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Athletics' first four-homer inning since 2002 fuels close road win over Mariners
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- Athletics' first four-homer inning since 2002 fuels close road win over Mariners
Athletics' first four-homer inning since 2002 fuels close road win over Mariners originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Entering this weekend, it had been nearly a quarter-century since the Athletics had last hit four home runs in one inning.
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Spoiler alert: That changed in a 7-6 win over the Seattle Mariners on Friday night at T-Mobile Park.
The A's trailed early after the Mariners scored twice on starter Kade Morris in the second inning.
But that deficit didn't last long, as the bats caught fire for the Green and Gold.
The top of the third inning started as follows: home run, strikeout, home run, walk, home run, home run. That's right, the A's hit four home runs in the span of six batters, with Max Muncy , Alika Williams , Jeff McNeil and Zack Gelof all leaving the yard against Logan Gilbert .
According to MLB.com's Martín Gallegos, it was the first time the A's had homered four times in one inning since April 27, 2002, against the Chicago White Sox . Scott Hatteberg, Terrence Long, Carlos Peña and Frank Menechino went deep against Mark Buehrle and Mike Porzio that day, also in the third inning.
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The Mariners, though, responded right back with three runs in the bottom of the frame to chase Morris and tie things up at five apiece. In his second career MLB start, the rookie allowed five hits, five runs (all earned) and a walk in 2 2/3 innings.
Cal Raleigh continued to torch the Athletics , hitting his fourth home run in five matchups this season.
But the A's bullpen — which hasn't always been reliable — shored up from there. Brady Basso and Geoff Hartlieb combined for 4 1/3 scoreless innings to keep things from getting out of hand.
Meanwhile, the visiting bats continued to knock around Gilbert, even if they were done leaving the yard.
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Already having hit a homer for the third consecutive game, Gelof came merely a couple of feet from his second big fly of the night, settling for a go-ahead RBI triple in the fifth. On the next at-bat, Lawrence Butler drove in Gelof to make it a 7-5 ballgame and extended his hitting streak to 13 games.
Gilbert had been more than solid in two prior starts against the A's in 2026 — and really his entire career, entering Friday with a 2.81 ERA in 16 total starts . But the former All-Star got roughed up on Friday, posting a final line of eight hits, seven earned runs and two walks in 4 2/3 innings, though he did strike out 10. But his four home runs allowed matched a career worst for the 29-year-old.
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Though Elvis Alvarado used up that insurance run in the eighth inning, Hogan Harris held on for his 15th save of the season.
Now winners of the first two matchups in a four-game set, the Athletics will send Jeffrey Springs to the mound on Saturday at 6:40 p.m. PT in search of a series victory.
