Athletics 2, Mariners 1: Coco Crisp and Yoenis Cespedes each hit a solo home run and Jarrod Parker struck out a career-high nine in seven innings as visiting Oakland took the rubber game from Seattle.

Crisp and Cespedes had the only two hits for the Athletics, who have won 11 of 15 and will get a stiff test in a four-game series at first-place Texas over the weekend.

Parker (4-3) yielded one run and three hits while walking four. The 23-year old right-hander has allowed one or no runs in six of his last seven starts to lower his ERA to 2.57.

Mariners starter Kevin Millwood allowed only one hit and struck out three but was lifted after 2 2/3 innings with discomfort in his right groin - the same ailment that forced him out of a no-hit bid on June 8.

Crisp ensured there would not be a no-hitter on Wednesday, leading off the game by taking a 1-0 fastball over the wall in right-center for his second home run.

John Jaso got that run back for the Mariners in the second with a solo home run, his fifth.

Hisashi Iwakuma (1-1) came on in relief of Millwood and did not allow a hit until the seventh, when Cespedes lined his ninth homer out to left-center.

Grant Balfour tossed a scoreless eighth and Ryan Cook worked around an error and a hit-by-pitch in the ninth for his sixth save.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Balfour has not allowed a run in 10 straight appearances, spanning 11 2/3 innings. … Millwood did not have to go on the disabled list after the first injury on June 8 but did have his next start pushed back. … Oakland RHP Bartolo Colon (oblique) will throw a bullpen session on Thursday. A’s LHP Brett Anderson (Tommy John surgery) threw a 30-pitch bullpen session on Wednesday.