Lefty leads combined shutout against Mariners

SEATTLE -- Lefty Jon Lester navigated his way through consistent turbulence with ace-like savvy, and the A's gave him two solo home runs from Sam Fuld andBrandon Moss to help put away the Mariners, 4-0, on Sunday and claim this pivotal three-game set at Safeco Field.

It's the first time since Aug. 22-23 the A's have won back-to-back games, ensuring they enter their final off-day of the regular season with a 1 1/2-game lead over the Royals for the top American League Wild Card spot with 13 to play. Seattle sits 2 1/2 back.

"If there was a series we needed to win, it was this one," said Moss. "You don't want to be sitting there a half-game up or whatever it might be on those guys, especially with Detroit and Kansas City playing the way they're playing.

"You can't depend on other people to take care of your business for you. You have to go out and win the games you're supposed to win. We did a good job of that this series."

Fuld provided the first run of the day with a one-out homer in the first off Chris Young and was also responsible for Oakland's third run via an RBI single in the eighth, but it was Moss' seventh-inning long ball off Young that proved most encouraging for these fighting A's, who had dropped 21 of 30 games entering the series.

Moss had not homered since July 24, a week before Lester arrived, snapping a 39-game homerless streak -- his longest with the Athletics. That's why he alerted teammate Jonny Gomes, "Finally, I'm not 0-for-Lester anymore."

He hadn't been doing much of anything, really, following a torrid, 21-homer first half that resulted in his first All-Star appearance. Since that time, leading into Sunday's affair, he had two home runs and a .176 average.

"A relief for everyone, certainly for him," said manager Bob Melvin. "His comment to me was, 'Boy, that felt good.' We've seen him do it many times, but the longer you go in a draught like that, the more it kind of gets in your head to an extent. He's been taking some good swings recently, but that's the type of swing you're used to seeing."