OAKLAND — Bryan Woo will likely go down in history because the last Oakland-born pitcher to start out a game on the Coliseum, and the Seattle Mariners right-hander felt right at home Thursday afternoon against the A's.
Woo, who grew up 10 minutes from the Coliseum in Alameda, allowed two hits and struck out six players in six innings and teamed with three relievers to pitch a two-hit shutout that sent the A's to a 3-0 loss in front of 6,571 fans.
The 24-year-old threw a season-high 85 pitches and didn’t allow a single batter to pass while being cheered on by family and friends within the stands.
Woo has faced the A's 4 times in his profession and has yet to permit a run in 21 1/3 innings. In two starts on the Coliseum, he has allowed five hits in 11 scoreless innings.
“Honestly, I think you have to focus a little more when you come home because you see your family and friends, you look in the stands and you see a lot of familiar faces,” Woo said after lowering his ERA to 1.07. “Sometimes it can actually throw you off a little bit.
“So you have to concentrate a little more and focus more on baseball.”
Woo's only error came in his final inning, when the umpires called a pitch clock violation before the first pitch of the inning.
“Just somewhat little bit of confusion,” Woo said. “(Catcher Cal Raleigh) told me to rush up and throw. I wasn't sure if he was signaling me to toss something else. He wasn't quite looking after which I made sure he knew I used to be throwing a fastball.”
On Thursday, Abraham Toro started the first inning with a double and hung on second base. The A's only other hit was a one-out single by Tyler Soderstrom in the fifth.
The A's (25-39) failed to concede a goal for the fifth time this season and lost for the sixth time in eight games.
“We just haven't been in a position to get the correct hit,” A's manager Mark Kotsay said when asked about Woo. “I don't know what it’s about his fastball that's been bothering us.”
Mitch Garver hit a home run and had an RBI single for the Mariners, who lead the AL West and have won nine of 11 games.
Woo (3-0) remained undefeated after pitching out of two early tight spots. Oakland got its first batter to third base in the first two innings, but Woo retired the next three batters in a row in both innings.
Austin Voth and Mike Baumann each retired three batters. Ryne Stanek, who threw the ninth pitch while closer Andrés Muñoz recovers from back pain, put the team in position, earned his fourth save and completed the Mariners' sixth shutout of the season.
Garver walked and scored in the third inning, hit an RBI single against A's starter JP Sears in the fourth inning, then hit a home run against TJ McFarland in the ninth inning.
Seattle's first two runs were scored by players who reached base without being hit.
Garver went first in the third inning and Victor Robles was hit by a pitch. After Ryan Bliss attempted to sacrifice runners and safely loaded the bases, Dylan Moore's sacrifice fly gave Seattle an early lead.
Cal Raleigh was hit by a pitch in the fourth inning, stole second base and scored on Garver's single.
Sears (4-5) matched his season-high eight strikeouts in six innings. The A's left-hander allowed three hits and two runs.
The A's open a weekend series against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday.
Left-hander Hogan Harris (0-0, 3.14) will face former A's star Chris Bassitt (6-6, 4.13) in the series opener.
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