WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Interstat) — The Athletics scored three times in the fifth inning to break open a close game and rolled past the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-1 on Wednesday night at Sutter Health Park.

The Dodgers, who had won the first two games of the three-game series by a combined 18-7, could not sustain that momentum against Athletics right-hander J.T. Ginn. Ginn allowed one earned run on three hits over six innings, striking out four and walking three to improve to 7-4. The loss went to Dodgers left-hander Charlie Barnes, who made his first start of the season and fell to 0-1 after giving up six runs on nine hits in five innings.

The game began as a pitchers’ duel. Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani grounded out to second baseman Jeff McNeil leading off the top of the first, but center fielder Andy Pages followed with a ground-rule double down the left-field line for his 20th double of the season. First baseman Freddie Freeman drew a walk after a challenge from catcher Jonah Heim that upheld the call. Max Muncy flied out to right fielder Lawrence Butler, allowing Pages to advance to third. Right fielder Kyle Tucker walked to put runners at the corners. Shortstop Tommy Edman grounded out to first baseman Nick Kurtz to end the threat.

Ginn retired the first three Dodgers he faced in the first inning and then his teammates provided support in the bottom of the second. Heim, the Athletics catcher, led off with his eighth home run of the season, a fly ball to center field that tied the game 1-1. Third baseman Joshua Kuroda-Grauer followed with a single on a ground ball to Barnes. Butler struck out, and Henry Bolte grounded into a double play, second baseman Alex Freeland to Freeman, to end the inning.

The Dodgers regained the lead in the top of the third. Pages popped out to Kurtz, but Freeman crushed a 1-0 pitch from Ginn over the right-center field wall for his 14th home run, making it 2-1. Muncy grounded out, Tucker walked, and Edman walked to put two on with two outs, but Freeland was called out on strikes to leave them stranded.

The Athletics answered in the bottom of the fourth. Heim led off with a walk. Kuroda-Grauer doubled down the right-field line off Tucker, putting runners at second and third. Butler grounded out to shortstop Miguel Rojas, but Heim scored on the play and Kuroda-Grauer advanced to third. Bolte then singled to center, plating Kuroda-Grauer to give the Athletics a 3-2 lead. McNeil grounded into a force out, Bolte out at second, and Alika Williams struck out swinging to end the inning.

The decisive rally came in the fifth. Shea Langeliers, the designated hitter, led off with his 20th home run of the season, a line drive to left-center field that extended the lead to 4-2. Kurtz singled sharply to right. Colby Thomas doubled to center, scoring Kurtz and making it 5-2. Heim singled to left, driving in Thomas to push the lead to 6-2. Kuroda-Grauer popped out, Butler grounded out to second, and Bolte singled to put runners at first and third. McNeil flied out to center to end the inning, but the damage was done.

The Dodgers could not mount a comeback against Ginn, who retired nine of the final 10 batters he faced after the third inning. The only baserunner against him in the fourth through sixth innings came on a walk to Tucker leading off the sixth, but shortstop Alika Williams turned a double play on a ground ball from Freeland to erase him.

Barnes worked the fifth and sixth innings before being lifted. He allowed two more runs in the sixth on a walk to Williams, a groundout by Langeliers that moved Williams to second, a lineout by Kurtz, and a popout by Thomas. Barnes finished with five strikeouts and two walks.

The Athletics added an insurance run in the eighth against the Dodgers bullpen. With one out, Williams hit his second home run of the season, a fly ball to left-center field, making it 7-2. Langeliers grounded out to shortstop to end the inning.

The Dodgers managed only five hits in the game. Pages had a double, Freeman hit a solo homer, Rojas singled twice, and Muncy doubled in the eighth. But the Dodgers struck out 10 times, including a season-high four strikeouts by Ohtani, who went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts and a groundout. Tucker walked three times but was left on base each time.

The Athletics collected 12 hits, led by Kurtz, Kuroda-Grauer, Bolte and Langeliers with two hits each. Heim went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs. Thomas drove in a run with his double. Williams had a home run and a walk. The Athletics outhit the Dodgers 12-5 and left seven runners on base to the Dodgers’ eight.

Defensively, the Athletics turned two double plays, including a critical one in the sixth that erased Tucker after he walked. The Dodgers played errorless defense.

The game lasted 2 hours, 21 minutes before a crowd of 12,592 at Sutter Health Park, the temporary home of the Athletics.

The Dodgers fell to 56-31, still the best record in the National League, while the Athletics improved to 41-46, snapping a two-game losing streak.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Los Angeles Dodgers 7, Athletics 4. Interstat’s ELO system had projected the Dodgers with a 68.00 percent probability to win. The Dodgers had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The total score of 8 went over the over-under line of 9.