Bleday homers, Estes earns first win as A's beat Mariners 8-1

SEATTLE (AP) — Rookie starter Joey Estes struck out five in five solid innings after being called up earlier in the day for his first major league win, and the Oakland Athletics beat the Seattle Mariners 8-1 on Saturday night.

Abraham Toro and Brent Rooker hit run-scoring singles in the two-run third inning to put Oakland up 2-1. Max Schuemann added a three-run double in the eighth and JJ Bleday had a two-run homer in the ninth as Oakland snapped a two-game losing streak. The A’s had lost five of six following a six-game winning streak.

Estes took a liner off his right bicep from Julio Rodríguez in the first inning, but gathered the ball for the throw to first and waved off the trainer as he retook the mound.

“You knew he was locked in when Julio’s line drive went off his biceps and I didn’t realize it,” A's manager Mark Kotsay said. “That kid, I don’t know how to describe him really. You take a line drive like that off the biceps, and don’t have the trainers come out, don’t want it recognized. He came in the dugout and we finally got to him and it was already swollen.”

Cal Raleigh hit his 10th home run, a solo shot in the second inning to put Seattle up 1-0. But Estes settled down and it was all Athletics after that.

A’s starters had allowed 55 runs over the previous six games, including an 8-1 loss to the Mariners on Friday night, before Estes (1-0) was called up to replace fifth starter Joe Boyle (lower back injury). He gave up two hits and walked none on 61 pitches.

“That’s awesome,” Estes said after some hazing in the shower room. “I've worked my whole life to be able to say I got a win, so it’s definitely something I’m going to cherish.”

Bryce Miller (3-3) struck out nine, allowing five hits, but started the costly third inning with one of his two walks, to Lawrence Butler. The speedy right fielder moved to second on Brett Harris’ single and scored on Toro’s single to right field. Rooker’s hit to shallow right scored Harris for the 2-1 lead.

The Mariners had beaten the A’s in 13 of their last 14 dating to the start of the 2023 season. They’ve lost three of their last four and four of six. Seattle had been 12-1 in Miller’s last 13 quality starts.

Relievers Mitch Spence, Austin Adams, Lucas Erceg and Michael Kelly combined to give up one hit over the final four innings. Seattle had just three hits and left just one runner on base.

“Coming into the series, Oakland is much improved,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “They have a different ball club. They tightened up their bullpen and they’ve got guys who can put the ball in play.”

SCHUEMANN'S REVENGE

The Mariners intentionally walked Shea Langeliers to get to Schuemann in the eighth, loading the bases for the shortstop.

“I was a little upset obviously,” Schuemann said. “I took it as, like, a motivational thing. My first swing, I took as big a hack as I could, you know? And then I was like, 'All right, I need to settle down.”

He then sent the ball into the left-field corner to put the game out of reach.

RALEIGH’S BIG BAT

Raleigh is the first AL catcher to hit 10 or more homers in his team’s first 40 games since the Yankees' Jorge Posada in 2003. Three NL catchers have accomplished the feat over the same span.

ROSTER MOVE

The A’s optioned LHP Easton Lucas to Triple-A Las Vegas when they recalled Estes for the start.

UP NEXT

Athletics: LHP Alex Wood (1-2, 5.30) closes out the series. He is 1-0 with a 1.72 ERA in his last three starts.

Mariners: RHP Luis Castillo (3-5, 3.54) is first in the AL and fourth in the majors with 56 strikeouts.

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Seattle Mariners' Cal Raleigh (29) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run as Oakland Athletics second baseman Max Schuemann, back left, looks on during the second inning of a baseball game, Saturday, May 11, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond)

Seattle Mariners' Cal Raleigh, center, celebrates in the dugout after hitting solo home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Saturday, May 11, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond)

Oakland Athletics' Abraham Toro watches his RBI single next to Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh during the third inning of a baseball game Saturday, May 11, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond)

Oakland Athletics' Lawrence Butler (4) scores on a hit by Abraham Toro, next to Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh during the third inning of a baseball game Saturday, May 11, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond)

Oakland Athletics' Brent Rooker (25) follows through on an RBI single next to Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh during the third inning of a baseball game, Saturday, May 11, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond)

Seattle Mariners' Josh Rojas reacts after fouling a ball off, next to Oakland Athletics catcher Kyle McCann during the sixth inning of a baseball game Saturday, May 11, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond)

Oakland Athletics second baseman Abraham Toro (31) goes to tag Seattle Mariners' Julio Rodríguez on a steal attmpt during the sixth inning of a baseball game Saturday, May 11, 2024, in Seattle. Rodríguez was tagged out after coming off the bag. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond)

PHOENIX (AP) — A judge on Friday rejected an effort by GOP lawmakers to use the term “unborn human being” to refer to a fetus in the pamphlet that Arizona voters will use to weigh a ballot measure that would expand abortion access in the state.

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Christopher Whitten said the wording the legislative council suggested is “packed with emotion and partisan meaning” and asked for what he called more “neutral” language. The measure aims to expand abortion access from 15 weeks to 24 weeks – the point at which a fetus can survive outside the womb.

It would allow exemptions to save the woman’s life or to protect her physical or mental health. It would also prevent the state from adopting or enforcing laws that would forbid access to the procedure.

Arizona House Speaker Ben Toma, who is a co-chair of the legislative council, said the group will appeal the court’s decision to the state Supreme Court.

“The ruling is just plain wrong and clearly partisan,” said Toma, a Republican.

Aaron Thacker, communications director for Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, noted that the final decision on the ballot itself remains in the air.

“There’s still a lot of scenarios at play," he said. "Even after the secretary certifies the signatures, the courts have to decide if counties can put it on the ballot or not."

Arizona for Abortion Access, the organization leading the ballot measure campaign, sued the council earlier this month over the suggested language and advocated for the term “fetus,” which the council rejected.

Attorney General Kris Mayes wrote in a motion to submit an amicus brief that “fetus" and “pregnancy” are both neutral terms that the council could adopt.

“It’s incredibly important to us that Arizona voters get to learn more about and weigh our measure in objective and accurate terminology,” said Dawn Penich, communications director for the abortion access group.

Democrats have centered abortion rights in their campaigns in this year’s elections. Organizers in five other states have also proposed similar measures that would codify abortion access in their state constitutions: Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Nevada and South Dakota.

Arizona organizers submitted more than double the amount of signatures needed for the measure to appear on the ballot.

FILE - Arizona abortion-rights supporters deliver over 800,000 petition signatures to the capitol to get abortion rights on the November general election ballot July 3, 2024, in Phoenix. A judge on Friday, July 26, rejected an effort by GOP lawmakers to use the term “unborn human being” to refer to a fetus in the pamphlet that Arizona voters will use to decide on a ballot measure that would expand abortion access in the state. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)