By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Oakland Athletics closed out the unofficial first-half of the 2014 season on Sunday with a 4-1 win over the Mariners in Seattle. The A’s had lost the first two games of the series and did not want to end the first-half by being swept. Oakland avoided the sweep due to the excellent pitching of Sonny Gray.

Gray made his 19^th start of the season on Sunday. He worked 7.2-innings giving up just one run (unearned) on six hits. Gray struck out five hitters and walked just two men. He threw 108 pitches (70 strikes) on the way to his 10^th win of the season. Gray’s overall record is now 10-3.

Gray was lifted in the eighth-inning with two men on base. Sean Doolittle was brought in from the bullpen to go for the four-out save. He induced Kyle Seager to pop out to end the eighth-inning and set the Mariners down in order in the ninth to earn his 14^th save of the season.

The Mariners scored their only run of the game in the first-inning. James Jones singled with one out. With Robison Cano at bat, Sonny Gray made an errant throw to first in attempt to pick off Jones. The poor throw allowed Jones to go from first to third. Cano hit a soft grounder to Gray and Jones scampered home on the throw to first. That would be the only score the Mariners would post in the game.

The A’s did not give Gray any run support until the top of the fifth-inning. Jed Lowrie hit a one-out double to left. After Punto lined out to center, Andy Parrino drew a walk. Craig Gentry hit a line drive single to center that allowed Lowrie to score and Parrino to move up to second base. John Jaso hit a single to left that drove in Parrino from second. The Athletics finished the top of the fifth leading 2-1.

Oakland added to their lead in the sixth-inning. With one out, Brandon Moss hit his 21^st home run of the season over the right field wall. Moss’ round-tripper gave the A’s a 3-1 lead.

The A’s added an insurance run in the top of the ninth-inning when Nick Punto hit his second homer of the season. Seattle reliever Joe Beimel hung a slider and Punto hit it down the left field line just clearing the wall for the A’s fourth run of the game.

Chris Young (8-6) took the loss for Seattle. Young worked six-innings giving up three runs (all earned) on five hits. The Mariners used five pitchers en route to their 44^th loss of the season.

The unofficial end of the first-half of the season comes to a close with the Athletics recording the best record in baseball with 59 wins versus just 36 defeats.

The A’s posted two RBI with two-out in the contest. Gentry and Jaso each recorded a RBI with two men out in the inning. They left runners in scoring position with two out just one time in the game.

Oakland’s pitching and defense held the Mariners 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. The M’s left runners in scoring position with two out three times in the game.

The A’s now have four days off before kicking off the “second-half” of the season on Friday night in Oakland versus the first-place American League East Baltimore Orioles. Jeff Samardzija is scheduled to start the game for the A’s.