Athletics Batter Indians’ Pitching

The Oakland Athletics continued their assault on Cleveland pitching Saturday.

It took a clutch relief performance from Billy Taylor, however, to preserve an 11-6 victory as the Athletics won their eighth straight over the Indians.

With Oakland leading, 9-6, Taylor came on with the bases loaded in the eighth inning and retired Manny Ramirez on a force play to earn his 28th save.

“A matchup like that is what I really enjoy about being a closer,” Taylor said. “Manny is so tough. We tried to keep him off balance with sliders. This time, we had some success.”

Rookies Ben Grieve and A.J. Hinch each had three runs batted in, and Scott Spiezio drove in two runs for the A’s, who had 16 hits after getting a season-high 24 in a 14-6 win in 10 innings Friday night.

“A.J. had a huge hit to put us up, 4-3, then got another RBI single later,” A’s Manager Art Howe said. “He got us going.”

Ramirez went three for five with his 33rd homer and made a spectacular catch, and rookie Richie Sexson hit two homers for the Indians.

Grieve tied it, 5-5, in the sixth inning with an RBI double off Tom Martin (1-1). Spiezio followed with a two-run double off the left-field wall and scored on a single by Hinch.

A two-run single by Hinch gave the A’s a 4-3 lead in the fifth. But the Indians tied it in the bottom of the inning when Ramirez hit an two-strike pitch from Jimmy Haynes (10-6) into the left-field bleachers. One out later, Sexson hit his third homer to put the Indians up, 5-4.

Haynes gave up five runs on nine hits and two walks in 5 1/3 innings.

Ramirez robbed the A’s of three runs in the first inning. With the bases loaded and two outs, Spiezio hit a pitch from Dwight Gooden to right-center field. Ramirez raced to the wall, leaped and made a back-handed catch.

“I thought I had a chance, so I went after it because I knew Kenny [Lofton] would be there to back me up,” Ramriez said. “If I’m going to make an error at least it will be while I’m trying hard.”

Ramirez put the Indians ahead in the bottom of the first with an RBI single and made it 2-0 by scoring from first on Travis Fryman’s double off the wall in right-center. The A’s then tied it in the third, 2-2.

The Indians went ahead, 3-2, in the third when Sexson singled in Ramirez, who had doubled.

“I struggled all game,” said Gooden, who made 56 pitches in the first two innings. “I kept trying to regroup but it was just one of those days.”

Gooden gave up four runs, eight hits and walked five in 4 2/3 innings.

“The last two days, I’m fairly concerned about our pitchers’ inability to get ahead of hitters,” Indian Manager Mike Hargrove said. “You can’t be 2-1 or 3-1 in the count on every hitter.”

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Next Series for Angels

Who: Cleveland Indians

Where: At Cleveland

When: Tuesday, 4 p.m.

Wednesday, 4:30 p.m.