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 Lee had the first multi-homer game of his major-league career,
Nelson Cruz hit a two-run shot, and the Mariners defeated the
Oakland A's 9-8 at the Coliseum on Wednesday, sweeping the
three-game series.
Lee, a South Korean who played the past four seasons in Japan's
Pacific League, launched a solo home run off reliever Ryan Dull in
the top of the sixth inning, just minutes after the A's scored six
times in the fifth and knocked Felix Hernandez out of the game.
"When Dae-Ho hit the home run, Cruz and Robby (Cano) said, 'We're
going to win this game, we're going to win this game,'" Mariners
manager Scott Servais said. "You started hearing it right away. It's
contagious."
Leonys Martin reached on a drag bunt, then stole second and raced to
third on catcher Stephen Vogt's throwing error. Ketel Marte brought
Martin home with a double, cutting Oakland's lead to 8-6.
 Then in the seventh, the Mariners scored three more times to take a
9-8 lead. Cruz worked a leadoff walk off left-hander Sean Doolittle.
Franklin Gutierrez grounded into a fielder's choice but took second
on a wild pitch and scored on Kyle Seager's soft single. Then with
two outs, Lee sent a 3-1 pitch from right-hander John Axford (2-1)
over the left-field fence for a two-run homer.
Lee has four home runs this season in only 32 at-bats.
"I'm just happy that we won the game," Lee said through an
interpreter. "I'm just ready for whatever situation I get. I'll just
be ready whenever they call me."
The Mariners won their seventh straight game in Oakland and had
their first series sweep of the season, avenging an A's sweep April
8-10 at Seattle. The Mariners hit three home runs against the A's
for the second straight game and had 16 hits.
"You get into a four-run lead like that and we have our best
(relievers) available for the game, I feel like we're going to win
that every time," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "It didn't happen
today. Unfortunately that's going to happen from time to time. Would
have been a nice game to put away. Just a couple good swings by Lee,
strung a few hits together, Seager doinked one in for another hit
and the next thing you know we've got another ballgame."
Cruz went 3-for-4 and hit a mammoth homer in the fourth inning off
A's rookie left-hander Sean Manaea into the seats to straight-away
center above the luxury suites, giving Seattle a 4-2 lead.
"Highlight for the whole season probably," Cruz said. "Just nice to
have the victory. It was a great win."
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A's shortstop Marcus Semien hit his seventh home run of the season,
a solo shot off Hernandez in the third inning.
Manaea gave up four runs on seven hits over five innings in his
second career start and got his second no-decision. He struck out
six, walked one and blanked Seattle for the first 4 2/3 innings
before giving up four runs in the fourth, two of them on Cruz's
blast.
"We were trying to beat him inside all day with the fastball,"
Manaea said. "That pitch I just left out over the plate. He had seen
the fastball the previous six or seven pitches so he's probably got
the timing down. I should have mixed it up a little bit there."
Hernandez gave up eight runs (four earned) on nine hits and lasted
only four innings, matching his shortest outing against the A's in
42 career starts.
"The offense, they got my back, they picked me up today," Hernandez
said. "The bullpen was really good, too. That was a great win for
us."
Seattle right-hander Mike Montgomery (1-0) blanked the A's on no
hits in the sixth and seventh innings. Joel Peralta pitched a
perfect eighth, and closer Steve Cishek threw a scoreless ninth for
his eighth save in eight chances this season.
NOTES: A's OF Coco Crisp was out of the lineup for a second straight
game. He has a sore heel and also had a doctor's appointment
Wednesday morning for a "non-baseball medical issue," A's manager
Bob Melvin said. "I was going to give him yesterday and today off."
... A's 3B Danny Valencia (hamstring), barring a setback during his
rehab game on Wednesday night with Class A Stockton, will travel
with the A's to Baltimore on Thursday and be activated from the
disabled list Friday when Oakland opens a three-game series with the
Orioles, Melvin said. ... Mariners LHP Wade Miley will make his
sixth start of the season on Thursday in the opener of a four-game
series at Houston. He is 2-2 with a 5.06 ERA and is coming off his
first career shutout and complete game in a 6-0 victory over Kansas
City on Saturday.
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