Mariners finish off sweep of A’s

SEATTLE – Jose Lopez homered, newly acquired Bill Hall drove in two runs and Luke French won his third game in four decisions since joining the Mariners in Seattle’s 5-3 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday night.

Relievers Miguel Batista, Mark Lowe and David Aardsma kept Oakland scoreless over the final 41/3 innings to help Seattle complete a three-game sweep.

It was Seattle’s first series sweep since June 19-21, against Arizona.

Aardsma allowed a single to Mark Ellis and a bloop hit to Ryan Sweeney to begin the ninth. He struck out Tommy Everidge looking at a 96 mph fastball. Pinch-hitter Nomar Garciaparra then looked at another 96 mph pitch on the inside corner for strike three. Adam Kennedy grounded out to conclude Aardsma’s 30th save in 34 chances, as the Mariners stayed on the fringes of the wild-card race, 71/2 games behind front-running Boston.

Lopez’s 19th home run of the season was a two-run shot in the first off Gio Gonzalez.

Hall singled under Gonzalez’s glove in the third to score Jack Hannahan, after the former Athletic had doubled. In the fifth, Gonzalez (4-5) walked Hannahan and Lopez doubled him to third. Hall made it 4-1 with a sacrifice fly.

Hall’s other two-RBI game with Seattle was Friday at Cleveland, his first game after a trade from Milwaukee.

French (4-3), making his fifth start since Seattle acquired him from Detroit in the Jarrod Washburn trade, allowed Oakland back into it in the sixth. Rajai Davis singled leading off, then Kurt Suzuki hit an 0-2 changeup for his 11th home run.

One out later, Jack Cust hit a drive down the right-field line and off a seldom-reached, top window of a restaurant. First-base umpire Mike Winters ruled it foul. A’s manager Bob Geren came out and asked Winters, the crew chief, “That went over the pole, didn’t it?”

After a couple minutes’ delay for a review, Winters emerged with his crew and again signaled foul ball instead of a tying home run. Cust struck out, Ellis walked and French left.

The 23-year-old left-hander allowed six hits and three runs in 52/3 innings.

Silva rehabs

Seattle right-hander Carlos Silva, on the DL since May 9 with shoulder inflammation, felt fine after a 40-pitch simulated game. He may head out on a minor league stint next week and then finish the season in the bullpen.

Mariners 5, Athletics 3

E—R.Davis (4). LOB—Oakland 7, Seattle 6. 2B—R.Sweeney (21), Hannahan (11), Jo.Lopez (34), M.Sweeney (13), Ro.Johnson (18). HR—Cust (20), off French; K.Suzuki (11), off French; Jo.Lopez (19), off G.Gonzalez. RBIs—K.Suzuki 2 (59), Cust (57), Jo.Lopez 2 (78), M.Sweeney (23), Hall 2 (4). SF—Hall.

RLISP—Oakland 3 (R.Davis, Kennedy 2); Seattle 4 (Branyan 2, Ro.Johnson, Hall).

IR-S—Batista 1-0. T—2:40. A—18,695 (47,878).