Tampa Bay rookie PK Roberto Aguayo has rebounded

SEATTLE -- Robinson Cano made sure the Seattle Mariners upheld their end of the wild-card equation.Cano hit two home runs, Taijuan Walker pitched six effective innings and the Seattle Mariners moved within one game of the second AL wild-card spot, beating the Oakland Athletics 5-1 Friday night.You want the other teams to lose, but at the same time youve got win, Cano said. You get to watch it here, but when its time to play, its time to play. Youve just got to go out and give it everything youve got.Seattle, which has won seven of nine, is one game behind Toronto for the second spot. The Mariners also trail Detroit by a half-game.We needed somebody to help us out today, Seattle manager Scott Servais said. We got a little help, but more importantly, we took care of business.Cano had a two-run homer in the first. He added his 38th home run in the third, a solo shot that gave him 100 RBI for the season. Norichika Aoki and Nelson Cruz also homered off Raul Alcantara (1-3), who was tagged for five runs and seven hits in two-plus innings.With Raul today, balls were over the middle of the plate, and unfortunately more mid-thigh than weve seen him, so he just had a tough night, Oakland manager Bob Melvin said.Walker (8-11) allowed one run on two hits in six innings, but walked five in a 113-pitch outing. The only run came on Ryon Healys 13th homer to open the sixth. Evan Scribner, Nick Vincent and Steve Cishek each pitched a scoreless inning of relief.It was just one of those weird starts where one hitter everything was locked in, the next hitter it was all over the place, Walker said. But, I just kept fighting.Cano drove a 1-1 pitch over the wall in center to give the Mariners to a 2-0 lead in the first after a leadoff infield single by Aoki.Aoki made it 3-0 in the second with his fourth homer just inside the right-field foul pole.Cano opened the third with another home run to center and Cruz followed with his 42nd homer to make it 5-0.The As loaded the bases in the fifth on two walks and a two-out error by second baseman Cano, but Walker retired Stephen Vogt on a popout.Zach Neal came on for Alcantara with one aboard in the third and retired all 15 batters he faced.Hes come a long way, Melvin said. Hes had two days off, and gives us five innings of nothing against a team who looked like they were going to score 30 runs in the first couple innings.SEATTLES BIG THREEWith Cano reaching the 100-RBI mark, Kyle Seager needs just one more RBI to make the Mariners the first AL team since the 2001 Oakland As (Eric Chavez, Jason Giambi and Miguel Tejada) with three players with 30 homers and 100 RBI. Cano has 38 HRs, 100 RBI; Nelson Cruz 42, 103; and Seager 30, 99. The last team in the team in the majors with a 30-100 trio was the 2004 St. Louis Cardinals (Jim Edmonds, Albert Pujols and Scott Rolen).TRAINERS ROOMAthletics: RF Danny Valencia was originally in the lineup, but was a late scratch due to neck soreness. Matt Olson started in right.UPON FURTHER REVIEWThere was a crew chief review of Cruzs home run, which barely cleared the outstretched glove of center fielder Jake Smolinksi at the top of the wall, but then bounced back onto the field. The call was upheld after a review estimated at 2 minutes and 21 seconds.MARINERS COMPLETE TRADESeattle sent minor league infielder Tim Lopes to Toronto to complete the Aug. 6 trade for reliever Pat Venditte. Lopes, 22, hit .284 with one home run and 49 RBI with Double-A Jackson of the Southern League. Venditte, who pitches with either hand, is 0-0 with a 7.15 ERA in six appearances with Seattle.UP NEXTAthletics: Rookie RHP Jharel Cotton (2-0, 1.44 ERA) makes his fifth career start since being called up from Triple-A Nashville on Sept. 7. He has not allowed more than one earned run in any of his four starts, lasting at least 5 2/3 innings in each.Mariners: RHP Hisashi Iwakuma (16-12, 3.96 ERA) has been Seattles most consistent pitcher over the course of the season. His 16 victories are a career high, but he is 2-5 in his last eight starts. Iwakuma is 4-0 against Oakland this season. Authentic Custom NCAA Jerseys . Vettel, who has already clinched his fourth straight F1 title, enters the finale with a chance to equal Michael Schumachers 13 victories in a year and match the record of nine consecutive wins by Alberto Ascari in the 1952 and 1953 seasons. Cheap Custom College Shirts . -- Bobby Ryan helped the U. http://www.customjerseysncaa.com/ . -- Stanfords Kevin Danser knelt on one knee and hardly moved on the sideline as Michigan State celebrated its Rose Bowl victory and his Cardinal teammates made their way to the locker room. Stitched Custom NCAA Shirts . Lack made 20 