Mariners 4, Athletics 2: Stefen Romero hit a tiebreaking homer and Chris Young pitched six strong innings as Seattle defeated host Oakland in the opener of a four-game series.

Romero had two hits and scored twice and Michael Saunders also had two hits. Young (2-0) gave up two runs and three hits before exiting to win his second consecutive start.

Five relievers blanked Oakland on one hit over the final three innings. Fernando Rodney worked a perfect ninth for his eighth save as Seattle won for the eighth time in 10 games to reach .500.

Seattle scored twice in the first inning on Corey Hart’s single and Kyle Seager’s infield out and the Athletics knotted the game in the fourth on a two-run homer by Brandon Moss. Romero led off the fifth with his first major-league homer and the Mariners added a run in the sixth when Moss struggled to find Brad Miller’s liner due to the lighting and it dropped in to make it 4-2.

Athletics starter Scott Kazmir (4-1) allowed four runs and eight hits in six innings. He struck out nine in six innings of two-hit shutout ball while beating the Mariners on April 13.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Oakland OFs Yoenis Cespedes (leg) and Josh Reddick (ankle) were held out of the starting lineup. Reddick was announced as a pinch hitter in the seventh and then was batted for by Cespedes, who remained in the contest. … Seattle recalled OF James Jones from Triple-A Tacoma to fill the roster spot opened by Sunday’s demotion of CF Abraham Almonte to the same club. … Moss has 70 career homers with 10 coming against the Mariners.