SEATTLE -- If anyone is going to beat Oakland Athletics left-hander Tommy Milone, theyll have to earn it. Hes not one to give up free passes. Milone worked six strong innings, Jonny Gomes hit a three-run home run and the Athletics finished off a three-game sweep of the Seattle Mariners with a 4-2 victory Sunday. Milone (12-10) allowed eight hits and two runs, matched a career high with 10 strikeouts and had no walks. He has walked one or no batters in each of his past 14 starts. That ties the longest streak by a starter in Oakland history. Gil Heredia also had 14 starts with one walk or less from May 29 to Aug. 11, 1999. During his stretch, Milone has issued just eight walks and struck out 78 in 88 innings. His 12 wins also ties the Oakland rookie record set by Chris Codiroli in 1983 and matched by Joe Blanton in 2005. "Ive always been a strike-thrower," Milone said. "I feel like nothing good comes from putting guys on base with a free pass. Thats probably the reason why I give up so many hits." The Mariners did pound out eight hits but couldnt bunch enough together. "Thats part of what he does. Thats one of his strengths, making you hit your way on," As manager Bob Melvin said. "He has given up his share of hits but a lot of times theyre the other way. He makes better pitches when guys are on base, when he has to." Grant Balfour worked the ninth to pick up his 16th save in 18 opportunities. The victory moved the As within 3 1/2 games of Texas in the AL West after the Rangers lost to Tampa Bay 6-0. Oakland is also battling the New York Yankees and Baltimore atop the wild-card race. "Were getting our hits but were not doing any damage with them," Mariners manager Eric Wedge said, "whether its stringing hits together or extra-base hits." Oakland was coming off a three-game sweep at home by AL West-rival Los Angeles as well as the trauma of watching right-hander Brandon McCarthy get hit in the head by a line drive. He remained behind, still in stable condition after brain surgery. "I dont think you have to do a character check on this team anymore," said Gomes, who hit his 16th home run in the fifth. "We got it figured out. Weve gone through some adversity with injuries, some adversity with key guys getting send out or traded, issues with (Bartolo) Colon (50-game suspension for PEDs). These guys are doing a good job just keeping our heads down and going to battle with 25 guys in the clubhouse." Jason Vargas (14-10) allowed just four hits and three runs in seven innings for Seattle. He walked three and struck out six. His critical mistake was a 1-1 pitch to Gomes. Adam Rosales and Coco Crisp both had singled with two outs. Gomes then turned on the inside fastball and hit it against the left-field facade for a 3-0 lead. "I was trying to go about his bat and his hands and he was able to stay on it," Vargas said. "The pitches that I was worried about were to the two batters before that when I let them extend it." His frustration goes back to his 2-2 count to Rosales, the ninth hitter. Rosales had fouled off two pitches then slapped a curveball to centre. "Its frustrating when the inning extends and ends how it did," Vargas said. "I feel like I am more than capable of getting him out with my other two pitches." Vargas has yielded 32 home runs this season, including six in his last three starts. Josh Donaldson hit also hit a solo home run in the ninth off Josh Kinney, his seventh. The Mariners scored a run in the bottom of the third. Alex Liddi singled and stole second then came home on Michael Saunders triple into the right-field corner. Kyle Seager made it 3-2 in the sixth with a leadoff home run, his 17th. It came on off a 1-1 curveball from Milone, who had a career-low three-inning outing in his previous start Monday against the Angels. The As now head to L.A. for a four-game showdown with the Angels. "It gives us momentum going into their place," Milone said of the sweep. Notes: As starter Brett Anderson is 14 months removed from Tommy John surgery but there is no talk yet of a possible innings restriction next season, much like Washington did with Stephen Strasburg. "It could be something we discuss but its not on the radar yet," Melvin said. "Maybe the fact that he is pitching for a month and a half this year will have something to do with next year." ... The As said there is nothing new to report on the condition of RHP Brandon McCarthy, still in a Bay Area hospital after being hit in the head by a line drive last Wednesday. ... Felix Hernandez (4.2 IP) and Hisashi Iwakuma (3.2 IP) failed to go at least five innings in back-to-back games in the first two games of this series. 