THE RACE IS ON
Lowrie, Semien homer to top Mariners as A’s get within a game of Astros
OAKLAND >> A’s manager Bob Melvin knows what the standings say. He just doesn’t want to talk about it.
The A’s beat the Mariners 3-2 in front of 17,419 at the Coliseum on Tuesday night, improving to 38-12 over the past 50 games and moving within one game of the world champion Houston Astros atop the American League West standings.
“We’ve got some confidence, obviously, because of the stretch,” Melvin said. “But I don’t think anybody’s thinking about that right now.
“We know where we are in the division. Until you’re out of it in the division, you don’t think about the wild card.”
The A’s, who trailed the Astros by 11 ½ games on June 15, could move into a tie for the top spot on Wednesday with a win in the final game of the threegame series vs. Seattle and another Houston loss. The Astros fell 5-1 to Colorado on Tuesday, their ninth straight home defeat.
The Astros come to town Friday to start a three-game set at the Coliseum.
A second straight victory over the Mariners improved the A’s to 72-48 and gave them a 3 ½game margin over Seattle (6952).
Marcus Semien, who led off the A’s half of the first inning with his third home run in four games, said the team is following a successful script.
“We’re hitting a lot of home runs and winning close games,” he said.
Jed Lowrie, seemingly past
the sore legs he’s battled since a collision with Stephen Piscotty before the All-Star Game, was involved in two of the game’s biggest plays.
He drilled a line drive off the throwing arm of Seattle starter James Paxton in the first inning, sending Paxton to the clubhouse with what was later diagnosed as a left forearm contusion.
Two innings later, Lowrie hit a two-run homer off Felix Hernandez, pushing Oakland’s lead The top two wild-card teams face each other in a one-game playoff. The winner advances to the divisional round against the division champion with the best record.
to 3-1. It was the third homer this season for Lowrie against Hernandez (8-11), who was making his first career relief appearance after being demoted to the bullpen last week.
Given that his shot up the middle in the first was measured at 96 mph, Lowrie conceded he the homer was not as
well hit.
“The home run was placed nicely down the line, let’s put it that way,” he said.
His career-high 19th homer of the season also was the 100th of his career, coming just two days after he collected his 1,000th career hit.
“He’s got some nice round numbers he’s accomplished recently,” Melvin said. “He’s driving balls again. He looks like he did early in the season.”
Right-hander Mike Fiers (8-6) made his second start for the A’s since coming over in a trade with Detroit and picked up his first victory with the club with six solid innings. But Melvin said he wasn’t even sure Fiers was going to be able to pitch because of a tight glut muscle.
Fiers said it was nothing. “I was fine. Just a little muscle cramp at the top of my buttocks,” he said.
Chances are, Fiers simply wasn’t interested in taking a day off given the stakes.
“They all feel like playoff games,” he said. “This is the spot I wanted to be in. I wanted to be on a team that’s winning and headed to the playoffs. I feel like
the team has a lot of trust in me. I just want to not let them down.”
Four relievers blanked the Mariners over the final three innings, with closer Blake Treinen picking up his 32nd save.
A’s pitchers benefited from a series of nice defensive plays, including outfield catches by Ramon Laureano and Piscotty, a spectacular grab over the left-field tarp by third baseman Matt Chapman and catcher Jonathan Lucroy’s bullet throw to second to cut down Dee Gordon on a steal attempt in the eighth.
Fiers was in the clubhouse watching by then.
“I was in here screaming,”
he said. “That was impressive.”
• Mariners slugger Robinson Cano, making his return after serving an 80game drug ban, was booed each time he came to the plate. He went 1 for 4, with a single in the third inning.
• The A’s announced the seven inaugural members of their new Athletics Hall of Fame. Set to be honored in a pregame ceremony to the Sept. 5 home game against the Yankees are Hall of Famers Dennis Eckersley, Rollie Fingers Rickey Henderson, Jim “Catfish” Hunter, Reggie Jackson, along with Dave Stewart and former team owner Charles O. Finley.