Pratt's Instant Replay: Athletics 4, Mariners 2

BOX SCORE

SEATTLE -- To sweep or be swept? That is the question. The A's broke out the brooms in Seattle, defeating the Mariners 4-2. Oakland has now swept three of their last four series, and the one series they didn't sweep, they got swept by the Angels. Tommy Milone became the first A's rookie pitcher to reach 12 wins since Joe Blanton in 2005. He is now tied with Blanton and Chris Codiroli (1983) for most rookie wins in Oakland history. Milone is also making history in another significant manner. He's allowed just one walk or less in his last 14 starts. That ties Gil Heredia (1999) for the longest such streak in Oakland history. Starting Pitching ReportMilone tied one of his own personal records as well with 10 strikeouts. He didn't issue a single walk. He lasted six innings and gave up two earned runs on eight hits. Overall, a very good day for the rookie pitcher.Predominantly using his off-speed stuff, Milone struck out five of the first six batters he faced in the game. He didn't really get into a jam until the fourth inning. After allowing two batters to reach with singles, he blew a two-out, full count fastball by Mike Carp to end the inning. After the A's rallied for three runs in the fifth inning, Milone couldn't get a shutdown inning. He gave up a run on a two-out triple hit by Michael Saunders. He struck out the next batter to end the inning.Kyle Seager led off the sixth inning with a solo homer to right field, making it 3-2. Reddick scaled the right field wall but couldn't reach the ball. It was a spider-man-like effort, though. Milone ended the first six innings of the game with strikeouts. At the PlateThe A's were having trouble against Mariners lefty Jason Vargas until the fifth inning. With two outs the A's rallied for three runs. Adam Rosales and Coco Crisp reached on singles and then Jonny Gomes crushed a three-run blast to left field. Gomes has been an essential piece to the A's puzzle. He has 16 home runs in 83 games this season, and eight of them have come since the All-Star Break. It's hard to imagine where the A's would be if Manny Ramirez was taking at-bats away from Gomes. Odds are the 40-year-old slugger wouldn't be sniffing Gomes' stats at this point. The A's didn't score again until the eighth inning, when Josh Donaldson smacked a solo homer to left field. Donaldson now has six home runs and 24 RBI since being recalled on August 20. Bullpen ReportPat Neshek entered in relief of Milone in the seventh inning. He retired two batters and didn't allow a base runner. Jerry Blevins finished the inning. Ryan Cook pitched a scoreless eighth inning. Has not allowed a run in 10 of his last 11 outings. He struck out two batters. Grant Balfour pitched the ninth inning with a two-run lead. He allowed a leadoff double down the left field line to Casper Wells, then pitched around it without allowing a run. He is now a perfect 9 for 9 in save opportunities since regaining the closer's role. In the FieldReddick robbed Seattle's leadoff hitter Franklin Gutierrez to start the game. Gutierrez hit a ball that looked like it might fall in until Reddick made a full extension head-first dive to take away the hit. He saved a potential run in the ninth inning with a sliding catch to rob Eric Thames.AttendanceThe Mariners announced an attendance of 14,403. Up NextThe A's travel to Anaheim to open a four-game series with the Angels. Jarrod Parker (9-8, 3.67 ERA) will be on the mound for the A's. He is 4-5 with a 5.10 ERA in his his last 11 starts. He is one win shy of becoming the 10th rookie pitcher in Oakland history to win 10 games.