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Rays/MLB

This close one ends in Oakland's favor

By TIMES WIRES
Published August 3, 2006

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ANAHEIM, Calif. - Mark Kotsay's single in the eighth drove in the winner as Oakland took two of three in a series between the West's top teams.

It marked the 15th one-run decision in 31 meetings between the teams since the start of last season, with the A's having won eight.

Oakland plays seven of its final 10 games against the Angels, including four in Anaheim to cap the regular season.

"We know it's going to come down to the end again," Angels reliever Scot Shields said. "So we've just got to play our game up until then."

Shields entered in the eighth and immediately walked Mark Ellis and gave up Jason Kendall's single to put runners at the corners. Kotsay then singled through the right side.

Two outs later, Shields hit Jay Payton on the right hand, and Payton had to be restrained by A's manager Ken Macha.

"It was a reaction of getting hit on the hand with a 94 mph fastball and thinking it's broken. So I'm going to be teed off until I find out it's not," said Payton, hit for only the second time in 371 plate appearances this season. "I wasn't trying to go after anybody. It probably looked a lot worse than it really was."

In May, Kendall charged the mound and the benches cleared after the Angels' John Lackey accused him of trying to get hit by a pitch.

After a delay of several minutes, Shields struck out Nick Swisher with the bases loaded.

Notable: On his 23rd birthday, Huston Street got his 23rd save in 30 chances.

QUOTABLE: "Off the field, we don't seem to hate each other. In fact, we're pretty cordial and friendly. But after that first pitch is thrown, the same two guys that were hugging each other before the game are cussing each other in the middle of the game." - Street

[Last modified August 3, 2006, 07:05:08]