A’s fall short to Seattle, again

Oakland continues to lose ground in AL wild-card race

OAKLAND » The Athletics lost ground in the American League wild card race Tuesday night while the Seattle Mariners got even.

A 5-2 loss to the Mariners before 4,642 fans at the Coliseum was good news for all three teams above the Athletics (82-69) in the race for two wild card spots. Seattle, meanwhile, improved to 82-69, tying the A’s for third in the A.L. West behind the Houston Astros.

Seattle scored three times off Paul Blackburn (1-3) in the fourth inning and improved their season series record to 10-4 against the A’s. The A’s got just two runs against Seattle starter Marco Gonzales (9-5) in six innings, solo home runs by Matt Olson in the first (his 37th) and Starling Marte in the fourth (his fifth).

Relievers Casey Sadler, Paul Sewald and Drew Steckenrider finished off the A’s with each throwing an inning of relief. Steckenrider got his 10th save when he retired Elvis Andrus on a pop to third with two outs and runners on first and third.

J.P. Crawford homered in the top of the ninth against A’s reliever Sergio Romo, his ninth of the season.

Midway through the game, Boston, Toronto and the New York Yankees — the three teams above the A’s in the wild card race — had all won. The A’s and Mariners are both 3 ½ games behind the Blue Jays for the second and final wild card spot.

The A’s have 12 games remaining in the regular season against teams that have beaten them regularly in 2021 — six more against Seattle and

six against Houston.

The A’s got the lead run to the plate in the eighth after Marte hit a ground double and Matt Chapman was intentionally walked, but Sewald struck out Matt Chapman for the third out.

Blackburn was on the verge of getting out of the fourth inning unscathed but gave up a two-run triple to No. 9 hitter Dylan Moore, followed by a ground ball single

up the middle by Crawford.

Jarred Kelenic opened the inning with a drive to center over the head of Starling Marte and originally was called out at third going for a triple. The call was reversed on replay, however. Blackburn then struck out Jake Bauers and Tom Murphy, but walked Jake Fraley.

That set the table for Moore and Crawford to do their damage and give the Mariners a 4-1 lead. Blackburn was done after the fourth, giving up three earned runs and throwing 83 pitches, 48 for strikes.

JED JACOBSOHN — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The A’s Matt Olson, left, is congratulated by teammate Matt Chapman, center, after hitting a solo home run in front of the Mariners’ Tom Murphy, right, during the first inning on Tuesday.

JED JACOBSOHN — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The A’s Starling Marte, left, points to the sky after hitting a solo home run in front of Seattle Mariners’ Tom Murphy, right, during the fourth inning in Oakland on Tuesday.