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Seattle Mariners

Mariners edge A’s in 11 innings

Mariners' Dustin Ackley slides to score while avoiding the tag of Oakland Athletics catcher Kurt Suzuki during the second inning of Tuesday's game in Oakland, Calif. (Ben Margot / Associated Press)
Associated Press
OAKLAND, Calif. – Franklin Gutierrez scored the go-ahead run on a throwing error by Athletics shortstop Cliff Pennington in the 10th inning and the Seattle Mariners held on to beat Oakland 4-2 on Tuesday night after wasting a stellar performance by All-Star Felix Hernandez. Gutierrez singled off A’s closer Andrew Bailey (0-1) leading off the inning and stole second with one out. Brendan Ryan then hit a soft grounder to second baseman Jemile Weeks, who flipped the ball to Pennington for the force at second before Pennington’s relay sailed wide left of first base. Adam Kennedy followed with an RBI double to make a winner of Brandon League (1-4), who blew a save opportunity in the ninth. Kurt Suzuki homered for the A’s, who have lost nine of 13. Dustin Ackley singled and scored an unearned run in the second then homered against Oakland starter Trevor Cahill leading off the seventh, helping the Mariners to their third straight win. Jamey Wright earned his first career save in his 500th career appearance. Seattle’s win came after League, the A.L. leader in saves, failed to hold a 2-1 lead. Oakland rookie Jemile Weeks led off the ninth with a ground-rule double and was sacrificed to third. Coco Crisp then hit a short fly to left but Carlos Peguero bobbled the ball, allowing Weeks to score the tying run. It was the first run allowed by Seattle’s bullpen since June 24. Gutierrez and Kennedy helped get League off the hook. Before that, the A’s didn’t get much at all against Hernandez, who struck out 10 over eight innings. It’s the fifth time this season and the 14th time in his career that Hernandez has reached double digits in strikeouts. Seattle’s ace, who dominated Oakland with a complete-game gem on opening day, did not walk a batter and only allowed an eighth-inning solo home run to Suzuki while lowering his ERA to 1.09 against the A’s this season. Cahill allowed two runs with four strikeouts over seven innings and was on the hook for the loss until the A’s bailed him out in the ninth. Instead, Bailey (0-1) took the loss after giving up both runs in the 10th.