The game seemed decided twice in the ninth inning. It wasn't. Josh Naylor's walkoff single brought Raleigh home with the winning run as Seattle defeated Oakland 5-4, capping a wild finish that saw the lead change hands in the final frame.
Cal Raleigh carried Seattle's offense with a 3-for-5 performance that included a home run and two runs scored. The catcher, batting .198 this season with five home runs, provided the crucial insurance run in the third inning with a 405-foot blast to right field. Raleigh also scored the tying run in the sixth and the winning run in the ninth.
The decisive moment came after Oakland appeared to steal the game. Kurtz homered to center field in the ninth inning, a 438-foot shot that tied the game 4-4 and silenced T-Mobile Park. But Seattle answered immediately in the bottom half. Naylor singled to left field, scoring Raleigh from second base to end the game.
Aaron Civale pitched effectively for Oakland, allowing three earned runs over 5.1 innings with five strikeouts. His 3.86 ERA reflects solid work this season, but the Athletics bullpen couldn't hold the late lead. Andres Munoz earned the win for Seattle despite allowing Kurtz's game-tying homer, carrying an 8.00 ERA into the contest.
Seattle snapped a two-game losing streak to improve to 10-15. Oakland's winning streak ended at two games, dropping the division leaders to 13-11.