Mariners 2 - 1 Athletics
Final
  for this game

King Felix, Mariners top Lester, A's

Sep 4, 2014 - 12:30 AM Oakland, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Felix Hernandez outdueled Jon Lester in a test of staff aces and the Seattle Mariners beat the Oakland Athletics 2-1 on Wednesday to close out a three-game series between the AL West rivals.

Kyle Seager and Corey Hart hit back-to-back homers off Lester in the seventh inning to give the Mariners the lead.

Seattle won the last two games of the series against the reeling A's, who have dropped six of their last seven but still lead the AL wild-card race.

Hernandez (14-5) and Lester (13-10) each pitched eight innings.

"We came here to win a series and that's what we did," said Hernandez. "Going against Lester I know it's going to be tough. I just had to make good pitches."

Hernandez gave up three hits, including a homer to Adam Dunn in the fourth inning. He struck out four and walked two. Lester fanned five, walked none and allowed seven hits, including both homers to remain winless in his last four starts.

Hernandez threw 102 pitches, including 63 for strikes to snap a three-start losing streak.

The game was over in 2 hours and 20 minutes.

"It came as advertised," said A's manager Bob Melvin. "Basically (it came down to) three swings of the bat and they got two of them."

Seager homered to right on a 3-1 fastball leading off the seventh inning to tie the score and Hart teed off on an 0-1 fastball, driving it inside the pole in left field to give the Mariners the lead.

Fernando Rodney faced the meat of the Oakland lineup in the ninth inning and retired all three batters, striking out Dunn to end the game and earn his 41st save.

Earlier, Dunn homered for the second time in three games since joining the A's via a trade with the White Sox on Sunday. His blast in the fourth inning -- his 22nd of the season -- was fair inside the right-field pole.

Game Notes

Oakland's Stephen Vogt left the game with a sprained ankle ... The A's are 1-3 in Lester's last four starts ... Seager hit his 22nd home run of the season and Hart his sixth ... The Mariners remain on the road to play Texas in a four-game series starting Thursday ... The A's will host Houston in a three- game series starting Friday.






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