SEATTLE — With the Athletics on the verge of a fifth straight loss during an ugly road trip, Matt Joyce and Mark Canha made sure Oakland finished its ninth-inning rally this time.
Joyce hit a two-run homer and Canha added a three-run shot in a five-run ninth that sent the A’s to a 9-6 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night.
A day after a one-run loss to Seattle ended with Oakland leaving the bases loaded, the A’s clubbed their way from behind in the final inning after squandering a 4-1 lead.
“When you go through streaks like this, you have to find some fight,” Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. “We’ve been losing games by a defensive play, one pitch, little things during the whole stretch and at some point in time you have to overcome it.”
Oakland led 4-1 going to the bottom of the seventh before a key two-run error helped Seattle pull even and Kyle Seager’s solo home run in the eighth gave the Mariners a 5-4 lead. But with a struggling Edwin Diaz removed from the closer role earlier in the day, Steve Cishek was asked to get the final three outs for Seattle in just his second appearance of the season.
Cishek (0-1) was unable to finish the job, giving up a leadoff single to Rajai Davis and watching Joyce hit his fifth homer of the year to give Oakland the lead. Mark Rzepczynski took over and allowed Canha’s first homer on a 3-2 pitch.
“Things felt like they were going really bad there for a second, and that really lifted us,” Canha said.
The decision to let Cishek face the left-handed-hitting Joyce was debatable, with Rzepczynski warming up in the bullpen. Lefties began the day 1 for 24 against Rzepczynski this season, but it was the right-handed-hitting Canha that provided the knockout blow with a drive to left-center that bounced off the top of the wall and over.
“Putting Cishek in that spot, it’s tough. He hasn’t been back here a long time, but he’s been out here before,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “You are just hoping you can get through it, and unfortunately we just didn’t get the final three outs.”
Ryan Madson (1-3) got the win despite giving up Seager’s homer.
Seattle’s rally started an inning earlier when third baseman Ryon Healy’s error on a potential inning-ending double play allowed two runs to score. Seattle loaded the bases with one out and Carlos Ruiz chopped a slow grounder to third. Healy shuffled to his left, but the grounder slid past his glove, between his legs and into left field to score a pair.
Jean Segura followed with a grounder to shortstop, and Oakland appeared to turn a double play that time. But after a replay review, Segura was ruled safe at first and Jarrod Dyson scored to make it 4-all.
“I don’t know how that’s overturned. I really don’t,” Melvin said.
STARTING OFF
Healy hit a 443-foot home run into the second deck in left field off Seattle starter Chase De Jong to give Oakland an early 2-1 lead, and the A’s led 4-1 going to the seventh thanks largely to starter Andrew Triggs, who permitted only four hits.
Triggs rebounded after getting knocked in his previous start against the Mariners when he allowed six earned runs and failed to make it through the fifth inning. Triggs’ only costly mistake this time came in the first when Nelson Cruz lined his 10th home run of the season into the seats in right-center to give Seattle a 1-0 advantage.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Athletics: Relief pitcher John Axford is likely to make two more rehab appearances with Triple-A Nashville before the A’s consider activating the right-hander from the disabled list. Axford has yet to pitch in the majors this season due to a strained right shoulder, but could make his debut on Oakland’s upcoming homestand.
Mariners: 2B Robinson Cano was the latest addition to the disabled list. Cano was placed on the 10-day DL with a strained quadriceps muscle. He’s expected to return next week when Seattle heads out on a road trip.
UP NEXT
Athletics: Jesse Hahn (1-2) had a no-decision in his last start against Texas, throwing seven innings and allowing one run. He is 1-1 in three career starts vs. Seattle.
Mariners: Christian Bergman (0-1) makes his second start since being brought up from the minors. Bergman gave up three runs in five innings last weekend against Toronto.
