• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Parker shuts down Seattle in rubber match

Jun 27, 2012 - 11:11 PM Seattle, WA (Sports Network) - Yoenis Cespedes stroked the go-ahead solo home run in the top of the seventh inning and the Oakland Athletics edged the Seattle Mariners, 2-1, in the finale of a three-game series at Safeco Field.

Coco Crisp cracked a solo homer in the win for the A's, who have come out on top in three of their last four contests.

Jarrod Parker (4-3) allowed just one run on three hits and four walks with nine strikeouts. Grant Balfour allowed the tying run to reach third in the eighth, but escaped unscathed and Ryan Cook worked his way out of trouble in the ninth to record his sixth save of the season.

"He?s got great stuff," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "When he?s throwing the ball over the plate and mixing pitches, he?s a tough guy to score on."

John Jaso provided the only offense with a home run for the Mariners, who have dropped three of their last four games.

Kevin Millwood got the start for the M's and allowed one run on one hit before being pulled with a groin injury in the third inning. Hisashi Iwakuma (1-1) took over and allowed one run on one hit with two walks and three strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings to take the loss.

The A's broke a 1-1 deadlock in the seventh. Following a Josh Reddick groundout, Cespedes cracked a hanging 1-1 slider from Iwakuma, sending it high and over the wall in left-center field to give the A's the lead for good.

The M's threatened to tie the game in the eighth against Balfour. Seager crushed a ground-rule double and moved to third on a fly out by Jesus Montero. Michael Saunders then lined out to shortstop, ending the inning.

Justin Smoak reached with one down in the ninth on an error by Brandon Inge and Brendan Ryan was plunked around a Dustin Ackley fly out to put the winning run in scoring position with two outs. Ichiro Suzuki struck out to end the game.

Earlier, Oakland jumped out in front in its first at-bat when Crisp ripped a 1-0 fastball from Millwood over the wall in right for a leadoff longball.

The Mariners got the run back in the second after Jaso crushed a first-pitch fastball from Parker deep into the seats in right to tie the contest at one.

Game Notes

The A's managed only 10 hits in the three-game series...Seattle went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base...Oakland improved to 15-9 in June and 14-12 in the last game of series this season...Crisp has batted leadoff in each of his last 12 games and is hitting .333 (15-for-41).