M's Lose For 13th Straight Time To A's; Fall 10 Games Out

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By By Associated Press

Summary

Nick Swisher hit a go-head 2-run home run to rally the A's to a 5-4 win Monday.

Story Published: Aug 14, 2006 at 8:17 PM PDT

Story Updated: Aug 31, 2006 at 8:32 AM PDT

M's Lose For 13th Straight Time To A's; Fall 10 Games Out
OAKLAND, CALIF. - Nick Swisher hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning and the Oakland Athletics beat the Seattle Mariners for the 13th straight time, 5-4 on Monday night.

Mark Ellis and Frank Thomas also homered for the first-place A's, who lost the first meeting of the year but have won the last 13 in the season series - the Mariners' second-longest skid to any team in franchise history. The club record for consecutive losses against a single opponent is 15 against the Boston Red Sox during the 1977-78 seasons.

Rafael Soriano (1-2) blew his fourth save chance when he allowed Swisher's shot to right. Soriano relieved George Sherrill after Eric Chavez led off the eighth with a single.

Joe Kennedy (3-0), activated from the disabled list earlier in the day, pitched for the first time since May 9 and got one out for the victory. He missed 84 games with tendinitis in his shoulder.

Justin Duchscherer pitched the ninth for his third save in five opportunities as Oakland won its fourth straight game and sent Seattle to its fifth straight defeat. The Mariners are winless through the first five games of their 11-game road trip.

Willie Bloomquist homered for the first time in nearly two years and Ben Broussard also connected, but that wasn't enough to get Seattle over the hump against its division rival. The A's increased their AL West lead to 5½ games over the Los Angeles Angels, who lost 7-2 to the Yankees in New York.

Ellis hit a tying solo home run with two outs in the fourth with a shot to left-center for his seventh homer of the year, then Bloomquist homered to left leading off Seattle's two-run fifth. It was his first home run since Sept. 27, 2004, a three-run shot also off Barry Zito - a span of 419 at-bats, 461 plate appearances and 689 days.

Thomas hit a towering solo homer in the fifth that reached the second deck of the left-field bleachers before falling down a level, career homer No. 473 for the Big Hurt and his 25th this season.

Broussard hit a two-run homer into the elevated bleachers in right-center in the second to give Seattle an early cushion - not a bad way to start in his first career encounter with Zito. Adrian Beltre extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a fifth-inning double for Seattle and reached base for the 25th straight game with a walk in the first.

Zito, who made his AL-leading 26th start, lasted only five innings for the second straight start. He also was done early in a 14-0 loss to Texas last Wednesday. Zito has given up six home runs in his three August starts and has thrown 196 pitches in his last two outings.

The lefty, 12-2 in 23 career starts against Seattle, got through four innings having thrown 77 pitches, striking out Nos. 4 and 5 hitters Raul Ibanez and Eduardo Perez both looking to end the third.

Ellis homered for the first time in 26 career at-bats against Washburn, who allowed three runs and eight hits, walked three and didn't have a strikeout.

Swisher singled in a run in the second to score Thomas, who drew a leadoff walk.

The A's are 21-9 since the All-Star break, best in the majors. Oakland's 13 wins against the Mariners match its most ever in one season against Seattle after the A's went 13-2 in the series in 1978.