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Seattle Mariners

A’s lose late lead again, Bauers rallies Mariners to 5-3 win

Seattle Mariners' Jake Bauers reacts after hitting a two-run single against the Oakland Athletics during the ninth inning of a baseball game in Oakland, Calif., Monday, Aug. 23, 2021. (Associated Press)
Janie McCauley Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif. — Jake Bauers hit a tiebreaking, two-run single with two outs in the ninth inning as Oakland closer Lou Trivino struggled again, and the Seattle Mariners rallied past the Athletics 5-3 on Monday night.

Ty France hit a tying homer off Trivino (5-6) to start the ninth, handing Trivino his second straight blown save after converting 14 in a row. The A’s lost a third straight game by giving away a late lead.

Matt Olson’s 32nd home run in the sixth put Oakland on top after Mitch Haniger’s tying, two-run shot in the top of the inning.

Anthony Misiewicz (4-4) induced an inning-ending double play in the eighth and Paul Sewald finished for his seventh save.

Yan Gomes homered and drove in a run on a groundout for a 2-0 A’s lead, but Paul Blackburn couldn’t hold it trying for his first win in more than three years. France’s drive extended a strange streak in which the last 12 runs allowed by the A’s were scored on homers dating to Friday — then Bauers lined a single to left.

Gomes’ groundout followed a double steal in the first, then he hit his third homer in the fourth. This one certainly hurt for the A’s on the heels of consecutive one-run losses to the Giants in the Bay Bridge Series in which San Francisco twice won on late pinch-hit home runs.

Blackburn, the right-hander called up after Chris Bassitt’s frightening facial injury last week on a line drive, is winless since June 29, 2018, against Cleveland. He is 0-5 over his last eight major league appearances and five starts since July 6 that year.

Mariners starter Marco Gonzales allowed three runs and five hits over six innings. He had won two straight starts and his last four decisions.

A’s third baseman Matt Chapman was a late scratch with a bruised left foot after he fouled a ball off it Sunday. X-rays were negative, and Josh Harrison replaced him.

Seattle outfielder Jarred Kelenic ended an 0-for-16 skid with a single in the second.

The game drew just 4,140 fans — not even the smallest crowd this season for the A’s, which was 3,019 on May 24 against the Mariners.