SEATTLE — Leo Rivas scored on Justin Turner's fielder's-choice grounder to lift the Seattle Mariners over the Oakland Athletics 7-6 in 10 innings on Saturday night.
Pinch-runner Rivas avoided Shea Langeliers' tag attempt at the plate with a wide slide, giving Seattle its third straight win and 11th victory in its final at-bat of the season.
''That's not exactly what I was trying to do up there,'' pinch-hitter Turner said of his grounder to second. ''But (hitting coach Edgar Martinez) talks about it all the time, just trying to get a good pitch and hit it hard somewhere, move the ball forward and make things happen.''
The Mariners' comeback win — their 32nd of the season — came with nothing on the line after the team was eliminated from postseason contention midweek. But the teams traded late leads and Luke Raley rallied the Mariners twice for their seventh win in their last nine games.
First, Julio Rodríguez scored from first base on Raley's double into the left-field corner for a 4-3 lead in the seventh inning. Then he hit a two-run homer to right field to tie it 6-6 in the ninth. His 22nd homer came after Langeliers had put the A's up 6-4 in the top of the inning with a three-run homer.
''It's the big leagues,'' Raley said of his motivation. ''Not everybody gets to do this. I will never take a day for granted.''
Eduard Bazardo (2-0) earned the win and Scott Alexander (1-3) took the loss.
Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh hit his 92nd career homer in the fourth inning, tying him with Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets Hall of Famer Mike Piazza for most home runs through the first four years of a career for catchers. That also ties Alvin Davis' team record. Ninety of the 92 homers came after the switch hitter's first year in the majors.
