Lowrie hits 3-run homer in 8th, Athletics beat Indians
aSSOCIaTEd PrESS
CLEVELAND – Jed Lowrie hit a three-run homer and Elvis Andrus had a solo shot in the eighth inning in the Oakland Athletics’ 6-3 comeback victory over the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday night.
Oakland scored twice in the seventh and four times in the eighth, erasing 2-0 and 3-2 deficits to extend its winning streak to six. The A’s lead the AL wild-card race by a game over Boston.
Andrus opened the eighth with a tying homer off Nick Sandlin (1-1), who faced three batters and allowed three runs before departing with shoulder tightness.
After Mark Canha was hit by a pitch and Starling
Marte singled, Lowrie hammered a towering drive to right off Trevor Stephan to give Oakland a 6-3 advantage.
On Tuesday, Lowrie also had the decisive RBI by doubling in Andrus in the 10th inning of a 4-3 victory. The Athletics have won seven straight in Cleveland, dating to 2018.
Jake Diekman (3-2) gave up one run in the seventh. Lou Trivino pitched the ninth for his 19th save in the combined four-hitter.
Marte went 2 for 5 with his 31st stolen base, keeping his average at .400 in 11 games since joining
Oakland in a July 28 trade with Miami. Andrus and Matt Chapman had two hits apiece.
“It’s a tough loss, no doubt,” Indians acting manager DeMarlo Hale said.
The Indians went ahead 3-2 in the seventh when Myles Straw walked with two outs, then scored on Oscar Mercado’s double to the wall off Diekman.
Oakland trailed 2-0 heading into the seventh, but chased Cal Quantrill with a pair of runs. Mitch Moreland’s groundout scored Lowrie and Chapman singled home Yan
Gomes.
Cleveland plated a pair in the first off Frankie Montas, one unearned on a Lowrie error that brought Bradley Zimmer around. Franmil Reyes scored on Harold Ramírez’s single.
Converted reliever Quantrill worked sixplus innings, allowing two runs on three hits with five strikeouts. The right-hander is 2-0 with a 1.25 ERA over his last six starts, covering 36 innings.
“The biggest thing for me is knowing I’m a starter,” Quantrill said. “I just attack, attack, attack the zone. I’m pitching better and executing better.”
Montas gave up two singles in the first and no hits over the next five frames. The righty struck out six in six innings, giving him 51 whiffs in a 37 2/3-inning span covering six starts.
Oakland is 2-0 on a 10game trip that includes three games against the Rangers and four with the White Sox.
The first pitch was delayed by 50 minutes by rain.
“It’s Cleveland,” Melvin said, smiling. “Very rarely do you not get some sort of weather delay.”