WASHINGTON — The Mariners feel the A’s but don’t fear the A’s.

“They’re playing pretty good. I don’t think we should be concerned,” said designated hitter Nelson Cruz, one of four Seattle All-Stars. “We are the ones who dictate because we’re the ones who have to win games. We don’t want to worry about anyone else besides us.”

The A’s ran off a 21-6 record in the month leading to the All-Star break to pull three games behind the second-place Mariners in the American League West. Before the streak began June 16, the A’s were 11 back of Seattle.

The Mariners went 13-14 during the same stretch but, until further notice, maintain control of the second wild-card spot.

A’s All-Star closer Blake Treinen cited the 2011 wild-card race in which the Cardinals trailed by 10½ games in late August only to beat Atlanta at the finish. The Cardinals then won the World Series.

So, yes, Treinen said the Mariners are catchable.

“I think you should always believe that,” he said. “Otherwise, why are we playing? I think you should never give in. In a game today where (teams) are so big on either buying or selling out, I think baseball needs a middle-of-the-pack team to climb and find a way to the playoffs.

“So why not the Oakland A’s?”

All-Star second baseman Jed Lowrie has a more conservative mind-set.

“Particularly with a young team, I think we need to narrow our focus,” Lowrie said. “Be aware of the standings but not be driven by the standings, if that makes sense.

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“It’s because it’s really easy to get caught up in what’s going on in other places as opposed to what we’re doing on any given day. Now, when we have a big series late in the year against teams we are chasing or hopefully passed, then you start thinking about things like that.

“But I think it’s a little too early to scoreboard watch.”

The A’s have 10 games remaining against the Mariners, including seven in Oakland, beginning Aug. 13. The next day, Robinson Cano’s 80-game PED suspension will be over, unless the Mariners are rained out in the meantime.

Much of Oakland’s roster is without playoff experience, including young core players Matt Chapman, Matt Olson and Sean Manaea.

“You don’t want to forget why we are now in the position that we’re in,” Lowrie said. “You don’t want to spend the time and effort to get to this position and start to listen to everyone tell you how great you are, that you’re in the pennant race and then forget how you got there.”

Cruz’s teammate, outfielder Mitch Haniger, acknowledged the A’s are rolling but suggested the Mariners’ recent poor play was due to injuries and interleague games in which Cruz wasn’t in the lineup. They lost five of six and got swept in Colorado.

“We’re looking forward to getting back to Seattle and opening the second half,” Haniger said, “and starting off on a fresh note.”

Cruz added, “There’s no doubt in my mind we can just jump this bump.”

On Tuesday, the four Mariners and two A’s will be teammates. After that, it’s back to business. The first-place Astros lead the Mariners by five games and the A’s by eight.

“We got hot at the right time,” Treinen said. “It definitely changes the conversation for the direction of our team. I think anybody out there reporting on baseball could agree with that. I think our team is filled with talented young players, and they’re starting to realize how good they are.”

Lowrie agreed.

“The only thing I could say that surprises me is how quickly some of the younger guys have matured and done the little things that helped us win consistently,” he said. “That’s a maturation process that usually takes longer.”

John Shea is The San Francisco Chronicle’s national baseball writer. Email: jshea@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JohnSheaHey