The Mariners’ eighth straight loss at Safeco Field — a disconcerting 7-4 defeat to the struggling Oakland A’s — was sealed well before the sky grew dark on a perfect summer night.
Down three in the first inning and seven by the fifth inning, the Mariners had removed any drama before the announced crowd of 18,368 even thought about stretching in the seventh inning.
A late push in the ninth made the score respectable. Danny Valencia belted a three-run homer off A’s reliever Daniel Coulombe, but it only halved the deficit that the Mariners were trailing by.