Jason Vargas pitched a three-hit shutout to outduel Cole Hamels as the Seattle Mariners posted a 2-0 victory over the visiting Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday.

Justin Smoak’s sixth-inning single broke a scoreless tie and Adam Kennedy had a run-scoring single as Seattle won two of three from the Phillies and moved within a half-game of first-place Texas in the American League West.

Vargas (5-4) struck out six and walked two while recording his second career shutout. He retired 15 straight hitters until Ryan Howard singled with two out in the ninth. Vargas finished off the shutout by retiring Ben Francisco on a flyball to center field.

Vargas’ first career shutout was a four-hit effort against Tampa Bay earlier this month.

Seattle broke though against Hamels (9-3) in the sixth when Smoak’s two-out bloop single drove home Ichiro Suzuki.

The Mariners scored via the bloop route again in the seventh. Dustin Ackley led off the inning with a booming triple to right-center and scored when pinch hitter Adam Kennedy’s bloop single landed in shallow left-center field to make it 2-0 and finish Hamels’ day.

Hamels gave up two runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out six to raise his career total to 1,000 and didn’t walk anyone.