CLEVELAND — The only downside for the Oakland Athletics is that they don’t play the Cleveland Indians again this season.

Oakland capped a four-game sweep of the free-falling Indians with a 12-7 victory on Thursday. The Athletics, who have won six straight and eight of nine, finish the season series against Cleveland with an 8-2 record. After dropping the first two games in April, Oakland won the final eight against the Indians.

“We played against a team that we really needed to take a series from,” said A’s right fielder Josh Reddick, who had three hits and drove in three runs. “We had a great opportunity to move up in the standings against a team we’ve played well against all year and we did just that.”

Oakland maintained its one-game lead over Baltimore for the top spot in the AL wild card race. George Kottaras’ three-run double broke a 1-1 tie in the fourth while Coco Crisp, Cliff Pennington, Josh Reddick and Josh Donaldson homered.

While the Athletics are flying high, the Indians continue to fade. Cleveland has lost five straight, 14 of 15 and is 5-27 since July 27.

Oakland starter Jarrod Parker (9-7) gave up a leadoff home run to Jason Kipnis to start the game, but his teammates teed off on Cleveland starter Justin Masterson. The right-hander (10-12) has stopped losing streaks of 11 and nine games this month, but on Thursday he allowed eight runs, including three homers, in four innings. Masterson was pulled after the first three batters in the fifth reached base.

Kottaras had three RBIs while Crisp, Pennington and Yoenis Cespedes had two hits apiece.

Parker was pulled after the first two batters in the sixth reached. He was charged with five runs and eight hits in five innings.

“It’s not too many times I’ve made a 12 o’clock start,” Parker said. “It’s like pitching at home at 9 (a.m.) so it’s a little bit different. It’s not an excuse. It’s embarrassing to get that kind of lead and not work efficiently and get back in that dugout.”

The Athletics dropped the first game of the trip in Tampa Bay, another wild card contender, before winning the final seven. Manager Bob Melvin didn’t think his team would overlook the Indians despite their tailspin.

“There was never going to be a letdown with us,” he said. “Every team in the American League is dangerous. I don’t look at the Tampa series as any bigger than this series. This was just as big a series, as is every series after this.”

Crisp’s two-out homer in the third tied the game. Cespedes’ single and walks to Seth Smith and Josh Donaldson loaded the bases in the fourth. Kottaras, batting .148, scored all three runners with a drive up the gap to right-center. Pennington followed with a two-run homer.

Stephen Drew started the fifth with a single and scored on Reddick’s homer to right. Masterson was pulled after Cespedes’ single.

Donaldson hit a solo home run in the ninth.

Parker has won his last two decisions after losing three straight starts. He pitched eight shutout innings against the Indians on Aug. 19 in Oakland.

Masterson continued to struggle against the Athletics. The right-hander is 1-5 with a 10.36 ERA in six career starts versus Oakland.

“I just don’t know, it’s crazy,” Masterson said. “I’m sure there could be some scientifical analysis we could do out there. I’d be happy just to win some ballgames, that’s about it.”

Josh Reddick, Yoenis Cespedes

Oakland’s Josh Reddick, right, is greeted by Yoenis Cespedes after Reddick hit a two-run homer off Indians’ pitcher Justin Masterson durng the fifth inning of a 12-7 victory by the A’s on Thursday in Cleveland. AP photo

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