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But if "Bones" Jones had the chance to make his decision again, he would still tell UFC President Dana White that he wouldnt accept a replacement light heavyweight title defence on eight days notice. INDIANAPOLIS -- Andrew Luck knows life in the NFL cant be this easy for a rookie. The No. 1 overall draft pick threw his first NFL pass for a long touchdown, just like Peyton Manning in 1998, then led Indianapolis to two more touchdowns. Luck one-upped his predecessor by winning Sundays preseason opener 38-3 over St. Louis -- Indys first preseason-opening win since 1994. "To get a win, get in the game and put some drives together is great," Luck said. "But I realize, and the guys in the locker room realize, its a preseason game and things will be different as the season goes along." Luck might have the toughest job in football this season -- replacing Manning, the longtime face of Indys franchise. But he showed everyone Sunday that he can do whatever is asked. Colts coaches wanted the man billed as the most polished NFL rookie since Manning to take 20 to 25 snaps. He got 24. They wanted to keep him upright, and though Luck hit the ground twice, he was not sacked. They wanted him to show his command of the offence, and in less than one half, Luck seemed to have Mannings playbook down pat, from the perfect baseball slide to rushing his team to the line of scrimmage so the Rams couldnt challenge a catch on the sideline. The rookie quarterback wound up 10 of 16 for 188 yards with two TD passes and a quarterback rating of 142.6. Three of the incompletions were drops, two were throwaways, and only one pass, the deep out that rookie T.Y. Hilton barely caught on the sideline, came close to being picked off. It was the most lopsided preseason win for the Colts (No. 32 in the AP Pro32) since a 35-0 rout of Washington in 1966. "I know we picked him up off the turf a couple times, but hes a big, strong, athletic guy and he can take a hit. We dont want him taking too many, but to see him perform the way he did and do the things that he did under pressure, I thought he handled it well," new coach Chuck Pagano said. After everything the Colts endured during the run up to drafting Luck -- the injury to Manning, an 0-13 start in 2011, the release of many fan favourites including Manning during a tumultuous off-season -- Luck quickly turned the page on the past with a start fans may never forget., With the rookie quarterback under pressure on his first play, Luck calmly stepped forward and dumped the ball off to Brown, who darted up the field with blockers in front, then cut from right to left and outran the defence to the end zone. Luck pumped his fist in the air and jogged to the sideline with a broad smile across his face. Longtime Colts fans had seen it before. Back in 98, Mannings first pass was an 8-yard route to Marvin Harrison, who took the ball and sprinted to the end zone ffor a 48-yard score.dddddddddddd "I think (quarterbacks coach) Clyde (Chirstensen) told me that about a week ago," Luck said, laughing. "I guess its coincidence. Funny, huh?" Certainly not to the Rams (No. 28), who pressured Luck most of the day, yet couldnt force him into mistakes, get him on the ground or find a way to reach the end zone. The Rams offence moved the ball on its first two series, under Sam Bradford, but stalled. St. Louis did get a 37-yard field goal when Kellen Clemens was running the offence. Otherwise, it was a daylong struggle for Jeff Fishers new team. "Its kind of an unusual game because the offence puts a drive together and then, bang, theyre back on the field one play later because we gave up a touchdown," the Rams coach said. "Then youre trying to catch up with plays for your defence and then you cant stop them and then you cant get the plays for your offence. We tried to get as many plays as we could on tape and well move on." Bradford, the No. 1 overall pick in 2010 and the Offensive Rookie of the Year, was 7 of 9 for 57 yards and recovered his own fumble. Clemens was 4 of 6 for 18 yards. And the feature attraction stole the show. "Hes a good player. Hes got mobility and he sees well," Fisher said of Luck. "He has got arm strength. Coach (Bruce) Arians has done a great job with him so this far in the offence." And the Rams had no answers. Four plays after converting third-and-3 with the 12-yard pass to Hilton, Luck hooked up with Austin Collie in the front corner of the end zone for a 23-yard score to make it 14-0. On Lucks fourth series, he took the Colts on a methodical 13-play, 80-yard drive. Delone Carter ended the drive with a 1-yard run to make it 21-3, and Indy closed it out with two second-half touchdowns and Pat McAfees 31-yard field goal -- even if the Colts know things are about to get much tougher for the rookie. "Im sure hes going to have some bumpy roads from here on out. Every game is not going to be like this," veteran receiver Reggie Wayne said. "As players, we understand that. Us being able to overcome those bumpy roads and keep it moving makes the next time out there better." Notes: The Colts lost four players to injury. Linebacker Pat Angerer (foot), starting offensive guard Mike McGlynn (sprained ankle), linebacker Scott Lutrus (sprained knee), and Carter (ribs) all left the game early and did not return. ... St. Louis played without receiver Danario Alexander (hamstring) and defensive tackle Trevor Laws (leg). ... The Rams ran 32 times for 116 yards, a 3.6-yard average. Isaiah Pead had 10 carries for 33 yards. ' ' '