A’s top Giants to extend hot streak entering All-star break

The A’s head into the All-star break looking forward to more than a mini-vacation. They have a reason to play the rest of the season.

“Absolutely,” second baseman Jed Lowrie said. “We have our eyes on the prize and I think we have the talent to be a playoff contender.”

The A’s beat the Giants 6-2 on Sunday, their 21st victory in their past 27 games, best mark in the majors over that stretch. They have the fifth-best record in the American League and trail the slumping Seattle Mariners by just three games in the race for the second wild card playoff spot.

A year after staggering into the All-star break with a 39-50 record, the A’s are 55-42. Oakland is above .500 at this point for the first time since 2014, when it made its most recent trip to the postseason.

“Starting to get that feeling, that playoff kind of vibe,” said left-hander Sean Manaea (9-6), who went six innings before giving way to the bullpen.

Stephen Piscotty, who hit his fifth home run in nine games, said he has mixed feelings about taking a break right now.

“We’re playing really confident baseball, making a charge here,” he said. “We’re right there, so we’re excited to keep it rolling.”

With two wins in three games vs. the Giants, the A’s are 8-0-1 Oakland Athletics’ Jed Lowrie throws to first base for a double play after tagging out San Francisco Giants’ Chase d’arnaud in the first inning at AT&T Park in San Francisco on Sunday.