The Oakland Athletics defeated the Seattle Mariners 7-6 on Friday night at T-Mobile Park, powered by a five-run third inning featuring four home runs. According to Associated Press and MLB.com reporting, Max Muncy, Alika Williams, Jeff McNeil, and Zack Gelof all went deep in the frame against Seattle starting pitcher Logan Gilbert.
Athletics Hit Four Home Runs in Third Inning to Defeat Mariners 7-6
The sudden power surge marked only the second time this Major League Baseball season that a team has hit four home runs in a single inning. The Cincinnati Reds previously accomplished the feat during the fourth inning of an 11-5 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on July 8, according to Associated Press data. For the Athletics, it was their first four-homer inning since April 27, 2002, when Scott Hatteberg, Terrence Long, Carlos Peña, and Frank Menechino homered in the third inning against the Chicago White Sox, as reported by MLB.com.
Inside the Decisive Third Inning Against Logan Gilbert
Seattle right-hander Logan Gilbert absorbed the damage during the offensive explosion, allowing all seven of Oakland’s runs despite striking out 10 batters over 4 and 2/3 innings, according to Associated Press records. MLB.com noted that Gilbert matched his season high with seven earned runs allowed before exiting the game. The outing pushed Gilbert to the milestone of 1,000 career innings pitched for Seattle, per Associated Press.
Zack Gelof added a crucial triple later in the contest to break a tie and secure the win. Muncy finished the night with three hits for Oakland, helping the club secure its third victory for the first time since early June, according to Associated Press reporting.
Bullpen Performance and Lineup Resilience
Oakland’s pitching staff preserved the narrow lead following a short outing from starting pitcher Kade Morris. According to Associated Press, Brady Basso took over with two outs in the bottom of the third inning and tossed three scoreless frames to earn his third major league win. Hogan Harris pitched the ninth inning to collect his 15th save of the season.
MLB.com highlighted that the victory came despite the Athletics playing without four of their primary power hitters due to injuries that could end their respective seasons. Nick Kurtz, Shea Langeliers, Tyler Soderstrom, and Brent Rooker—accounting for a combined 73 home runs—are currently sidelined on the injured list. Despite those absences, the current Oakland lineup has recorded double digits in hits over each of their last three games.