Thomas ‘healthy’ in win over M’s

SEATTLE – Frank Thomas showed how healthy he is.

Thomas hit a three-run homer into the second deck and scored from second base on Nick Swisher’s RBI single to lead the Oakland Athletics over Seattle 7-6 Sunday for their 12th straight win against the Mariners.

The A’s, who have won seven of eight, swept a three-game series in Seattle for the first time since Sept. 24-26, 1993. Thomas was 7 for 13 with a homer and six RBIs in the series, including three hits on Sunday.

“I’m healthy again,” said Thomas, who was hobbled last year by ankle problems. “I had a major injury and I’m ready to go back to where I am, one of the top players in the game. I know what I’ve been able to bring to the table day in and day out when I’m healthy.”

Oakland, which went 5-1 on a trip against the Los Angeles Angels and the Mariners, returned to the Coliseum for a nine-game homestand with a season-high three-game lead in the A.L. West.

Thomas homered with an 0-2 count and two outs in the third against Gil Meche, connecting on a 95 mph fastball for his 24th homer. Meche said he was just trying to throw a waste pitch, but instead watched Thomas move past Tris Speaker and Jeff Bagwell into 40th place on the career RBIs list with a 404-foot shot.

“He threw two incredible curveballs before that,” Thomas said. “I was just going to sit back and hit it hard. Fortunately, I got a high fastball that I can handle.”

Thomas added a run-scoring single in the fifth to raise his RBIs total to 1,532, five behind Joe DiMaggio, who is 39th.

Swisher hit his 23rd homer in the eighth inning off Sean Green. He was 2 for 14 entering Sunday and hit his first homer since July 26 against Boston.

“We’re playing extremely good baseball,” Swisher said, “but you don’t want to get yourself on that emotional roller-coaster right now.”