Associated PressOAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Brendan Ryan hit a two-run double in the sixth and added an RBI single in the eighth, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Oakland Athletics 5-3 on Wednesday.Michael Morse and Brad Miller homered for Seattle, which overcame an uneven start by Hisashi Iwakuma to beat the A’s for the fourth time in the past five games between the division rivals.
Iwakuma (12-6) gave up a pair of home runs and pitched with runners in scoring position most of the afternoon, but limited the damage to win his second straight. The Mariners right-hander struck out four and walked two in seven innings.
Coco Crisp and Brandon Moss hit home runs for the A’s, who are 15-16 since the All-Star break.
Ryan entered the game in a 9-for-75 slump and struck out in his first two at-bats before doubling off Oakland starter A.J. Griffin (10-9) with two outs in the sixth.
Ryan hit a two-out, 0-2 pitch sharply down the third base line that glanced off the glove of Oakland’s Josh Donaldson and ricocheted into the A’s bullpen.
Kendrys Morales scored and Dustin Ackley barely beat the relay throw home despite colliding with A’s catcher Stephen Vogt to put the Mariners up 4-3.
Ryan’s RBI single off Dan Otero in the eighth made it 5-3.
Iwakuma wasn’t nearly as crisp as he was in his previous start against Texas, but did make it hold up. He got Alberto Callaspo to fly out with a runner at third to end the sixth, then retired two straight to end the seventh after Oakland got runners on first and third.
Charlie Furbush and Yoervis Medina worked the eighth while Dannny Farquhar struck out the side in the ninth for his ninth save.
The A’s stranded three runners at third, one at second and had another runner get thrown out at the plate.
One day after blowing a four-run lead in a 7-4 loss to the Mariners, Oakland wasted another early lead.
Crisp homered leading off the bottom of the first and Moss hit his 20th of the season in the fourth. Callaspo added a sacrifice fly to give the A’s a 3-1 lead.
Seattle, which overcame a 4-0 deficit to beat Oakland 7-4 on Tuesday, came back again.
Morse hit a towering home run off Griffin in the second and Miller added a leadoff shot in the fifth.
Griffin struck out seven, but continued to have issues with his control. He walked four, giving him 15 over his past three starts.
Notes: A’s C Derek Norris was held out of the lineup after breaking a toe in his left foot during a play at the plate in the eighth inning of Tuesday’s 7-4 loss. The runner, Seattle rookie INF Nick Franklin, suffered a gash that required stitches in his leg. … Mariners slugger Raul Ibanez was given the day off. … Oakland OF Seth Smith sat out a second straight game with an astigmatism in his eye.
