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ATLANTA -- Lloyd McClendons unusual lineup left the Seattle manager answering questions about his teams scoring potential. As it turned out, Hisashi Iwakuma and the Mariners stingy bullpen didnt need much offence. Iwakuma combined with two relievers on a six-hit shutout and the streaking Mariners beat the Atlanta Braves 2-0 on Wednesday to complete a two-game sweep. Cole Gillespie and Kyle Seager hit run-scoring singles. Seattle has won five straight, matching its longest winning streak of the season. Perhaps the most puzzling piece of the lineup was Stefen Romero, who hit cleanup for the first time this season. "Somebody has got to hit there," McClendon said before the game. "I dont have Bonds, so its going to be Romero." Romero, who hit a pinch-hit homer in Tuesday nights 7-5 win over the Braves, took a .204 batting average into the game. He came through with two hits, including a triple, and scored a run. Willie Bloomquist had a single and a walk as he started at first base for the first time in four years and hit leadoff for only the second time this year. Iwakuma overcame an early start -- 9:10 a.m. in Seattle -- and Atlantas heat to dominate the Braves. The first-pitch temperature was 84 degrees. Iwakuma (4-2) gave up only six hits with seven strikeouts and no walks in seven innings. The right-hander was sharp, throwing 71 of his 96 pitches for strikes. "I knew I needed to focus more than regular games because of the heat," Iwakuma said through a translator. "I was just trying to focus and get quick outs to go deeper in the game and thats what I was able to do." Mike Minor (2-4) allowed only one run in seven innings, but the Braves fell to 0-6 in interleague games. Yoervis Medina pitched a perfect eighth before Fernando Rodney earned his 16th save with three straight outs in the ninth. Seattle relievers threw eight scoreless innings in the two-game sweep. The Braves were held scoreless in the final seven innings of Tuesday nights loss. The streak of consecutive scoreless innings reached 16 on Wednesday. "We had a tough time figuring out their starter," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "The guys only throwing 87, 88 miles an hour but he sure looked like he was throwing a lot harder. I know he had movement and some deception but we didnt square up too many balls against him. He was pretty darn good." Iwakuma, a 2013 All-Star, gave up a combined nine runs in back-to-back losses to Houston and Detroit before returning to form against the Braves. "He was much better getting the ball down in the zone," Seattle catcher Mike Zunino said. "We wanted to make an emphasis on keeping the ball down and he was. He was able to get to that bottom shelf and stay there for the majority of the game and just mix all his pitches." Gillespies RBI single in the fourth gave Seattle a 1-0 lead that held until the eighth, when Romero tripled off Luis Avilan. Pinch-runner James Jones scored on Seagers single to right field. Minor allowed only five hits and one run in seven innings. He matched his season high with 10 strikeouts. Freddie Freeman had three strikeouts against Iwakuma and finished 0-for-4. Gonzalez unsuccessfully challenged first-base umpire Will Littles ninth-inning call that Justin Upton was out at first base on the throw from shortstop Brad Miller. The review lasted only 40 seconds. NOTES: Seattle also won five straight from May 3-7. ... Bloomquists last start at first base came in 2010 with Kansas City. The versatile Bloomquist also has started at second base, third base, shortstop, left field and right field this season, and he is the emergency catcher. ... Seattle players wore T-shirts honouring athletic trainer Rick Griffins 5,000th regular-season game. He joined the team in 1983. ... The Braves and Mariners are off on Thursday. The Braves open a weekend series at Arizona on Friday, when RHP Julio Teheran faces RHP Brandon McCarthy. Seattles east coast swing shifts to Tampa Bay, when Mariners RHP Chris Young will face LHP Erik Bedard. Discount Shoes Black Friday . Jimmy Howard made 44 saves and Henrik Zetterberg scored two goals, leading the Detroit Red Wings to a 5-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Saturday night. Wholesale Shoes Black Friday Free Shipping .Murray has played 20 matches in five weeks, winning three titles to climb to fifth in the ATP Race.The two-time Grand Slam champion also seeks to qualify for next months ATP World Tour Finals.Murray said: I always wanted to qualify for it, but also I want to get back into the top 8 players in the world and it makes a huge difference for seedings in the major events. https://www.cheapshoesblackfriday.com/ . Manager Alex Ferguson says the injury was sustained while the player tried to hit a volley toward the end of training on Tuesday. China Shoes Black Friday . -- The Minnesota Vikings released reserve cornerback A. Buy Shoes Black Friday . - The Carolina Panthers believe Steve Smith lost "top-end" speed, a big reason the franchise parted ways with its all-time leading receiver.HOUSTON - The Houston Texans are back below .500 and searching for answers to fix their stagnant offence as they begin their bye week.There also might be a quarterback controversy brewing.Ryan Fitzpatrick for 203 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for Houston, but struggled to move the offence for most of the day in a 31-21 loss to Philadelphia.Coach Bill OBrien cautioned against placing too much blame on the journeyman quarterback when asked if he would consider a change at the position to spark the offence.I think we have to evaluate everything, he said. Ive said this all along, I dont think you can look at one position and put all the blame on that.Ryan Mallett joined the Texans after three seasons in New England to back up Fitzpatrick. He raised eyebrows Sunday night with a tweet that he later deleted.Im staying focused for when the time comes ... seize the opportunity #justwaiting, he tweeted from his verified account @Ryan_mallett_15.He was in damage control on Monday morning despite deleting the tweet.Dont misinterpret my last tweet, the tweet said. Im not calling to be the starter. Frustrations of losing. I play my role. I am a team player first. Always.OBrien has applauded his improvement over the past few weeks, but Mallett has almost no game experience despite being in the NFL for four seasons.Hes a guy that works extremely hard in practice, which is totally different than in the game, OBrien said. In practice he seems to have good command of what were doing. Hes come in here with a good knowledge of the offence.Mallett didnt take a single snap in two of his three seasons with the Patriots. He appeared in four games in 2012, but completed just one of four passes for 17 yards withh an interception.ddddddddddddThe 31-year-old Fitzpatrick has learned to ignore outside criticism in a 10-year career spent with five different teams. But hes the first one to admit that he has to improve if the Texans hope to finish the season strong and says week after week that has to play better.Hes going to work extremely hard to play at a more consistent level like all of the players need to do, OBrien said. 4-5 is a very mediocre record and its the sign of an inconsistent team.He has thrown for 1,960 yards with 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions in his first season in Houston. Hes fumbled five times, but has lost just one of them.Andre Johnson, the longest-tenured Texan after joining the team in its second season, was asked if he thinks the offence has improved since the beginning of the season.I dont know, he said. Our record doesnt show it. We just have to take a look at it and get it fixed.OBrien was pointed with his statements that the entire team needs to do more after the break and that extends to the coach and his staff.We talk a lot as a coaching staff with our players that were really all in it together. Theres no finger pointing, OBrien said. Its not one guys fault.A bright spot on the offence this season has been the resurgence of running back Arian Foster after last seasons back surgery. Foster is second in the NFL with 822 yards rushing. But Foster hurt his groin late in Houstons loss to the Eagles and its unclear how serious the problem is.OBrien wouldnt provide any details on the injury to Foster or on cornerbacks Kareem Jackson and Johnathan Joseph, who also left Sundays game with injuries.___Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL ' ' '