saves for his third shutout of the season as the Canucks blanked the St. Louis Blues 1-0 in the first post-Olympic game for both teams night. Custom UCF Knights Jerseys . According to a report from the Vancouver Province, the Lions are expected to replace former DC Rich Stubler with defensive backs coach Mark Washington. TAMPA, Fla. -- Tampa Bays Dirk Koetter wants no part of a discussion about playoff prospects or aspirations.The Buccaneers (5-5) have won two straight to climb back into contention for what would be their first berth in nearly a decade. However, the coach says his team cant afford to think about anything other than whats staring them in the face right now. And, thats a matchup against the first-place Seattle Seahawks (7-2-1).Koetter bristled when he was asked if he detected a playoff intensity from the Bucs in practice this week.I want to feel a Seattle Seahawk-type of intensity because its going to take the most intensity weve got to be with Seattle on Sunday, the first-year coach said. Thats all that really matters right now.Jameis Winston also shrugged off questions about the playoff race .Weve got to get a `W before we even talk about a `P, the second-year quarterback said, mindful that the Bucs were in a similar position a year ago, when they started 6-6 only to lose their final four games.Winston had one of the best performances of his career in last weeks confidence-bolstering 19-17 road win at Kansas City. The Seahawks have won three straight, including beating New England on the road, but figure to be far from full strength health-wise.Nine players on Seattles injury report, including safety Earl Thomas and cornerback DeShawn Shead , missed at least two days of practice in preparation for the Bucs.Russell Wilson wasnt one of them, though. Hes played through a string of injuries and has been one of the hottest quarterbacks in the league during the Seahawks winning streak with 902 passing yards, six touchdowns and zero interceptions in victories over the Bills, Patriots and Eagles the past three weeks.Theres been some significant injuries to a lot of the guys, and weve been able to overcome those situations and those injuries and still find ways to win, still find ways to play in the game and play at a high level, Wilson said, adding the focus in on doing whatever it takes to win and continue to play great football.Some things to know heading into the 13th meeting between franchises that entered the NFL as expansion mates in 1976:THANKS, RUSSELL: Winston and Wilson had a long conversation at last seasons Pro Bowl, and Tampa Bays young quuarterback came away impressed with his Seattle counterpart and Minnesotas Teddy Bridgewater.ddddddddddddRussell is a true professional, and he does his job the right way. I learned so much from him as far as what to eat, what a Pro Bowl quarterback should be like, Winston said.DEPLETED DEFENSE: The Seahawks will be without defensive end Michael Bennett for the fifth straight game, unable to get him back from minor knee surgery in time to face his former team. Losses in the secondary likely will be more impactful. The Seahawks are expected to be without Thomas and Shead. Both suffered hamstring injuries in last weeks win over Philadelphia. If Thomas doesnt play, it will be the first game hes missed in his career, snapping a streak of 106 consecutive starts. Steven Terrell likely would fill in for Thomas at free safety, while the combo of Neiko Thorpe and Jeremy Lane would take Sheads role opposite Richard Sherman.BACK ON TRACK: Tampa Bay rookie PK Roberto Aguayo has rebounded from a shaky start to his pro career to begin show why the Bucs drafted him in the second round. Since misfiring on four of his first eight field goal tries, Aguayo has made nine of his last 10, including going 4-for-4 in last weeks win at Kansas City. This is what I do best. Ive done it for a long time. Sometimes youve got to realize that, Aguayo said. With the transition into the NFL, you try not to put an excuse on anything. Youve just got to get through it. People can say, `Was it this? Was it that? At the end of the day, youve got to grind through it.FOLLOW ME: Dont be surprised to see Mike Evans added to the list of wide receivers shadowed by Sherman. With the injuries in Seattles secondary and how often Winston looks toward Evans, it makes sense for the Seahawks to put Sherman on Evans. Already this season, Sherman has followed the likes of Brandon Marshall, Julio Jones and Jordan Matthews for long stretches. It gets you more action, Sherman said. You get more targets. You get a chance to be more involved in the game. You get a chance to get into a rhythm.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '