Suddenly hot: A’s walk off Cleveland again to keep momentum going

OAKLAND — If emotion and drama can springboard a baseball team, the A’s find themselves in a good spot about now.

They have had plenty of emotion and drama since returning home from a one-win trip through Toronto, Boston and Pittsburgh.

Saturday, Oakland won for the fourth time in five games on the homestand, beating Cleveland 3-2 behind more brilliance from the bullpen (save for the ninth inning) and another walk-off celebration as Ramon Laureano’s bloop single to right knocked in the decisive run.

“It’s a good bounce-back from that road trip,” Stephen Piscotty said. “It’s not surprising, though. It’s what this team does. Whenever we get knocked down, we come back stronger.”

On a day in which the A’s used an “opener” for the first time this season — Liam Hendriks pitched a scoreless first before scheduled starter Aaron Brooks took over — Oakland turned back Cleveland at every turn until the visitors evened the score with two out in the ninth off closer Blake Treinen.

But that only set the stage for more drama.

Matt Olson opened the bottom of the ninth with a walk. Kendrys Morales followed with a single to center, and Piscotty’s sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third.

Laureano then hit a soft fly ball that found a hole in right, past the drawn-in infield and too shallow for right fielder Jordan Luplow.

“Just put the ball in play, that’s it,” Laureano said, noting that he was still upset that he did not hit the ball soundly.

Nick Hundley gave the A’s a 2-1 lead in the fifth with an exciting trip around the bases that manager Bob Melvin described as a Little League home run.

The catcher’s blast caromed off the left-field wall with two out and none on. Jake Bauers chased the ball down, but his throw to third sailed off line for an error.

Hundley ran home to break a 1-1 tie.

Cleveland threatened an inning later as Jason Kipnis opened the sixth with a double and Jose Ramirez followed with a walk, ending the day for Brooks.

Yusmeiro Petit sauntered in and put an immediate end to the rally. Carlos Santana popped out to third, Bauers struck out and Jordan Luplow flew out to center.

“That’s a big one,” manager Bob Melvin said. “He’s been known to do it. One of the reasons that we signed him a couple of years ago was because of inherited runners. He’s a real calm thinker, late movement on his ball. That’s quite a jam he was in. That’s probably the biggest couple of at-bats in the game.”

Cleveland had more chances in the seventh and eighth, but Lou Trivino held the lead after taking over from Petit.

Treinen was one out from finishing the game in the ninth, but Leonys Martin’s single to left evened the score and ended the reliever’s home streak of consecutive scoreless innings at 32 ⅔ that dated to last July.

The All-Star closer eclipsed the Oakland home record for relievers Friday that Rollie Fingers (31 innings) held since the 1970s.

“Blake has picked up his team so many times,” Melvin said. “It’s the first run that’s been scored on him in like forever. After he gives up a little ground ball hit in the hole that scores a run, we were able to come back and pick him up.”

The A’s grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first when Marcus Semien reached on an error, stole second and scored when Matt Chapman singled to left.

Martin accounted for Cleveland’s first run when he homered with two outs in the fifth off Brooks.

Cleveland starter Trevor Bauer threw 122 pitches in seven innings, striking out 10 while not allowing an earned run.

The A’s first three wins on the homestand came courtesy of Mike Fiers’ no-hitter Tuesday, Piscotty’s 13th-inning home run Wednesday and Chapman’s 12th-inning home run Friday.

Saturday, the drama continued.