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Seattle Mariners

Athletics pound on Mariners

Oakland pins rare loss on Seattle’s Iwakuma

Seth Smith’s home run blew the game open in the seventh inning for the A’s. (Associated Press)
Rick Eymer Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif. – Hisashi Iwakuma has been so good for so long that Sunday’s outing seems like some sort of aberration.

Iwakuma lost for the first time since April 23 as the Seattle Mariners dropped a 10-2 decision to the Oakland Athletics.

“He’s not going to be perfect every time,” Mariners manager Eric Wedge said.

Iwakuma (7-2) gave up four runs – just the second time he’s allowed more than three runs in a game – on a season high-tying eight hits. He went five innings, matching his season low, walking three and striking out three.

Iwakuma’s streak of not allowing an earned run was stopped at 31 2/3 innings, second longest in Mariners’ history to Mark Langston’s 34-inning streak in 1988.

“You guys could see that the pitches they hit were up in the strike zone,” Iwakuma said. “That was the adjustment I couldn’t make. They were being very aggressive early in the count and that’s what got me.”

The outing also ended the Mariners starter’s streak of eight straight quality starts, including allowing one run or less in seven of those games. Seattle starters had allowed two earned runs in their last 48 innings before the A’s scored in the fourth.

Endy Chavez had two hits and drove in two runs for the Mariners, who were looking for their first sweep of the season.

Iwakuma allowed his first earned run since May 26 when the A’s got to him in the fourth. Josh Donaldson and Seth Smith hit back-to-back doubles to open the inning and Reddick, who had four hits, followed with an RBI single.

Messy situation

A sewage problem at the Coliseum forced the Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners to use the same locker room after Sunday’s game.

The pipes backed up on the lower levels of the stadium, creating a stink and pools of water in the clubhouses used by both teams and the umpires.

The A’s and Mariners moved to a higher floor and cleaned up postgame in the locker room occupied by the Oakland Raiders during NFL games.

Notes

Mariners LHP prospect Danny Hultzen (rotator cuff strain) remains at extended spring training. The former first-round draft pick last appeared in a game on April 19 with Triple-A Tacoma. … First baseman Justin Smoak (strained right oblique) could return to the M’s lineup as early as tonight.