OAKLAND, Calif — It was the fourth inning Sunday and the Athletics were trailing the Washington Nationals by three runs, a deficit that would soon climb to five.

A’s manager Mark Kotsay looked around the dugout and wasn’t pleased with what he saw. He made that known.

“Just a few kind words to let ‘em know I wasn’t really happy with how they were going about it,” Kotsay said.

The Athletics broke loose offensively in the sixth, scoring six runs with the bullpen closing out a 7-6 win at the Coliseum for their third straight series win. The last time the A’s won three straight series was May 31 through June 16 in 2021.

Right fielder Lawrence Butler, who had three hits including a run-scoring single in the big sixth, smiled when asked about Kotsay’s in-game lecture.

“I can’t be exact, but he did tell us to put some energy in it,” Butler said. “It’s a Sunday day game. Don’t retire. I guess he felt he had to say it and it worked so he might have to do it more often.”

The win improved the A’s record to 7-9 and put even more distance between the 1-6 homestand to open the season. On the two-city road trip that concluded Wednesday, the A’s won two of three against both Detroit and Texas and did the same thing to Washington one day after a loss in which they struck out 18 times.

“I thought the road series’ was great for us. And to come home, come back from behind and hold the lead, these guys are starting to come together,” Kotsay said.

Mitch Spence, the first of four relievers after starter Alex Wood couldn’t get out of the fifth, got the win and improved to 1-1. Mason Miller picked up his third save, striking out the side in the ninth on 13 pitches — nine of which broke 100 miles per hour with a high of 102.4.

Derek Law (0-1) took the loss for Washington, giving up four earned runs in one-third of an inning in the A’s big sixth. The Nationals fell to 6-9.

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