Athletics 3, Mariners 2

OAKLAND, Calif. – Mark Mulder earned his 14th victory when pinch-hitter Mark Kotsay singled home the winning run in the ninth inning, and the Oakland Athletics beat Seattle 3-2 for the Mariners’ team-record 15th straight road loss.

The A’s won their fifth in a row as Mulder (14-3) pitched his fifth complete game of the season.

Eric Byrnes hit a tying solo homer in the eighth off Seattle reliever Shigetoshi Hasegawa, then Julio Mateo (1-2) gave up Kotsay’s one-hit that scored Scott Hatteberg from second.

Kotsay had been given the day off to rest before the team opens a season-long 11-game road trip in Texas on Friday.

Mulder gave up eight hits in becoming the majors’ top winner this season. Texas’ Kenny Rogers was to try for his 14th victory later at night in Anaheim.

Seattle starter Jamie Moyer pitched a great game, striking out a season-high nine over seven innings, but remained winless in his last eight starts.

The Mariners surpassed the 14 straight road losses from May 21-June 21, 1988. Their last road win this year was June 20 at Pittsburgh.

Seattle couldn’t capitalize on a scoring chance in the eighth. Bret Boone doubled, then reached third on Byrnes’ throwing error from center field. Boone was later caught in a rundown for the second out and Scott Spiezio popped out.

Ichiro Suzuki extended his hitting streak to 20 games, the longest in the majors. He chopped a single to short in the third, just beating out the throw to first by Bobby Crosby. Bucky Jacobsen homered for the Mariners, his fifth of the year.

Byrnes hit his 14th homer of the year and finished with three hits, and Marco Scutaro also had a solo homer for the A’s. Oakland’s winning streak is the club’s longest since getting eight straight victories June 5-13.

Moyer outpitched Mulder and allowed only five hits with one walk. Seattle was swept by the A’s in a three-game series for the first time since Sept. 21-23, 2001, in Oakland.

Moyer, who hasn’t won since June 18 at Pittsburgh, has lost five straight decisions. He is 0-6 in nine day starts this year.

Mulder got through the first inning 1-2-3 in just nine pitches, but allowed Jacobsen’s homer leading off the second, a solo shot that hit off the facing underneath windows in left-center. After the homer, Mulder threw five straight balls, but got out of the inning without further damage.

The lefty had his 11-game winning streak snapped in an 8-3 loss to the Texas Rangers last Friday night.

Seattle took a 2-0 lead in the third when Suzuki scored on Mulder’s wild pitch with the bases loaded. But Mulder then struck out Jacobsen and Raul Ibanez to end the inning.

Mulder struck out three and walked three.

Notes: Mariners manager Bob Melvin acknowledged that INF Dave Hansen and lefty reliever Mike Myers could be candidates to be traded and have drawn interest from other teams. … This is Suzuki’s third career 20-game hitting streak. He has 43 hits this month after getting 50 in May. … Edgar Martinez, who has a seven-game hitting streak, got the day off. Jacobsen was the DH. … The game drew 40,988 fans for root beer float day that raised $50,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

AP-ES-07-28-04 1843EDT