He got plenty of help from his offense, which put up season highs in hits (22) and runs while matching their high with five homers. Michael Arroyo -- MLB Pipeline’s No. 44 overall prospect -- went 3-for-4 with his first career hit and his first career homer and finished a triple shy of a cycle.
Dominic Canzone, Randy Arozarena, Cole Young and J.P. Crawford also went deep for the Mariners, who won by the largest margin of victory in franchise history.
For Woo, though, it was hardly more of the same. This was a resilient Woo, especially early, in contrast to controlling the A’s all along in his previous outing. And this was, most of all, the Mariners making a stand after a heartbreaking 10-inning come-from-ahead defeat the night before.
Woo threw 80 pitches in six innings of work that included allowing one run and three hits while striking out five, walking two and contributing a throwing error that provided the Athletics early life. Seattle, after losing four of the last five to an A’s roster shredded by injuries, suddenly has the chance to win the series with another victory Sunday.
Unlike the precision of Woo last Sunday in Seattle -- eight scoreless innings, one hit allowed, nine strikeouts -- Saturday’s version was more the grinder working his way out of potential problem innings. Two A’s reached base in the first and got as far as third base on a walk and a single before a strikeout ended the rally, and Woo gave up a base hit in the second as well. He walked the leadoff man in the third, followed by fielding a comebacker to start a double play, only to have his throw to second base sail behind the fielder, putting Athletics at first and third. Lead runner Henry Bolte then scored two batters later as Shea Langeliers reached first on a fielder’s choice.
But needing to dig deep to find stability on the mound came with the confidence of Woo knowing he had dominated the A’s in the past, probably more than any other opponent. He began the night, after all, with a 9-1 record and 1.95 ERA in 11 career starts, the lowest ERA by a Mariners pitcher (minimum 10 starts) against any club in franchise history. In the greatest perspective of Woo’s success against the Athletics, having to work out of jams, but surrendering just one early run, qualified as a rocky outing.
He was born in Oakland when the A’s played there and attended high school in Alameda, about five miles from the stadium. The scene shifting 80 miles northeast changed nothing for Woo.
“I think those things do matter,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said of players sometimes being especially energized to face their hometown team as an opponent. “We kind of joke about it a lot, the former-team factor. You get a guy that’s been traded by a team or they’re facing their former team, there’s a little something extra there. It could be. Those things can make a difference. But I think Bryan’s good all around.”