Iwakuma Tagged For 7 Runs In 5th, Mariners Lose 11-5 To A's

SEATTLE (AP) If not for a mix-up at first base, Hisashi Iwakuma might have been able to hold off Oakland. Instead, the right-hander squandered a five-run lead in his shortest start of the season.

Danny Valencia homered and Stephen Vogt doubled twice in a seven-run fifth inning, and the Athletics climbed out of a big hole for an 11-5 victory Monday night over the Seattle Mariners.

"We had two outs and a man on first and second and they scored seven runs," Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said. "(Iwakuma) still should have been out of the inning, 5-4."

With his team trailing by one in the fifth, Josh Reddick hit a grounder to first base. Jesus Montero fielded the ball cleanly but Iwakuma, believing he would get the feed from Montero, raced across the bag.

Iwakuma got in the way of Montero, who hesitated, and Reddick beat him to the bag for an infield single. Mark Canhahustled around from second to score the tying run during the confusion.

"I was expecting that throw but it was just missed communication," Iwakuma said through a translator. "We both thought we were going to cover first base and just kind of hesitated at the same time, and it cost us there."

Valencia followed with his 12th homer, bouncing it off the top of the left-center wall.

"Montero didn't quite get that play right at first base. That hurt us quite a bit and it just opened the floodgates a little bit," McClendon said.

Franklin Gutierrez and Mark Trumbo homered for Seattle.

Oakland trailed 5-0 in the fifth after Iwakuma, who tossed a no-hitter Aug. 12 at Safeco Field against Baltimore, allowed just one single through four innings.

Vogt got the outburst started with a leadoff double. Two outs later, Billy Burns and Canha connected on consecutive two-run doubles to make it 5-4.

"We're resilient. We hustle. We fight. Reddick getting down the line right there was huge," Valencia said. "We take advantage of small mistakes. Doing those things is the reason why we won."

Vogt doubled again before Brett Lawrie lined out to left field, finally ending the inning.

It was Oakland's second seven-run inning this season, matching the eighth on May 1 at Texas.

Iwakuma (5-3) lasted 4 2-3 innings - the first time he failed to pitch at least five this season. He allowed seven runs and seven hits with a walk and four strikeouts.

It was the first time he gave up seven runs in an inning, and it matched his career high for a game.

Edward Mujica (3-4) threw two hitless innings for the win. Switch-pitcher Pat Venditte worked two perfect innings and Drew Pomeranz finished up as A's relievers retired their final 16 batters.

"Their bullpen came in and did a pretty decent job against us," McClendon said. "I thought we swung the bats pretty good."

Reddick, who had three hits, lined his 15th homer in a three-run ninth. He drove in three runs for the A's, who rallied after starter Felix Doubront exited early with a bruised foot.

The Mariners also had one big inning, taking advantage of Doubront's early departure in a five-run third.

Robinson Cano bounced a hard one-hopper off Doubront's right ankle in the first. The lefty remained in the game for two innings before manager Bob Melvin removed him.

"It hit me in the arch. The middle part is bruised and really painful," said Doubront, who expects to make his next start. "We'll see how I feel tomorrow. The X-rays show nothing."

Evan Scribner entered in the third and was hit hard. Cano had a run-scoring single. Scribner then hit Nelson Cruzon the right elbow with a pitch, a painful way to extend his career-high streak of reaching base safely to 34 consecutive games.

Gutierrez followed with a three-run homer, his eighth. Trumbo hit a solo shot, his eighth with the Mariners.

POWER SURGE

Cruz has 16 homers during his streak, the first player with 15 or more home runs during an on-base streak of at least 30 games since Jim Edmonds for the Cardinals in 2004.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Athletics: RHP Kendall Graveman was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left oblique. To take his place, the club recalled infielder Max Muncy from Triple-A Nashville.

Mariners: LHP James Paxton threw 36 pitches Sunday for Triple-A Tacoma in his first rehab start after nearly three months on the disabled list with a strained middle finger. He finished his night with 14 more pitches in the bullpen. "First time in a competitive setting in more than three months, I was pretty happy with myself," Paxton said. The plan is to have him throw 65-70 pitches Friday.

UP NEXT

Athletics: RHP Jesse Chavez (7-12, 3.75 ERA) has held opponents to a .187 batting average in his past three starts. He needs one win to match his career high. His 12 losses are second-most in the AL. He is 0-4 with a 3.43 ERA in 14 appearances against Seattle.

Mariners: LHP Mike Montgomery (4-6, 4.16) is on a late-season slide, going 0-4 with a 7.45 ERA over his last eight starts. The 25-year-old rookie has not won since beating Oakland 2-1 on July 5.

Updated August 25, 2015