By Morris Phillips

AP photo: Robinson Cano of the Seattle Mariners rounds third greeted by third base coach Manny Acta (14) after hitting a two run home run in the fifth off Oakland A’s starter Kendall Graveman at the Oakland Coliseum on Saturday night

OAKLAND–Kendall Graveman ranks as the most experienced starter the A’s currently have to offer, but that’s hardly enough cache to keep the right hander from getting schooled by Seattle’s grey beard, sluggers Nelson Cruz and Robinson Cano.

Cruz and Cano both homered off Graveman, the difference in a narrow, 4-3 loss for the A’s at the Coliseum on Saturday night. Catcher Stephen Vogt noticed the similarity in the home run pitches, both cutters on the first pitch of the at-bat.

“I’m surprised they put such good swings on them,” Vogt said. “It’s almost like they were sitting on it.”

“For the most part I thought I threw the ball well, maybe not commanding it early as well as I wanted to, to get ahead. But that’s the way it goes,” Graveman said.

Graveman’s record fell to 8-8, his first loss at the Coliseum since May 19. The homers were surprising as well, he hadn’t allowed a round tripper at home since July 18. But Cruz and Cano, with 55 home runs between them, have made careers of spoiling the plans of pitchers.

Cruz connected in the fourth inning, erasing the A’s early 1-0 lead. Cano’s shot came in the fifth, capping a three-run rally that put the Mariners up 4-1. The A’s would respond with a pair of runs in the sixth, but they couldn’t tie it, despite getting a leadoff hit from Coco Crisp in the seventh.

In the end, a frustrating loss for the A’s, who had 11 hits, and a bunch of opportunities, but just one hit and opportunity after the sixth inning when the Seattle bullpen took over. With runners in scoring position, the A’s squandered nine of their 11 at-bats.

The A’s are 14-14 since the All-Star break, after failing to win a fifth in the last six games of their home stand. With the disabled list (14 players currently) as populated as their dugout on most nights, the A’s are just trying to tread water while playing a string of opponents that have designs on the post-season.

Billy Butler had three hits and scored twice, as Melvin has found ways to get his part-time slugger in the lineup in the absence of a few other options. Vogt and Crisp combined for five hits, but both top-of-the-lineup hitters failed to score a run.

The A’s look to grab the rubber game of the series on Sunday with Zach Neal facing Seattle’s Wade LeBlanc.