TORONTO - Eric Chavez didn't expect the Oakland Athletics to be in first place, not after they lost Mark Mulder to a season-ending injury last week.
"If you would have said to me a week ago that we would be tied, I would have said you were crazy," Chavez said after Miguel Tejada homered and had three hits as the A's beat the Blue Jays 8-6 Monday night.
Tejada went 15-for-31 as Oakland went 5-2 on a trip to Boston and Toronto. The A's, who lost Mulder to a stress fracture in his right hip, are tied with Seattle atop the West, holding a share of first for the first time since May 15.
Oakland has won three straight and is a season-high 21 games over .500. Seattle has lost six straight.
"Our starting pitching really didn't do anything in Boston. Our bullpen picked us up big time and then we found out about Mark; it was real tough," Chavez said. "The whole team knew that offensively and defensively that we were going to have to pick it up, and we've been doing that."
Terrence Long went 4-for-5 for the A's, also tied with Boston in the wild-card race.
"It's going to be fun from here on out," Long said.
Oakland's offense, which has been inconsistent this season, has scored 36 in the past three games.
"Now we're hitting the way we're supposed to be hitting," Tejada said. "We've started hitting just in time."
RED SOX 8, MARINERS 1: Pedro Martinez got all the support he needed from David Ortiz: a home run, four RBIs and a big hug after he came off the mound.
"That guy, right now, he deserves the best," Ortiz said after the Boston ace beat visiting Seattle in his first start after being incapacitated by a severe sore throat and fever.
"He's not even close to being 100 percent. He's sick for real and he still comes out and gives us his best," Ortiz said. "I hope the people here in Boston appreciate what he's done for the ballclub. We get to be around one of the greatest in the game."
Returning from a throat infection that knocked him out of his previous start, Martinez allowed one run on six hits and two walks, striking out four.
YANKEES 5, ORIOLES 2: Alfonso Soriano hit a leadoff homer and drove in three and Andy Pettitte picked on a familiar opponent for host New York, which has won nine of 11.
Pettitte improved his career record over the Orioles to 18-4. His .818 winning percentage is the highest by any pitcher with at least 15 decisions against Baltimore.
