In an outcome that was actually quite predictable, Brandon McCarthy and the Oakland Athletics fell to Felix Hernandez and the Seattle Mariners 1-0. McCarthy was once again brilliant, and once again the A’s offense came up short. McCarthy pitched an eight inning complete game, lowering his ERA to 2.10, and managed to lose. On the other side, Felix Hernandez went 7 2/3 innings, giving up four hits and no runs while striking out eight to get his second win of the season.
The A’s offense got players into scoring position several times Thursday night but continued in their struggles to get timely hits. In the third inning, Cliff Pennington got to second with two outs before Coco Crisp grounded out. The A’s got a leadoff single from Josh Willingham in the seventh but he was doubled off after a Ryan Sweeney bullet to third. In the eighth, the A’s had Pennington at second and David DeJesus at first, and King Felix leaving the game. Connor Jackson hit a bullet up the middle, but second baseman Jack Wilson made the stop and flip to second. Finally, the A’s got Willingham to second in the ninth with one out, but could only muster a pair of foul outs by Kurt Suzuki and Mark Ellis.
The A’s return tomorrow with another tough pitching battle. They’ll send out Tyson Ross in place of Dallas Braden to face another young Mariners phenom in Michael Pineda.