NEWS » titles.Johnson also started as a safety his entire freshman sea

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Hisashi Iwakumas sore neck nearly prevented the Mariners pitcher from making his scheduled start and continued to bother him throughout the night.The Mariners gave their right-hander two big reasons to stick it out -- a pair of long home runs by Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz.Another stellar outing from Seattles bullpen helped, too.Iwakuma pitched into the sixth inning for his 14th win and the Mariners beat the Oakland Athletics 4-3 on Saturday night for their seventh victory in eight games.I was OK to go today, but as the game progressed I started to feel stiffness, Iwakuma said through an interpreter. My body was starting to fly open. I wasnt as high as I wanted it to be. I kind of felt that throughout the third, fourth, fifth inning, but I was able to get out of jams.Iwakuma (14-7) allowed three runs on nine hits for his eighth win in the last nine starts. He struck out two and didnt walk a batter for the fifth time this season.Four Seattle relievers combined for 3 2/3 scoreless innings. Edwin Diaz retired three batters for his sixth save.Our bullpen was outstanding, Mariners manager Scott Servais said. Very, very good and they needed to be tonight. We didnt have much room for error. Thats a good formula for a win.A day after squandering several scoring opportunities, the Mariners stranded two runners in the first and another in the third before breaking through.Cruz hit his 29th home run leading off the fourth inning. Seth Smith singled in the go-ahead run with two outs in the fifth and Cano hit the next pitch from Kendall Graveman (8-8) over the center-field wall for his 26th homer.We have guys that can hit line drives also but homers are good, too, Cruz said. Whatever way you can score runs, theyre welcome.Khris Davis homered for the second consecutive day while Coco Crisp and Billy Butler had three hits apiece for Oakland.Graveman allowed four runs over six innings and lost for the second time in his past 14 starts. He was pulled after 79 pitches.This year is a lengthy one for him so I dont think its a bad thing to cut it short, As manager Bob Melvin said, explaining his decision to pull Graveman. We had some good performances out of the bullpen. We had some guys rested come in.DAVIS MUSCLES UP AGAINDavis hit his 29th homer leading off the sixth, extending his career-high pace. Whats most impressive is that 16 of Davis home runs have come at the spacious Coliseum, normally considered a pitchers park.Hes making the Coliseum look like a hitters park, Oakland catcher Stephen Vogt said. Youre always making sure youre watching when hes at the plate.TRAINERS ROOMMariners: James Paxton threw a bullpen session and reported no pain six days after getting hit in his left elbow by a line drive. Paxton is on schedule to pitch Tuesday in Anaheim but a decision wont be made for certain until the team sees how he responds Sunday.Athletics: Former closer Sean Doolittle (left shoulder strain) will begin a rehab assignment and pitch one inning for Triple-A Nashville on Monday. The plan is for Doolittle to make two more appearances in the minors before potentially joining the As on their next homestand beginning Aug. 22. ... RHP Jesse Hahn (right shoulder strain) threw 30 pitches off the mound and could begin a rehab assignment soon. ... Josh Phegley (right knee strain) took batting practice before the game but has not done any catching.UP NEXTMariners: Wade LeBlanc (1-0) makes his seventh start in the series finale on Sunday. The lefty last started against Oakland on Sept. 23, 2014.Athletics: RHP Zach Neal (2-1) faces the Mariners for the second time this season. His only loss of the year came against Seattle on May 25 when he allowed seven runs in four innings. Custom Kansas City Royals Jerseys . PETERSBURG, Fla. Custom Los Angeles Angels Jerseys . -- Ohio States Urban Meyer has never had any issue acclimating to the biggest stages in college football. http://www.customjerseysbaseball.com/custom-pittsburgh-pirates-jerseys-694x.html . The Browns coaching search remains incomplete. Custom Arizona Diamondbacks Jerseys . Bradwell was scheduled to become a free agent Tuesday. Born and raised in Toronto, Bradwell is entering his sixth CFL season, with all six played for his hometown Argonauts. Custom Chicago Cubs Jerseys . -- Sergey Tolchinksy scored his second goal of the game 3:56 into overtime as the Sault Ste. AUBURN, Ala. -- Kerryon Johnson was a versatile playmaker who returned kicks, ran the Wildcat and caught some passes out of the backfield as a freshman.Now, his role is more defined: Auburns featured tailback. The Tigers sophomore vaulted to the top of the depth chart entering next Saturdays opener with No. 2 Clemson following the dismissal of top returning runner Jovon Robinson during fall camp and two other departures .Johnson insists his approach hasnt changed with the more prominent role.I prepared every day like this for the past 18 years of my life, he said. I come in, I go to work, I leave. Thats just what I do. I feel like we have a lot of people on the team that do that. That was an unfortunate event obviously, but it didnt change my mind-set at all. I just maybe got a couple of more carries. Ive just got to do my job anyway.Johnson ran for a modest 208 yards last season, often taking direct snaps in the Wildcat formation. His 14 catches led Auburns tailbacks, and he averaged 27.6 yards returning kicks.The top three rushers all left for various reasons. Peyton Barber was an early entry into the NFL draft, Roc Thomas transferred to FCS Jacksonville State and Robinson was booted from the team for off-the-field issues.That leaves Johnson as the only tailback who has logged a carry for the Tigers. Auburn brought in onetime Baylor signee Kam Martin, a 177-pound speedster who anchored a 4x200-meter relay team in Port Arthur, Texas that set a national record. The Tigers also signed Malik Miller, Johnsons high school teammate, and have worked H-back Kamryn Pettway at tailback.But Johnson figures to be the workhorse. He missed most of spring practice after offseason shoulder surgery but packed on 16 pounds to report to preseason camp weighing a sturdier 211.Im real cconfident in him, Tigers receiver Marcus Davis said.dddddddddddd Hes very, very talented. Hes a guy whos really intelligent as well. He does things that I never saw other people do and Im real comfortable with him back there and confident in his abilities.Hes just a real smooth, swift guy. I know hes going to make a lot of plays.Johnson certainly did that at Madison Academy near Huntsville, Alabama. He was the states Mr. Football after rushing for 1,659 yards and 25 touchdowns as a senior and leading the Mustangs to three consecutive state titles.Johnson also started as a safety his entire freshman season after making an impression in a 7 on 7 tournament over the summer, taking over the No. 1 tailback spot during the season.Im not stupid. It took about two plays to realize hes special and he needs to be playing, Madison Academy defensive backs coach Mark Berryman said.Johnson remains one of the players Berryman cites as an example to Madison seniors for the kind of attitude that led him to spend time on the scout team even as the teams star player.Johnson displays a self-deprecating sense of humor on social media -- posting on Twitter that he started sophomore year off strong by getting lost trying to find a class on the first day of fall semester.Berryman doesnt believe Johnsons personality will change as a starting tailback in the Southeastern Conference. He also points to Johnsons runs late in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic to earn MVP honors as evidence that hes a physical runner.He ran the ball between the tackles the last two drives by himself, Berryman said. Theres a lot more to Kerryon Johnson than what you saw last year. ' ' '