A's use big 5th inning to cruise past Mariners 11-1

SEATTLE (AP) — Ramón Laureano and Chad Pinder had two-run singles during Oakland’s big fifth inning, and the Athletics thumped the Seattle Mariners 11-1 on Monday night.

Oakland scored eight times in the fifth inning, with all the runs coming with two outs. The A’s gave starter Frankie Montas plenty of run support and finished off a successful first road trip by taking three of four from Seattle.

“You look at that inning and there were a few that fell in that weren’t necessary hit all that hard ... but the floodgates kind of open there, it was nice for everyone to have a part in it,” Oakland's Stephen Piscotty said.

Oakland sent 14 batters to the plate in the fifth and eventually left the bases loaded after Marcus Semien flied out to end the inning. Semien made a pair of outs in the inning.

Laureano’s single knocked out Seattle starter Justus Sheffield, who had been excellent through the first four innings. Seattle gave its young lefty a chance to escape the bases-loaded jam, but Laureano slapped a single through the right side of the infield to score Khris Davis and Piscotty.

That was the last batter for Sheffield (0-2), but the A’s were just getting started against reliever Bryan Shaw. Shaw gave up five runs on four hits and a pair of walks. Pinder’s two-run single was the big blow, as Davis added an RBI infield single and Piscotty doubled to score another.

The 14 batters were the most in one inning for Oakland since Sept. 12, 2018, against Baltimore, when the A’s sent 15 to the plate and scored 10 times.

“Just good approaches all the way around,” Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. “After the first three or four innings, where it was looking like it has been for the first nine or 10 games or so, and then it breaks out in fashion that we...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/A-s-use-big-5th-inning-to-cruise-past-Mariners-15456342.php