SEATTLE - Sean Manaea’s start Monday at Safeco Field was a little disconcerting, considering he was making his first start off the DL after missing nearly three weeks with shoulder tightness.
Not helped much by an erratic strike zone early on, Manaea walked four batters in the first, including two with the bases loaded, and he needed 38 pitches to get through the inning. He walked another man in the second and gave up a two-run homer to Nelson Cruz in the Mariners’ eventual 6-5 win over Oakland.
Then, reversing course, the left-hander retired the final 10 batters he faced.