Morse helps Mariners top A's - Spokane, North Idaho News & Weather KHQ.com

Courtesy Seattle Mariners

PHOENIX – Starting pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma turned in another solid start and left fielder Michael Morse hit his spring training leading sixth home run as the Seattle Mariners defeated the Oakland A's 6-5 Monday afternoon at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.

The Mariners extended their Cactus League winning streak to five consecutive games to improve to 16-7. Seattle also had a 10-game winning streak earlier this spring.

The A's jumped out to a 2-0 lead on a Derek Norris home run off Iwakuma in the bottom of the fourth inning. Seattle answered right back with three runs in the top of the fifth, with third baseman Brad Miller providing a two-run double. Oakland tied the game in the bottom half of the inning, but Morse gave the Mariners the lead for good with a towering home run over the fence in left-center field.

First baseman Justin Smoak (2x3, R, 2B) and second baseman Dustin Ackley (2x4, 2 RBI) both recorded multi-hit games. Smoak is now batting .390 (16x41) in 13 Cactus League games.

Iwakuma (2-0) battled the Arizona heat to allow six hits and three runs in 5.0 innings. Relievers Stephen Pryor (1.0 IP, K) andCarson Smith (1.0 IP) helped hold off the A's, with Smith recording his first save.

The Mariners (16-7) return to Cactus League play tomorrow night against the San Francisco Giants (9-10-3) at Peoria Stadium (7:05 p.m.). The game will be televised by ROOT Sports and broadcast on 710 ESPN Seattle and the Mariners Radio Network. Right-hander Brandon Maurer (2-1, 0.90) is scheduled to make his fifth spring appearance and second start vs. Giants left-hander Barry Zito (1-0, 3.38).