A’s beat Mariners 5-2 to clinch series at T-Mobile Park

The Athletics did not need a late scramble this time. They just kept answering Seattle’s pushes, then closed the door before the game could turn.

The A’s scored first, answered each time the Mariners pulled even, and beat Seattle 5-2 on Tuesday night at T-Mobile Park. Shea Langeliers homered for the second straight game, Jacob Lopez turned in a strong 5 1/3 innings, and Jack Perkins locked down the final two frames for his first save as the Athletics improved to 13-11 and secured the series.

This one was cleaner than Monday’s comeback. The Athletics never trailed, got at least one hit from eight of nine starters, and put themselves in position for a road sweep Wednesday afternoon.

The early edge held

The A’s grabbed the lead right away and kept finding a response when they needed one. Nick Kurtz opened the game with a walk, stole second, and scored on Tyler Soderstrom’s RBI double to right.

Seattle answered in the third on Josh Naylor’s sacrifice fly, but the Athletics pushed back in the fourth. Jeff McNeil lined a two-out homer to right-center for his first of the season, giving the A’s a 2-1 lead.

Lopez gave them what they needed

Jacob Lopez was not overpowering, but he was steady. The left-hander worked 5 1/3 innings, allowed two runs on seven hits, walked two, and kept Seattle from turning traffic into a big inning.

Cal Raleigh tied the game at 2-2 with a solo homer in the fifth, but Lopez did not let the game get away. He left with one out in the sixth, and that was enough to put him in line for the win.

The middle innings swung it

The Athletics answered again in the sixth, and this time the lead stuck. Soderstrom opened the inning with his second double of the night, and Jacob Wilson followed with an RBI double to left for a 3-2 lead.

An inning later, Langeliers added more room with one swing. He drove a two-out solo homer to center, his eighth of the season, and gave the A’s a 4-2 cushion.

The last run gave them air

The Athletics added one more in the ninth, and it mattered. Kurtz singled, Langeliers followed with a hit, and Carlos Cortes moved both runners with a groundout before Wilson lined an RBI single to center.

That made it 5-2 and gave the bullpen a little breathing room. Scott Barlow got four outs, Hogan Harris recorded the final out of the seventh and picked up the win, and Perkins handled the eighth and ninth for his first save.