Baseball: Sweeney leads Mariners past A's

SEATTLE -- Mike Sweeney followed a two-out error with a tiebreaking two-run single in the fifth inning, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Oakland Athletics 4-2 Thursday night.

Doug Fister (3-4) went seven innings, allowing five hits and a run for his first win since Sept. 1.

David Aardsma gave up a solo home run to Jack Cust in the ninth, his 25th, but finished for his 37th save in 41 opportunities. He tied Kazuhiro Sasaki for third on the club's single-season saves list.

Adrian Beltre hit his eighth home run, on Brett Anderson's first pitch of the second. It carried 428 feet into the center-field seats. In each of his past seven seasons, Beltre did not hit fewer than 19 home runs, but he missed 51 games this season with injuries.

Anderson (11-11) had not lost since Aug. 30. He was 4-0 in September with a 2.28 ERA and was 8-3 with a 3.02 ERA over his previous 16 starts.

The Mariners scored three runs in the fifth after third baseman Adam Kennedy's error.

With the score tied at 1, Adam Moore opened with a single and stole second, his first big league steal. Franklin Gutierrez walked with two outs then Jose Lopez hit a high hopper that Kennedy took off his chest. He scrambled to retrieve it but not before Moore slid safely into third.

Sweeney then stroked a two-run single to right-center. Beltre added another run with a single to left, scoring Lopez from second but Sweeney was thrown out trying to take third.

Over his last 23 games, Sweeney is hitting .386 with four home runs and 15 RBIs. He raised his average from .228 to .282.

Kurt Suzuki opened the fourth with his second career triple off the left-field scoreboard. Bill Hall tried to reach it on a jump but it hit above him and bounced 30 yards in front of him and Suzuki easily reached third.

With one out, Daric Barton knocked in Suzuki with a RBI double into the right-field corner, tying the score 1-all.

Fister then retired 11 of the next 12 batters he faced.

The Mariners finished with a 14-5 record over the A's this season, winning the past seven games at Safeco Field and sweeping them in three series.