Oakland, Calif. — Ketel Marte hit a tiebreaking single in the ninth inning and the Seattle Mariners beat the Oakland Athletics 3-2 Sunday for their fifth straight win.

The Mariners remained 3 ½ games behind in the AL wild-card race.

Marte had three hits and Mike Zunino homered and doubled for Seattle.

Zunino doubled off Ryan Madson (5-5) to begin the ninth and pinch runner Ben Gamel moved up on a single by Leonys Martin. Marte followed with his go-ahead single.

Steve Cishek (3-6) pitched a scoreless eighth. Edwin Diaz closed for his 15th save.

Zunino hit a two-run homer in the second off rookie Raul Alcantara. He left with two outs in the sixth to an ovation from fans and was greeted by fist bumps in the A’s dugout.

In his major league debut Wednesday, he became the first A’s pitcher to hit three batters and issue a balk in one game since Howard Ehmke did it in 1930.

Alcantara allowed two runs on seven hits, one walk and a hit batsman.

Mariners starter James Paxton had his first quality start in more than a month, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks in six innings.

Trainer’s Room

Athletics: RHP Sonny Gray, on the disabled list since Aug. 7 with a right forearm strain, was expected to throw off a mound on Sunday. He is hoping to be activated before the end of the season, even if it’s just to throw an inning or two going into the offseason, manager Bob Melvin said.

“It’d be nice to get him into a game but I wouldn’t say it’s the most important thing in the world,” Melvin said. “His health is the most important thing for us.”

Up next

Mariners: LHP Ariel Miranda will pitch the opener of a three-game series in Anaheim. He will be facing the Angels for a third time in his eighth appearance and seventh start with Seattle since being acquired from Baltimore on July 31. Miranda is 1-0 with a 5.73 ERA in two previous outings against the Angels.

Athletics: LHP Ross Detwiler will be making his sixth start since being called up from Triple-A Nashville on Aug. 10 in a series opener in Kansas City. He allowed one run in seven innings of three-hit ball in his last start on Aug. 31.

Additions anticipated

With Triple-A Tacoma eliminated from the Pacific Coast League playoffs, the Mariners are expected to add at least three players to their roster.

Three likely additions, each of whom is already on the 40-man roster:

Right-handed pitcher Cody Martin, who is 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA in 20 innings.

First baseman/designated hitter Dan Vogelbach, 23, batted .292 this season with 23 homers and 96 RBIs in 133 games for Tacoma and Triple-A Iowa.

Infielder Mike Freeman, who was 2-for-6 in two games over two previous brief recalls after being acquired Aug. 2.

from Arizona in a waiver claim. He provides the roster with another utility infielder and a left-handed bat.

Freeman, 29, batted .314 with a .385 OBP this season in 114 games at Tacoma and Triple-A Reno.

Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/mlb/seattle-mariners/mariners-insider-blog/article101231092.html#storylink=cpy

Oakland Athletics center fielder Brett Eibner makes a sliding catch on a fly ball from Seattle Mariners’ Dae-Ho Lee during the eighth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher James Paxton throws to the Oakland Athletics during the fourth inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)