A’s homer twice in ninth to stun Mariners

SEATTLE - Matt Joyce hit a two-run homer and Mark Canha added a three-run shot in a five-run ninth inning that rallied the Oakland Athletics to a 9-6 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night.

Oakland squandered a 4-1 lead thanks to a key two-run error in the seventh and Kyle Seager’s solo home run in the eighth that gave Seattle 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 the Mariners 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.

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.

Ryan Madson (1-3) got the win despite giving up Seager’s homer.

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.