Athletics beat Mariners 2-0

SEATTLE — Emil Brown homered and Greg Smith allowed four hits over six innings for his first win since June as the Oakland Athletics beat the Seattle Mariners 2-0 on Thursday night.

Carlos Gonzalez added an RBI single in the top of the ninth.

Rookie reliever Brad Ziegler allowed a single by Jose Lopez, a double by former Athletic Tug Hulett and walked Jeff Clement to load the bases with one out in the bottom of the inning. But Ziegler got No. 9 hitter Yuniesky Betancourt to chop into a game-ending double play for his fourth save.

Oakland won for the seventh time in 32 games since the All-Star break.

Smith (6-12), one of the 10 rookies on Oakland's current roster, is 1-0 with 12 scoreless innings in two starts against the Mariners. He's 5-12 with a 4.08 ERA against everyone else. He had six consecutive losses from June 30.

Ichiro Suzuki had three hits and converted reliever Ryan Rowland-Smith (2-2) allowed four hits in seven innings for the Mariners (46-81), who lost their seventh straight game and are an AL-worst 35 games under .500.

They are a major league-worst 12-27 against left-handed starters — and will see three more in this weekend series.

Rowland-Smith struck out six and walked three. He had a two-hit shutout with two outs in the sixth when Brown hit his first pitch for his 12th homer, clearing Oakland's bullpen bench beyond left field.

Plate umpire Bill Hohn called the next pitch to Frank Thomas a strike. Thomas, who had already been mad at Hohn for calling him out on strikes in the second inning and is on a career high-tying, 0-for-19 skid, angrily spun away from home plate and took a short walk. He was muttering without looking at the umpire when Hohn ejected him. The veteran designated hitter then became irate and had to be separated from Hohn by manager Bob Geren. Thomas tossed his bat over his right shoulder and threw hit batting helmet in the direction of the umpire as he stomped off the field.

Smith had his 14th pickoff of the season in the fourth, after he walked and then completely fooled Wladimir Balentien. That's the most by a major league pitcher since 1997, when Andy Pettitte had 14 for the Yankees.

Notes:@ Oakland All-Star RHP Justin Duchscherer and RHP Sean Gallagher went on the DL retroactive to Wednesday. Geren is optimistic Duchscherer, who has inflammation on his right hip that had surgery on it last summer, will be back next month. He's not so sure about Gallagher, who has shoulder fatigue. ... Brandon Morrow, Seattle's fifth overall pick in 2006 who was converted to a starter this month, struck out 10 and walked one in 4 2-3 innings while allowing two hits and two runs for Triple-A Tacoma on Thursday. The Mariners may have Morrow make one more start there before adding them to the rotation.