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Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Joey Estes (68) reacts after picking up a foulball by Seattle Mariners’ Ty France (23) in the second inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
OAKLAND – There have been eight no-hitters pitched in the A’s 57-year history in Oakland. Wednesday night, Joey Estes came nine outs away from adding another – and perhaps the franchise’s last – on its way out of town.
Estes, making just his eighth career appearance, held the Seattle Mariners hitless until J.P. Crawford doubled off the centerfield wall to lead off the seventh inning. Three relievers, including closer Mason Miller getting a five-out save, helped preserve the A’s 2-1 victory before an announced crowd of 9,735 on dollar hot dog night at the Coliseum.
Fans gave the 22-year-old Estes a healthy ovation after his bid to pitch the A’s first no-hitter since Mike Fiers in May of 2019 was broken up by the Mariners’ leadoff man.
Second baseman Zack Gelof continued to shake off his slow start by extending his hitting streak to six — and provide Estes and Co. the only runs they’d need — with a a home run in the bottom of the third off Mariners starter Logan Gilbert.
The A’s took a 2-0 lead in the fifth inning after Daz Cameron singled, went to third on an errant pickoff throw to first by Gilbert and then scored on a passed ball.
That became a huge run when Mariners star center fielder Julio Rodriguez lined a homer to dead center off Miller to lead off the top of the ninth. After a walk put the potential tying run on first, Miller struck out Ty France and then ended the game by getting Victor Robles to hit into a double play.
Estes joined the rebuilt A’s rotation in early May and in his first four starts was 1-1 with a 6.10 ERA. But the right-hander had held the Rays to two hits and one run in five innings in his previous start.
Estes, who was acquired before the 2022 season in the Matt Olson deal with the Braves along with catcher Shea Langeliers, outfielder Cristian Pache and pitcher Ryan Cusick, was even better against the Mariners.
Estes allowed just the one hit and struck out five in 6 â…“ innings, lowering his ERA to 4.67.
Estes struck out five of the first nine batters he faced and the Mariners didn’t put a ball in play solidly until Cal Raleigh lined out sharply to center fielder JJ Bleday for the first out in the fifth inning.
One batter later, France hit a chopper in front of the plate that Langeliers grabbed and then fired to first for the second out. With one out in the sixth, first baseman J.D. Davis made a diving stop of Dominic Canzone’s sharp grounder and flipped to Estes, who beat the Mariners right fielder to the base.