3/30/25

(Seattle, WA) Back-to-back frustrating nights offensively for the Seattle Mariners put their backs up against the wall as they entered Sunday’s series finale with the Athletics. After being shutout on Friday, the M’s couldn’t cash in on multiple opportunities on Saturday in the 4-2 loss to the A’s. Now, Seattle would hope to just split the opening series with their AL West rivals and would send Bryan Woo to the mound as he looked to continue his career domination of the A’s while the lineup had to face another tough lefty in JP Sears.

Mariners 2, Athletics 1 (Game 4, March 30th)

Control wasn’t a strength early in the game for Bryan Woo but he made adjustments early on to right the ship. The Athletics put a runner on second in each of the first three innings, but Woo never wavered and erased all those baserunners with some good defense behind him as well. Offensively, there was not much to speak of for the Mariners. While the wind knocked down what would have been a home run for Mitch Garver, JP Sears utilized Jeffrey Springs gameplan against the M’s and did so successfully by allowing just one infield hit in the first three innings.

There would be a breakthrough in the 4th and it would be a familiar face to get the A’s on the board. After homering twice in the season opener, Tyler Soderstrom continued his excellent start to the season leading off the 4th. Soderstrom sent a changeup out to left center field and it could have just enough to leave the park. It would be Soderstrom’s third home run of the series and put the A’s up 1-0.

Woo would make sure that the 1-0 deficit would not grow as he fought through six innings and allowed just the one run on three hits with two walks and five strikeouts. A beautiful double play was turned as Woo fielded his position and turned it into a 1-6-3 double play to end his outing. With the offense off to a very slow start, Woo gave them a chance to figure things out late thanks to a strong 2025 debut.

Víctor Robles would record his second infield hit of the game with one out in the bottom of the 6th to put a man on with one down. In stepped Julio Rodríguez who has been a notoriously slow starter in March and April in his career. Sears would try to steal a first pitch strike by floating a slider that broke back over the inner third of the plate. Julio was ready for it and obliterated the breaking ball 438-feet for a no-doubter for his first home run of the season. The face of the franchise got his opening weekend moment and his two-run shot gave the Mariners a 2-1 lead.

Gregory Santos and Trent Thornton retired six of the seven batters they faced with a walk allowed by Thornton as the only blemish. With no more offense coming, Andrés Muñoz would have just the one run lead to try to protect. After striking out Miguel Andujar, Muñoz would not be able to solver Tyler Soderstrom as he singled to put the tying run on base. A nice play by J.P. Crawford took a hit away from Jacob Wilson and Soderstrom was erased on the fielder’s choice. One out away from a split in the series, Muñoz went right after Gio Urshela. The All-Star closer got Urshela to chase a 1-2 slider for strike three to put the game away. One swing from J-Rod was enough in this one as the Mariners knocked off the Athletics 2-1 to split the four-game series.

Notable Performances

Athletics

Mariners

• Julio Rodríguez- 1-3, HR, 2 RBI, R
• Bryan Woo (W, 1-0)- 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO
• Víctor Robles- 2-4, R

What’s Next

It was not quite the dream start for the Seattle Mariners (2-2), but it could have been a lot worse if not for some key home runs in the four-game split with the Athletics. Seattle will stay at home for three more games before the first road trip of the year as the Detroit Tigers (0-3) come to town. Detroit was swept in a three-game series with the defending World Series Champions the Los Angeles Dodgers but kept that series very competitive despite losing all three games.

Seattle will unfortunately have to face the reigning American League Cy Young winner in Tarik Skubal who will get the start in the finale on Wednesday afternoon. The lefty out of Seattle University rolled last season to an 18-4 record with a miniscule 2.39 ERA in 31 starts. The catalyst for the Tigers playoff run last season, Skubal dominated the Mariners twice last season, going 13 innings and allowing three runs on six hits while walking three and striking out 18. Seattle has a problem against left-handed pitching and that could make for a long (or rather short) day on Wednesday. There is more pressure on the M’s in the first two games against a guy making his first MLB start in Jackson Jobe in the opener before Seattle sends their own ace in Logan Gilbert to the mound in game two.

• Game 1, Monday 6:40pm- Jackson Jobe (First Career Start) vs. Emerson Hancock (4-4, 4.75 ERA)
• Game 2, Tuesday 6:40pm- Casey Mize (2-6, 4.49 ERA) vs. Logan Gilbert (9-12, 3.23 ERA)
• Game 3, Wednesday 1:10pm- Tarik Skubal (18-4, 2.39 ERA) vs. Luis Castillo (11-12, 3.64 ERA)

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