SEATTLE -- Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez began his Mother's Day like most did Sunday: By calling his mother.

She responded by giving him a few words of advice heading into his start against the Oakland Athletics.

" 'Just go out there and do what you need to do,'" Hernandez remembers his mother saying.

That's exactly what the Mariners' ace did, pitching seven strong innings to lead Seattle to a 4-3 win over the struggling Oakland A's.

Hernandez gave up two home runs to the same player but very little else on Sunday afternoon while leading a series sweep over the A's (12-21).

Hernandez allowed five hits -- two of them homers to Oakland shortstop Marcus Semien -- and two earned runs while improving to 6-0 for the first time in his 10-year career. He struck out six, including his 2,000th career strikeout in the fifth inning.

"It was a pretty special moment," an emotional Hernandez said afterward. "I just have to thank God for the health he gave me. I'm so happy."

Semien had two solo home runs, his fourth and fifth homers of the season, to become the first player since Gordon Beckham of the Chicago White Sox on June 1, 2012, to homer twice off Hernandez in the same game. Catcher Stephen Vogt added a solo homer off Seattle closer Fernando Rodney in the ninth.

But it wasn't enough to help the A's, who were swept for the second time this season and have now lost five in a row.

Oakland manager Bob Melvin was showing signs of frustration after the latest loss, which saw the A's fall to 0-10 in games decided by one run.

"We're going to start winning when we get home," Melvin said, referring to a six-game homestand that begins Monday. "We're a better team than our record. ... It's a good omen that we are in every game."

Seattle (14-17) matched its season-best winning streak of three games with the victory.

Left fielder Dustin Ackley drove in a pair of runs with a fourth-inning double while second baseman Robinson Cano and third baseman Kyle Seager each had an RBI for the Mariners.

Rodney gave up the home run but got through the ninth inning to earn his ninth save of the season. Rodney has successfully converted seven consecutive save opportunities.

Semien drove in the game's first run with a solo home run in the top of the third.

Oakland starter Jesse Chavez didn't allow a hit until the fourth inning, when the Mariners erupted for three hits and three runs to take a 3-1 lead. Seager had an RBI double and came home to score on Ackley's two-run double in the fourth.

In the top of the fifth, Hernandez recorded his fifth strikeout of the game, and the 2,000th of his career, when he caught Oakland's Sam Fuld looking. The 29-year-old Hernandez, who dedicated the win to his mother and wife, became the 73rd pitcher and the fourth-youngest in major-league history to notch 2,000 career strikeouts.

"It seems like every game now he's pitching, he sets a milestone," Ackley said. "I've been with him for a while now, and it just keeps getting better and better."

The Mariners tacked on a run in the bottom of the fifth, when a sacrifice fly from Cano gave Seattle a 4-1 lead.

In 6 2/3 innings, Chavez (1-3) allowed four earned runs off five hits -- all of it coming in the fourth and fifth innings -- while striking out seven.

"I thought he pitched well," Melvin said. "It was one inning."

Vogt had three hits, with two of them coming against Hernandez. Vogt now has seven hits in 12 career at-bats against Seattle's ace. He added a solo homer with one out in the ninth, pulling the A's to within 4-3 before first baseman Ike Davis flew out to center field and pinch hitter Coco Crisp struck out to finish off the loss.

A's third baseman Brett Lawrie went 0-for-3 in the game and 0-for-11 in the series, with five strikeouts, and was lifted for a pinch hitter in each of the past two games.

NOTES: New Oakland RHP Edward Mujica was not on the roster before Sunday's game, as he was still in transit from Boston after a Saturday night trade for future considerations. Mujica, who turned 31 on Sunday, had been designated for assignment by the Red Sox before the Saturday night deal was made. The A's cleared a spot for him on their 40-man roster by transferring RHP Jarrod Parker (broken elbow) from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list, but they will still need to make another move to get Mujica on the 25-man roster. ... Mariners SS Chris Taylor (hand) was a late scratch for Sunday's game. Taylor hurt his hand sliding back into first base during the sixth inning of Saturday night's game, and it was sore Sunday. Brad Miller got the start at shortstop.