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Milone throws six shutout innings vs. Tribe

Having won 17 of their past 22 games, and eight straight on the road, the American League Wild Card-leading A's will seek a series sweep on Sunday in Seattle.

Saturday's 5-1 win over the Mariners was the A's eighth consecutive victory on the road -- their most since 2005. They've picked a good time to get hot, as their next five series come against clubs battling for the playoffs -- the Angels, Orioles, Tigers, Yankees and Rangers.

Oakland will send Tommy Milone to the mound to try to make it nine straight on the road on Sunday.

Milone, who is 11-10 on the year with a 3.94 ERA, is 1-1 against Seattle this season, is coming off a rough outing against the Angels in which he surrendered 10 hits on five runs in just three innings in an 8-3 loss.

But Milone, who felt he struggled to keep the ball down in the strike zone against Los Angeles, was rock solid in two previous quality starts, allowing just one run over 14 innings in a pair of victories.

The left-hander has walked just one batter or fewer in each of his past 13 starts, which is the second longest streak by a starting pitcher in A's history. He is one off the record set by Gil Heredia in 1999.

"It probably has to do with how I'd rather have them work their way on base than give them a free pass," Milone said about his control. "I feel like every time I walk someone, they end up scoring."

The A's will will be going up against a familiar face in the Mariners' Jason Vargas, whom they have struggled against this season.

Vargas is 2-0 with a 1.98 ERA in four starts against Oakland and bounced back from a pair of rough outings with a stellar performance against Boston his last time out.

The lefty threw seven innings of one-run ball to extend his career-high wins total to 14.

"The last couple starts had been a little rough on him, but he was back to his normal self today, which was good to see," manager Eric Wedge said after Vargas' last start. "I probably could have sent him back out for the eighth inning, but with his last couple outings, I felt like that was enough for him."

A's: Pitching leads the way
A's pitchers have compiled an impressive 2.83 ERA over their last 21 games. Their starters, meanwhile, have walked three batters or fewer in 37 consecutive games, which is the second-longest streak in Oakland history. The longest is a 41-game stretch in 2000.

For the season, the 211 walks A's starters have issued are the fewest in the AL.

• The A's have hit the second-most homers in the Majors since the All-Star break with 77, trailing only the White Sox 78.

• George Kottaras has homered in back-to-back games for the first time this season after hitting a two-run homer in the fourth inning on Saturday.

Mariners: Montero stepping up
Jesus Montero extended his hitting streak to seven games by going 2-for-4 on Saturday. Over the seven-game stretch, Montero is batting .423 with three multihit games and one homer.

Since the All-Star break, he's hitting an even .300 after batting just .245 over 274 at-bats before the Midsummer Classic, giving him a .266 mark over 117 games this season with 15 homers and 54 RBIs.

• Despite Saturday's loss, the Mariners have won 18 of their past 24 games at Safeco Field.

Worth noting
• The A's are 8-7 in the season series with the Mariners, with four remaining games.

• Coco Crisp has faced Vargas more than any other A's player, batting .333 against him with one homer in 27 career at-bats.

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