Mariners 5, Athletics 3
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Shortstop Brendan Ryan went 2-for-3 with a double and drove in three runs Wednesday, and the Seattle Mariners came from behind for the second straight day to beat the Oakland A's, this time by a 5-3 count.
Michael Morse and Brad Miller hit solo homer runs for the Mariners, while Coco Crisp and Brandon Moss launched solo shots for the A's.
Mariners right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma (12-6) earned the win, allowing three runs on seven hits over seven innings. He struck out four and walked two. Iwakuma improved to 3-2 against the A's this season and snapped a two-game losing streak vs. Oakland.
A's right-hander A.J. Griffin (10-9) took the loss. He allowed four runs and five hits over six innings, striking out seven and walking four. Griffin gave up both Mariners home runs, raising his total for the season to 30, the most home runs allowed in the major leagues. Twenty-two of those were solo home runs. Griffin has walked 15 batters over his past three starts. He walked 15 in his previous 13 starts.
Relievers Charlie Furbush, Yoervis Medina and Danny Farquhar combined to blank the A's over the final two innings. Farquhar pitched a perfect ninth with three strikeouts for his ninth save.
The Mariners, who took two of three games to win the series, overcame a 4-0 first-inning deficit Tuesday night, rallying for a 7-4 win. This time the Mariners trailed 3-1 after four innings then roared back.
The A's took a 1-0 lead when Crisp led off the game with his 11th home run of the season, hitting Iwakuma's first pitch into the right field seats. Crisp has hit four leadoff home runs this season and 12 for his career, including 10 with the A's.
Morse answered with a solo home run in the second off Griffin, a monster shot to deep center. The home run was Morse's 13th of season and fifth against the A's, all five at the O.co Coliseum.
The A's scored twice in the fourth, taking a 3-1 lead. Moss led off with an opposite-field homer to left center, his 20th home run of the season. Yoenis Cespedes followed with a double to left center, moved to third on Josh Reddick's bloop single and scored on Alberto Callaspo's sacrifice fly.
Seattle cut Oakland's lead to 3-2 in the fifth when Miller hit a home run to right with two outs off Griffin. Then in the sixth, the Mariners scored two more runs, taking a 4-3 lead.
Kendrys Morales walked and moved to second when Griffin walked Dustin Ackley with two outs. Ryan brought them both home with a double down the left-field line. Ackley scored in a close play at the plate, sliding in ahead of catcher Stephen Vogt's tag. As he slid, Ackley upended Vogt, and the catcher fell hard on his back as his head snapped back. Trainers examined Vogt -- the A's only healthy regular catcher -- and he remained in the game.
The A's wasted a great chance to tie the game in the seventh after Eric Sogard walked, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and advanced to third on a wild pitch by Iwakuma. Jed Lowrie then hit a hard ground ball to Ryan at shortstop, who was playing in. Ryan went low to snag it and, with his right knee on the ground, threw home, catching Sogard in a rundown for the second out. Josh Donaldson popped out for the final out.
Seattle added an insurance run in the eighth. After A's left-hander Jerry Blevins walked Justin Smoak with one out, right-hander Dan Otero gave up a single to Morse and, with two outs, an RBI single to Ryan.
NOTES: Oakland C Derek Norris (broken left big toe) was out of the lineup Wednesday against Seattle, one day after being injured, but A's manager Bob Melvin said the team has not decided whether he'll need to go on the disabled list. "I'm going to be as optimistic as possible," Norris said. "It's just a matter of how much the swelling goes down and how much the pain goes down in the next 48 hours." ... A's LF Seth Smith missed his second straight game Wednesday against Seattle because of an astigmatism, a condition that can cause blurred vision. Smith was not at Wednesday's game because he was being examined by doctors, Melvin said. "I'm not sure how long it's been bothering him," Melvin said. "Hopefully we have him come Friday in Baltimore." ... Mariners 2B Nick Franklin (lacerated left knee) was out of the lineup, one day after being injured. While sliding safely into home plate in the eighth inning Tuesday night, Franklin was cut by Norris' spikes. He had five stitches. "He's sore," Mariners acting manager Robby Thompson said. "Friday, we'll re-evaluate and see where he's at. But he's going to be sore. It was a nice little gash, and hopefully Friday or Saturday he'll be available to go. I think they'll be able to pad it up to protect it."
