Shea Langeliers crushed his second home run of the game just inside the left field foul pole leading off the ninth inning Monday afternoon, allowing the host Oakland Athletics to record a 5-4, walk-off win over the playoff-contending Seattle Mariners.
The loss was the third straight for the Mariners (69-69), who are attempting to rally from behind in the American League wild-card race.
After the score stood tied at 4-4 since the top of the sixth, Langeliers ran the count full as the first batter to face Mariners reliever Austin Voth (2-5) before unleashing a bomb that flew higher than the top of the foul pole. A replay confirmed the call that the ball had been on the fair side of the pole when crossing over the fence.
It was the second multi-homer game of the season for Langeliers, who collected three in a win at Texas in April. The homers were his 24th and 25th of the season.
Tyler Ferguson (3-2), who struck out the side in a tie game in the top of the ninth, was credited with the win.
The 4-4 tie was mostly the product of two home runs — a two-run shot by the Mariners’ Cal Raleigh in the first and Langeliers’ first of the day, a three-run blast in the third.
Raleigh’s 28th homer and a sacrifice fly by Julio Rodriguez gave Seattle a 3-0 lead before Oakland (60-78) countered with four runs in the bottom of the third. Brent Rooker had an RBI double before Langeliers gave the hosts the lead.
Seattle drew even and knocked out A’s starter Osvaldo Bido in the sixth. Justin Turner’s run-scoring single squared the count at 4-4 and brought on Oakland reliever T.J. McFarland, who escaped further damage.
Bido was charged with four runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out four.
Mariners starter Logan Gilbert retired the last 10 men he faced after Langeliers’ homer to complete six innings, during which he allowed four runs and four hits. He walked one and struck out nine.
Langeliers and Seattle’s Victor Robles, who collected a double and a single, were the only players in the game with multiple hits. The Mariners out-hit the A’s 6-5.