Bobby Crosby's terrific diving stop on an Adrian Beltre grounder with two outs in the ninth saved the game and sealed the win tonight as the A's improved to 15-9 and held on to a share of first place in the AL West.

With Ichiro Suzuki on second base, Beltre's hit would've clearly scored the game-tying run, but Croz dove and fired to a fully-extended Barton a split-second before Beltre reached the bag.

A microcosm of everything going right for the A's, in a young season in which many, many things are breaking right for the A's.

Dana Eveland notched his third win, Street picked up his seventh save, and Frank Thomas kick-started the A's three-run first inning with an RBI single.

The A's won despite recording only three hits...although, they managed seven walks.

Meanwhile the Mariners' execution bit them in the foot.  Ichiro led off the ninth with a single and could've easily stolen second off Street, but instead, the M's opted to bungle a sac bunt attempt and waste an out. 

More egregious was the eighth, where Seattle loaded the bases against Andrew Brown thanks to consecutive walks to Greg Norton and Brad Wilkerson.  (Note: when you walk Greg Norton and Brad Wilkerson, your control isn't optimal).  An equally non-fearsome hitter, Yunotgonnaworkhereanymore Betancourt, stepped to plate with one out.  Take a pitch against a pitcher struggling with his control?  Wait for a strike?  What for?!  This is Mariners baseball, baby!  Betancourt swung at ball two and rolled an inning-ending double play ball. 

Everything is breaking right for our A's.