MIAMI (AP) — Luis Arraez hit a tiebreaking infield single in the eighth inning, and the Miami Marlins beat the Oakland Athletics 7-5 on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep.
Joey Wendle doubled off A’s reliever Austin Pruitt to lead off the inning, then advanced on Jacob Stallings’ single. Stallings took second on a home run by right fielder Ramón Laureano while Wendle remained at third.
Sam Moll relieved Pruitt (1-3) and struck out pinch-hitter Jorge Soler before Arraez’s hard hit into an infield bounced off the glove of second baseman Aledmys Díaz and drove in Wendle to give Miami a 6-in lead. -5. Nick Fortes ran for Stallings and scored from third on receiver Shea Langeliers’ pass.
The Marlins are second in the NL East with a 32-28 mark. It marks the third-best 60-game record in franchise history behind the 1997 World Series champion team and the 2004 club that won 83 games.
“We’re 60 games in and there’s a lot of baseball left to play, but thanks to them, they don’t take anybody for granted,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “Every day is the most significant day for them and an opportunity to improve and try to win.”
The A’s lost their 14th straight road game and are 12-49, the worst in the majors.
“That’s the story of our year right now and everyone in that room is feeling it,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “There is a lot of emotion right now in that room. It’s still a routine.”
Yuli Gurriel had three hits, dropping a home run before one cycle, and Garrett Cooper went deep for the Marlins.
Cooper missed the previous four games after experiencing similar symptoms from the inner ear infection that landed him on the disabled list last month.
“I’m doing good. I’m not having any negative effects from anything,” Cooper said. “I’m just doing eye training to stabilize everything. It’s great to be back in the lineup today.”
Tanner Scott (4-1) pitched a scoreless eighth for the win, and Dylan Floro finished with a perfect ninth for his sixth save.
National League Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara overcame a difficult third inning in which he allowed five runs. He ended up allowing six hits and striking out seven in seven innings.
Miami rallied from a 5-1 deficit and tied it on Cooper’s three-run home run in the fifth. Cooper hit a dangling slider off Oakland starter Paul Blackburn that bounced off the left-field foul pole for his sixth home run.
Blackburn was lifted after the fifth. The right-hander allowed five runs, seven hits, walked two and struck out three in his second outing since beginning the season on the disabled list.
Alcantara retired the first six on 13 pitches before the A’s took their first lead of the series. Nick Allen and Esteury Ruiz had RBI singles and Ramón Laureano added a two-run RBI double.
Stopped at second, Laureano broke for third on a steal attempt when Alcantara got off the mound and threw erratically to third baseman Jean Segura, allowing Laureano to score. The mistake drew boos from the crowd of 12,507.
“I heard them,” Alcantara said. “They can say what they want to say. I play for them and I want to give 100 percent.”
Stallings’ sacrifice fly in the fourth put Miami up 5-2.
Back-to-back doubles by Cooper and Gurriel in the second put the Marlins up 1-0.
FATEFUL THIRD
The A’s had four straight singles and gave Alcantara five of their six hits in the third. After he allowed Laureano’s one-out single in the sixth, Laureano was tagged out on a double-play groundout.
“I didn’t do anything different,” Alcantara said. “I just attacked the zone and threw strikes. It all happened in that entrance.”
COACHES ROOM
Track & Field: RHP Danny Jimenez (sprained right shoulder) has begun a 60-foot throwing program.
Marlins: RHP Johnny Cueto (tight right biceps) pitched a bullpen session Friday and is scheduled to throw a live batting practice next week.
UNTIL NEXT TIME
Athletics: LHP JP Sears (0-3, 4.37) starts in the opener of a three-game series at Pittsburgh on Monday. The Pirates will go with Johan Oviedo (3-4, 4.50).
Marlins: LHP Braxton Garrett (1-2, 4.22) will start the opener of a three-game series at home against Kansas City on Monday. The Royals have not announced a starter.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
