Dylan Moore’s career night keys Mariners rout of A’s; Bryan Woo exits in return, but will make next start
SEATTLE – The warmth of Friday afternoon turned into perfectly pleasant evening.
Even with the less-than popular Oakland A’s in town, T-Mobile Park was packed with a boisterous crowd that had survived presidential traffic and was fueled by heavy dose of natural vitamin D.
And the Mariners? Well, their much-criticized hitters were enjoying the warmth, ripping extra basehits around the park and scoring runs, including five in the bottom of the fourth of previously scoreless game.
But the celebratory tenor of Seattle’s 8-1 victory over the A’s was dampened when talented right-hander Bryan Woo, who was making his first of the season, left the game with head athletic trainer Kyle Torgerson in the next inning.
When Woo threw his 62nd pitch of the outing – an 89-mph slider – he grimaced slightly after watching Tyler Soderstrom pop it up into foul territory. Cal Raleigh didn’t see Luis Urias make a nice catch in foul territory. He was focused on his starter. He saw Woo flex his hand and then make quick stretch of his forearm. Raleigh motioned to the dugout and Pete Woodworth went to the mound. The rest of the infield joined them. Manager Scott Servais then came out and Torgerson then joined the convention on the mound.
After a discussion in which it looked as if Woo was trying to convince everyone he could to stay in the game, he was removed and walked off the field with Torgerson. The Mariners later announced that Woo was removed for precautionary reasons. Servais said postgame that Woo was dealing with some tightness after the long inning and will make his next start.
When the Mariners drafted Woo in 2021, he had undergone Tommy John surgery on his elbow. So the Mariners have always been careful with his health.
His final line: 4⅓ scoreless innings pitched, one hit allowed with a walk and three strikeouts.
He looked strong in the first three innings, showing plenty of velocity from his four-seam and movement with his two-seam fastball.
About five days before the 2024 season was set to begin, Woo felt some discomfort in his elbow during his last bullpen session of the spring and the Mariners put him on the injured list with elbow inflammation.
He didn’t experience any setbacks on his recent rehab stint, making three starts for Triple-A Tacoma and not allowing a run 11⅓ innings pitched with 17 strikeouts and no walks.
With Woo cruising through the first four innings, allowing just the two baserunners, the Mariners’ offense got going when the lineup faced A’s starter Paul Blackburn for the second time in the game.
Mitch Haniger led off with a walk and Raleigh also worked to get the inning going in the right direction. With one out, Luke Raley laced a line drive off the wall in left field. It missed being a home run by less than a foot. Raley had to settle for RBI double. Ty France, who had just two hits in his past 18 plate appearances, ripped a sinker into the left-field corner for a two-run double.
Dylan Moore, who had a career night with three hits and five RBIs, punctuated the inning by yanking a hanging slider over the all and just inside the left-field foul pole for a two-run homer and a 5-0 lead.
The Mariners tacked on two more runs in the sixth in a similar fashion to the fourth. Haniger and Raleigh reached base to start the inning with back-to-back singles. Mitch Garver loaded the bass with a walk. With two outs, Moore singled to left to score two more runs.
He set a career-high with RBI in the seventh inning, looping a single to left to score Raley again and make it 8-0.
Meanwhile, relievers Trent Thornton, Kirby Snead, Cody Bolton and Austin Voth carried the final 4 2/3 innings. They couldn’t quite complete the combined shutout with the A’s picking up a run off Voth in the ninth.