‘Dominant’ Manaea delivers career-best start

OAKLAND — A’s manager Bob Melvin stuck with Sean Manaea in the eighth inning of Friday’s 1-0, 13-inning win over the Rays, even with his pitch count rising and the go-ahead run, Kevin Kiermaier, standing at third base.

Melvin would’ve been justified in turning the game over to reliever Ryan Dull, who stood ready in the bullpen and has allowed only 2-of-39 inherited runners to score this season. But Manaea had twirled his way to this point, delivering the best start of his career, and Melvin let him see it through.

Manaea rewarded him, getting Brandon Guyer to fly out and keeping the game scoreless entering the bottom of the eighth. Manaea didn’t factor into a decision — and was long out of the game by the time Coco Crisp won it on a walk-off single — but it was impossible to overlook the strides taken by the young lefty.

“He’s pitched some good games but not like that,” Melvin said. “That’s the best. …When we heard about our best pitching prospect coming up, that was the type of game you look for from your top pitching prospect. That …

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