Recap: Oakland vs. Seattle
Sports Network | September 21, 2008
Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - Jack Cust's two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning was the difference as the Oakland Athletics edged Seattle, 5-3, to complete the three-game sweep of the Mariners.
Aaron Cunningham had a pinch-hit, two-run double for Oakland, which recorded its first sweep in 27 series. The A's have won seven of their last eight overall.
Sean Gallagher started for Oakland and allowed three runs on four hits and three walks in 6 2/3 innings, but didn't factor into the decision. Brad Ziegler (3-0) took the win after tossing a perfect eighth inning.
Ichiro Suzuki and Jeremy Reed each finished with a hit and a run batted in for the Mariners, whose losing streak reached 11 games. Brandon Morrow gave up three runs on two hits and five walks in a 6 1/3-inning start for Seattle, while Miguel Batista (4-14) got the loss after allowing two runs in 1 1/3 frames.
Seattle had a 3-0 lead after the top of the seventh inning, but Oakland tied the game in short order in the bottom half.
After Cliff Pennington worked a one-out walk, Bobby Crosby doubled to left field to plate Oakland's first run. Daric Barton was then walked as Morrow was pulled in favor of Batista.
Pinch-hitter Cunningham then greeted Batista with a double to left to make it a 3-3 game.
Ziegler shut down the Mariners in the top of the eighth, and after Ryan Sweeney walked to lead off the home eighth, Cust drilled a two-run shot over the left-field fence.
Joey Devine came on for the A's in the ninth and worked around a two-out single to record his first career save.
Reed's RBI double in the fourth gave Seattle a 1-0 lead, and run-scoring singles from Suzuki and pinch-hitter Yuniesky Betancourt in the seventh gave the Mariners a 3-0 edge.
Seattle's Miguel Cairo has gone 772 consecutive at-bats without a home run, the longest such drought in the majors...Each team left seven runners on base...Cust's homer was his 30th of the season, the first time he's reached that plateau in the major leagues.
