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OAKLAND — The A’s were in a playoff mood, talking about how much fun baseball can be when you’re in the chase for the playoffs in mid-August.
“It was fun until the eighth inning,” manager Bob Melvin said.
The A’s rode big nights from Jed Lowrie and Matt Chapman and a nice start from left-hander Sean Manaea to a 7-1 lead over the Mariners, then held on for dear life as Seattle scored twice in the eighth and three times in the ninth.
Oakland (71-48) escaped with a 7-6 victory when Blake Treinen struck out Nelson Cruz, pushing the A’s lead over the Mariners (69-51) to 2 1/2 games in the race for the second American League wild-card spot.
With their 10th win in the past 12 games, the A’s now trail the AL West-leading Astros (73-46) by just two games. The reigning World Series champs come to town for three games beginning Friday.
“I don’t think we honestly think about that,” said Treinen of the standings.
Oakland has won 37 of its past 49 games.
Manaea, who left holding a 7-1 lead with two outs in the seventh inning, said the atmosphere with a blast, even with just 10,400 fans at the Coliseum.
“It’s really fun right now,” he said. “You see the crowd getting into it. I’m taking my time and enjoying it.”
The finish shouldn’t have been as tense as it was.
With the A’s leading 7-3, reliever Jeurys Familia walked the bases loaded to open the ninth before giving way to Treinen.
Treinen allowed one run on a wild pitch, then two more on a single by Mitch Haniger that closed the margin to one run. But he struck out Cameron Maybin and, finally, Cruz to end things and pocket his 31st save.
Lowrie and Chapman did the heavy lifting early to give the A’s a 7-1 lead.
“There’s a lot of pressure all the way around,” Lowrie said beforehand. “I’m not one to judge who’s got more.”
He didn’t show signs of feeling the heat, delivering four RBIs on a run-scoring single in the first, a two-run double in the third and an RBI double in the sixth.
On the heels of hitting a double and a homer Sunday against the Angels, Melvin said Lowrie is finally feeling better after a collision before the All-Star Game that left him with sore legs.
“He looks like a different guy again now. Another really good night,” Melvin said.
Chapman shared the marquee, hitting three doubles to tie a franchise record, including a two-run line drive down the left-field line that stretched Oakland’s lead to 6-1 in the sixth inning.
He also saved a run with a nice diving stop to throw out Jean Segura in the fourth inning.
“That play was huge … it was incredible,” said Manaea (11-8), who wound up going 7 2/3 strong innings in his first outing since a 2 2/3-inning effort in a loss to the Dodgers last Tuesday. He scattered five hits, allowed two runs and retired 12 of the final 14 batters he faced.
Melvin said Chapman, 25, is just getting started.
“Defensively, he’s head and shoulders above everyone else and now he’s swinging the bat. It’s going to get better, too,” said Melvin, fielding a question about whether Chapman should be included in the MVP conversation. “He’s going to end up being on of those guys, one of those top-flight guys that you probably talk about every year in that conversation.”
* Things won’t get any easier for the A’s on Tuesday as Mariners star Robinson Cano is eligible to return after serving an 80-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball’s joint drug testing policy.
“He makes them a lot better. This is a guy who has been a thorn in our side for quite a while,” said Melvin, alluding to the 23 career homers Cano has hit against the A’s. “He’s one of the premier hitters in the league, so he makes them a lot better. I’m sure they’re feeling good about it going down the stretch.”
* Melvin said Matt Joyce (lumbar strain), who has been sidelined since July 5, hit off a tee and soft toss in the batting cage on Monday and should be batting on the field later this week.
He also reported that Jharel Cotton, out for the season after Tommy John surgery in March, Andrew Triggs (nerve irritation) and Paul Blackburn (right elbow) all played catch. Melvin hopes Triggs and Blackburn could return to action sometime in September.
