SEATTLE (AP) - If this is the final week of Mike Sweeney's big league career, he's going out with a flourish.

Sweeney, the 13-year veteran finishing off a one-year free agent contract with Seattle, followed a two-out error with a tiebreaking two-run single in the fifth inning, leading the Mariners to a 4-2 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Thursday night.

Over his last 23 games, Sweeney is hitting .386 with four home runs and 15 RBIs. He raised his average from .228 to .282.

"I'm not real familiar with the dates and how free agency works, I'm just soaking up every minute of these last four days,'' said Sweeney, who turned 36 in July. "This is the most fun I've ever had in the big leagues. It's an amazing clubhouse, playing for a great skipper (Don Wakamatsu). I pray I can come back. We'll see how the cards unfold.''

On the other end of the major league spectrum is Mariners rookie starter Doug Fister (3-4), who's trying to impress management enough to consider him for the rotation next season. He went seven innings, allowing five hits and a run for his first win since Sept. 1.

"Already Fister has pitched some great games, against Anaheim, against the Yankees and now against Oakland,'' Wakamatsu said. "It's an awfully good feeling that we'll take into the winter. He went seven innings, pretty efficient.''

Fister, who was promoted from Triple-A Tacoma on Aug. 8, said for him it comes down to "setting goals and trying to reach them. I'm trying to get better every day.''

His next goal is "to make (the team) coming out of spring training and just staying here.''

David Aardsma gave up a solo home run to Jack Cust in the ninth, his 25th, but finished for his 37th save in 41 opportunities. He tied Kazuhiro Sasaki for third on the club's single-season saves list.

Adrian Beltre hit his eighth home run - the 250th of his career - on Brett Anderson's first pitch of the second. It carried 428 feet into the center-field seats. In each of his past seven seasons, Beltre did not hit fewer than 19 home runs, but he missed 51 games this season with injuries.

Anderson (11-11) had not lost since Aug. 30. He was

4-0 in September with a 2.28 ERA and was 8-3 with a 3.02 ERA over his previous 16 starts.

The Mariners finished with a 14-5 record over the A's this season.