WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Interstat) — The Seattle Mariners exploded for six runs in the third inning Monday night and never looked back, defeating the Athletics 9-2 at Sutter Health Park in front of 11,194 fans in a game that lasted 2 hours, 41 minutes.

Seattle right-hander Bryce Miller earned his first win of the season, pitching eight innings and allowing one run on five hits while striking out six. Miller, now 1-0, walked two. Athletics starter Aaron Civale took the loss, falling to 5-2 after surrendering seven runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings. He struck out three and walked one.

The Mariners, who entered the day at 25-29, improved to 26-29. The Athletics, who began the night at 27-26, dropped to 27-27. Seattle snapped a two-game losing streak with the victory, while had its two-game winning streak halted.

The game was scoreless through two innings, with both starters trading zeroes. Civale worked around a two-out single in the first, and Miller retired the side in order in the bottom of the first after a leadoff walk. The Athletics had a chance in the second when Jeff McNeil singled with two outs, but Zack Gelof struck out to end the threat.

Seattle’s third inning broke the game open. Colt Emerson led off with a walk. After J.P. Crawford flied out, Julio Rodríguez singled to put runners at the corners. Josh Naylor grounded into a force out that scored Emerson, but Rodríguez was erased at second. Randy Arozarena doubled to right field, scoring Naylor to make it 2-0. Luke Raley then crushed his 11th home run of the season to right-center field, scoring Arozarena and pushing the lead to four runs. Cole Young followed with a double, and Dominic Canzone hit his fifth homer, a two-run shot to right-center, making it 6-0. Jhonny Pereda singled, but Emerson lined out to left to end the inning.

The Athletics threatened in the bottom of the third. Darell Hernaiz led off with a double, and Carlos Cortes flew out to deep center, moving Hernaiz to third. Nick Kurtz walked, putting runners at the corners, but Shea Langeliers struck out and Brent Rooker struck out on a foul tip to end the inning.

Seattle added a run in the fourth on a leadoff home run by Crawford, his seventh of the season. Civale was lifted after allowing a pair of popouts and a groundout to end the frame, with Jack Perkins taking over. Perkins worked 4 2/3 innings of relief, allowing two runs on three hits and striking out seven.

The Athletics got on the board in the eighth. With one out, Langeliers hit his 13th home run of the season to center field off Miller, cutting the deficit to 7-1. Rooker flew out to end the inning.

Seattle answered emphatically in the ninth. After Crawford struck out and Victor Robles grounded out, Josh Naylor singled. Arozarena then launched his sixth home run of the season to center field, scoring Naylor and extending the lead to 9-1. Raley struck out to end the top half.

The Athletics mounted a small rally in the bottom of the ninth. Tyler Soderstrom led off with a double to left, and Henry Bolte singled to put runners at the corners. McNeil then grounded to first baseman Naylor, who stepped on the bag for the first out, then tagged Bolte as he tried to retreat to second. The play was ruled an unassisted double play, but Soderstrom scored on the groundout, making it 9-2. Gelof struck out to end the game.

The most decisive sequence of the game was Seattle’s six-run third inning, highlighted by back-to-back homers from Raley and Canzone. That outburst turned a tight pitchers’ duel into a comfortable lead that the Mariners never relinquished. Miller, who allowed only a solo homer over eight innings, kept the Athletics off balance with a mix of fastballs and off-speed pitches, while the Mariners’ bats capitalized on Civale’s struggles in the third.

Key performers for the Athletics included Hernaiz, who went 2-for-3 with a double; Langeliers, who was 1-for-4 with a home run and an RBI; and Perkins, who provided 4 2/3 innings of effective relief with seven strikeouts. For Seattle, Arozarena went 3-for-5 with a double, a home run, and three RBIs; Raley had two hits including his homer; and Canzone also homered and drove in two. Crawford added a solo home run.

The game marked the first meeting between the teams since April, when Seattle took two of three in a series at T-Mobile Park. The win moved the Mariners back within one game of the Athletics in the season series, which now stands at 2-2.

Seattle will continue its three-game set in West Sacramento on Tuesday, with the Athletics looking to even the series. After that, the Mariners return home for a six-game homestand against Arizona and the New York Mets, while the Athletics host the New York Yankees before a seven-game road trip.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Athletics 5, Seattle Mariners 3, but the actual outcome was a 9-2 Mariners victory. Interstat’s ELO system had given Seattle a 52.30 percent probability to win the game. Seattle entered as a -1.5 favorite on the run line, and the total of 11 runs went under the pregame over/under of 10.