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Moscoso, A's shut out Mariners

Jul 7, 2011 - 2:41 AM Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - Guillermo Moscoso gave up just two hits in seven innings and Scott Sizemore knocked in both runs, leading the Oakland Athletics to a 2-0 win over the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday.

The A's salvaged the finale of this three-game series after dropping the first two games. They did it despite a complete game outing from Mariners starter Jason Vargas, who struck out six and allowed just five hits.

Moscoso (3-4) earned his first win since May 29, a stretch of eight straight starts, after striking out five and walking one.

"A terrific performance," said Oakland manager Bob Melvin.

Moscoso combined on the shutout with Joey Devine, who threw a perfect eighth, and Andrew Bailey, who tossed a 1-2-3 ninth for his eighth save.

"I gotta keep doing my best and try to go deep into games to give my team a chance to win," said Moscoso.

Sizemore hit a solo homer in the first inning for the only run the A's needed, then added an RBI single in the fifth. He had two of Oakland's five hits.

Vargas (6-6) has thrown nine innings in three of his last four starts, but is just 2-2 during that span.

He pitched well enough for the win, but the Mariners had more errors (3) than hits (2) while having their three-game winning streak halted.

Moscoso faced just one batter over the minimum through the first five innings -- a one-out single by Mariners second baseman Dustin Ackley in the second -- while the A's took the lead.

Sizemore knocked a first-pitch fastball over the wall in left-center field with one out in the first inning, giving Oakland a 1-0 lead with his third homer of the season.

The A's had just one more baserunner before the fifth, when Cliff Pennington singled with one out and went to second on shortstop Brendan Ryan's throwing error. He moved to third on a balk, then scored on Sizemore's two-out single.

The Mariners had two baserunners in the last four innings, but neither made it past first.

Game Notes

Seattle starts a four-game series at the LA Angels on Thursday...Oakland finished 4-5 on a nine-game homestand and will travel to start a four-game series against the Texas Rangers that starts Thursday.