SEATTLE -- Nelson Cruz hit his 300th home run and drove in five, James Paxton allowed two hits over seven innings and the Seattle Mariners beat the Oakland Athletics 7-2 on Friday night.
Cruz's three-run drive off Liam Hendricks put Seattle up 6-2 during a four-run eighth. Cruz also had RBI singles in the first and third as Seattle snapped a four-game skid.
Paxton (7-3) did not allow a hit after Marcus Semien's two-run double in the second. The left-hander matched a season high with nine strikeouts while walking three and hitting a batter.