday evening.
Both Seattle and Oakland have Wednesday off. The Mariners open a four-game series with the Royals on Thursday at T-Mobile Park, while the A’s will host the white-hot Yankees for a four-game series at the Oakland Coliseum
Flexen pitched into the seventh inning while picking up his 11th win but couldn’t quite finish it. He allowed a two-out double to Elvis Andrus and then walked Mark Canha, which left him seething on the mound as Servais came out to take the ball from his starter.
Right-hander Drew Steckenrider, who has served as part-time closer, got the high-leverage situation with Starling Marte coming to the plate. Steckenrider needed all of one pitch to end the drama. Marte tried to ambush a 96-mph fastball on the first pitch. It leaked in on his hands and he hit a weak fly ball to right field for the final out of the inning.
Flexen’s final line — 6 2/3 innings, one run allowed on six hits with a walk and five strikeouts — with 105 pitches (66 strikes) thrown in the outing.
Down 1-0 after the first inning, Seattle tied the game in the second inning on Jarred Kelenic’s RBI single to the right off A’s starter Cole Irving.
The Mariners grabbed the lead for good in the third inning. With two outs, Kyle Seager singled to right and Abraham Toro doubled to right to bring up Luis Torrens. Having doubled and scored a run off Irvin in the first inning, Torrens smoked a single into right to score both runs for a 3-1 lead.
The Mariners picked up two runs in the eighth. Kelenic ripped an RBI double off the wall in deep-right center on a breaking ball from A.J. Puk. Dylan Moore followed with an RBI single up the middle.
Steckenrider pitched the final 2 1/3 innings of the game, allowing two hits and giving his fellow relievers a day off, to pick up the save.
