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OAKLAND, Calif. -- Hisashi Iwakumas sore neck nearly prevented the Mariners pitcher from making his scheduled start and continued to bother him throughout the night.The Mariners gave their right-hander two big reasons to stick it out -- a pair of long home runs by Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz.Another stellar outing from Seattles bullpen helped, too.Iwakuma pitched into the sixth inning for his 14th win and the Mariners beat the Oakland Athletics 4-3 on Saturday night for their seventh victory in eight games.I was OK to go today, but as the game progressed I started to feel stiffness, Iwakuma said through an interpreter. My body was starting to fly open. I wasnt as high as I wanted it to be. I kind of felt that throughout the third, fourth, fifth inning, but I was able to get out of jams.Iwakuma (14-7) allowed three runs on nine hits for his eighth win in the last nine starts. He struck out two and didnt walk a batter for the fifth time this season.Four Seattle relievers combined for 3 2/3 scoreless innings. Edwin Diaz retired three batters for his sixth save.Our bullpen was outstanding, Mariners manager Scott Servais said. Very, very good and they needed to be tonight. We didnt have much room for error. Thats a good formula for a win.A day after squandering several scoring opportunities, the Mariners stranded two runners in the first and another in the third before breaking through.Cruz hit his 29th home run leading off the fourth inning. Seth Smith singled in the go-ahead run with two outs in the fifth and Cano hit the next pitch from Kendall Graveman (8-8) over the center-field wall for his 26th homer.We have guys that can hit line drives also but homers are good, too, Cruz said. Whatever way you can score runs, theyre welcome.Khris Davis homered for the second consecutive day while Coco Crisp and Billy Butler had three hits apiece for Oakland.Graveman allowed four runs over six innings and lost for the second time in his past 14 starts. He was pulled after 79 pitches.This year is a lengthy one for him so I dont think its a bad thing to cut it short, As manager Bob Melvin said, explaining his decision to pull Graveman. We had some good performances out of the bullpen. We had some guys rested come in.DAVIS MUSCLES UP AGAINDavis hit his 29th homer leading off the sixth, extending his career-high pace. Whats most impressive is that 16 of Davis home runs have come at the spacious Coliseum, normally considered a pitchers park.Hes making the Coliseum look like a hitters park, Oakland catcher Stephen Vogt said. Youre always making sure youre watching when hes at the plate.TRAINERS ROOMMariners: James Paxton threw a bullpen session and reported no pain six days after getting hit in his left elbow by a line drive. Paxton is on schedule to pitch Tuesday in Anaheim but a decision wont be made for certain until the team sees how he responds Sunday.Athletics: Former closer Sean Doolittle (left shoulder strain) will begin a rehab assignment and pitch one inning for Triple-A Nashville on Monday. The plan is for Doolittle to make two more appearances in the minors before potentially joining the As on their next homestand beginning Aug. 22. ... RHP Jesse Hahn (right shoulder strain) threw 30 pitches off the mound and could begin a rehab assignment soon. ... Josh Phegley (right knee strain) took batting practice before the game but has not done any catching.UP NEXTMariners: Wade LeBlanc (1-0) makes his seventh start in the series finale on Sunday. The lefty last started against Oakland on Sept. 23, 2014.Athletics: RHP Zach Neal (2-1) faces the Mariners for the second time this season. His only loss of the year came against Seattle on May 25 when he allowed seven runs in four innings.JK Scott Super Bowl Jersey . Aduriz headed home Markel Susaetas cross in the sixth minute to open the scoring at San Mames Stadium. He bettered that with a long-range blast that went in off the goal frame in the 18th, and converted a penalty in the 72nd after Diego Mainz was sent off for fouling Aduriz with only the goalkeeper to beat. Aaron Rodgers Super Bowl Jersey . Pence singled in the winning run with no outs in the ninth inning to give the Giants a 7-6 victory over the San Diego Padres on Sunday. http://www.packersonlineteamstore.com/billy-turner-jersey.html . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. Rashan Gary Super Bowl Jersey . -- Playing time has been limited for Maxim Tissot this season, so the Montreal Impact defender made the most of his first scoring opportunity on Saturday. Darnell Savage Jr. Super Bowl Jersey .com) - The game was all punts and field goals before Kodi Whitfields catch.Rory McIlroy said he is “very excited” after shooting a second round 71 to go into the weekend three under par at Augusta.The Northern Irishman made a good start to his round with back-to-back birdies at two and three but followed that up with a double bogey at four and a bogey at the fifth.After bogey at 11, McIlroy birdied three of his final eight holes to put himself in a strong position going into the weekend, five years on from surrendering a commanding lead in the final round at the Masters.Im very excited, its my best position going into the weekend at Augusta for a long time and hopefully I can go out there tomorrow and battle again, he told Sky Sports.I think the conditions are going to be very similar again so hopefully I can play another good round of golf and give myself a great chance on Sunday.McIlroy admitted that he likes to be aware of his position on the leaderboard when he is out on course.I knew what was going on, Im a bit of a leaderboard watcher and I like to know where I stand, at least going into the weekend, he added. McIlroy admitted that he is a bit of a leaderboard watcher I think three under is the best in the clubhouse right now and if no one does anything on the back nine, I want to try and get into that final group.Thats the position Im in at the minute, well see where that finishes at the end of the day but that was my objective over the last few holes and thankfully I played them well.ddddddddddddI came off the golf course last night disappointed with the way I finished, Im feeling a lot better after that finish today.Im in a great position going into the weekend, obviously Jordan still has a few holes to play so well see where he finishes up but I like where Im at going into the weekend.Meanwhile, Shane Lowry blamed mental errors for a second round of 76 which dropped him down the leaderboard on a testing second day of the Masters. Shane Lowry shot 76 in the second round It was tough, said Lowry, who was joint second overnight after an opening 68.I didnt do myself any favours with the start I got off to, which was just purely a mental error on the first and second and all of a sudden I have two bogeys on the card.I felt like I fought really hard today and I was really disappointed to bogey the last because if I had been standing here one under I would have been really happy. I am still in a decent spot for the weekend depending on what the leaders do.You have to be mentally strong and tough and I managed to keep my head on quite well today and play some golf.Also See:Day: Conditions very trickyWATCH: McIlroy five years on ' ' '