Sports

Baseball

New blood helps A's stop eight-game skid

Associated Press
Published May 17, 2005

---

OAKLAND, Calif. - Newcomer Matt Watson hit a tiebreaking two-run single in the eighth inning, and the Athletics snapped their eight-game losing streak with a 6-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Monday night.

Watson was called up from Triple-A Sacramento on Saturday to put some pop in the majors' worst offense, and he came through with a bases-loaded hit off Mike Timlin.

Eric Chavez snapped a 5-for-37 skid with three hits, and Mark Kotsay had a three-run triple in the fifth for the A's, who finally ended their longest skid since July 21-29, 1998, when they lost nine straight.

All of Oakland's losses came against East powers Boston and New York, including the Yankees' three-game sweep during the weekend.

Chavez and Erubiel Durazo led off the eighth with singles off Mike Myers, who left after Durazo's drive struck him on the forearm. Timlin walked Scott Hatteberg to load the bases with one out, and Watson's grounder was just out of Mark Bellhorn's reach at second base.

Boston swept three from the A's at Fenway Park last week, two featuring game-ending homers off Octavio Dotel. The Oakland closer got in trouble again at the Coliseum, making an error while covering first and allowing two runners to reach scoring position, but Dotel got Bill Mueller to fly out for his seventh save in 11 chances.

Bellhorn had a two-run single for the Red Sox, and David Ortiz tied it at 4 with a two-run double in the seventh off reliever Keiichi Yabu, who wasted a two-run lead in 10 pitches.

Yabu, who was expected to be Oakland's starter Wednesday, allowed four hits and three walks in two innings yet got the win.

Former Hernando High standout Bronson Arroyo yielded six hits in seven strong innings for Boston, facing little trouble except when the A's batted around in the fifth. Arroyo, who has won his past nine decisions, remains unbeaten in his past 17 starts, extending the majors' longest active streak.

RANGERS 7, WHITE SOX 6: Kevin Mench homered twice, including a tiebreaking drive in the ninth that lifted visiting Texas.

Mench, who also homered in the first, sent Damaso Marte's pitch out to left, helping the Rangers to their ninth win in 13 games. Chicago has lost three straight, matching a season high.

Nick Regilio won despite allowing pinch-hitter Tadahito Iguchi's tying home run in the eighth. Francisco Cordero pitched a perfect ninth for his 13th save in 15 chances.

Mench has six homers this season, three in the past two games.

ANGELS 3, INDIANS 1: Paul Byrd pitched seven shutout innings and remained perfect in five career decisions against Cleveland, leading visiting Los Angeles.

Byrd had an easy time with the Indians, who are 28th in the majors in runs. The right-hander gave up three singles to the team that drafted him in 1991 and improved his ERA to 1.60 in eight career appearances against Cleveland.

Although he threw only 85 pitches, Byrd was lifted after the seventh by manager Mike Scioscia, who didn't have closer Francisco Rodriguez available because of a strained right forearm.

[Last modified May 17, 2005, 01:38:07]

[an error occurred while processing this directive]