Still No Place Like Oakland for Rogers

Kenny Rogers may be pitching himself off the trading block.

Rogers gave up three hits in 7 2/3 innings, winning his 17th consecutive decision at the Oakland Coliseum, as the Athletics completed a three-game sweep with a 4-3 victory Tuesday over the Colorado Rockies.

Ben Grieve homered for the second straight game, and Matt Stairs and Eric Chavez also homered for the A’s, who have won five of six since the All-Star break and are 31-16 at home this season.

Rogers has made it clear he won’t be with the A’s next season, when he wants to be closer to his home in Tampa, Fla. Oakland had been expected to try to deal him before the July 31 trading deadline.

But now that the A’s are in second place in the AL West and playing well, they may try to hold on to Rogers and make a run at the playoffs.

“As long as the team’s doing well and he’s pitching well, he’s not going anywhere,” Stairs said.

Rogers (5-3) gave up an unearned run on a run-scoring single by Dante Bichette with two outs in the eighth. Rogers walked two, hit two batters and struck out three.

Bill Taylor completed the six-hitter for his 25th save in 30 chances, giving up two runs in the ninth on an RBI grounder by Todd Helton and an RBI single by Lenny Harris. With the bases loaded and two outs, Taylor struck out Bichette.

“He gave me a couple of gray hairs there,” Rogers said. “I’m glad we had a little bit of a margin where he could struggle and still get the save there.”

Rogers has never lost at home since joining the A’s before last season. He went 11-0 in Oakland last season and is 4-0 this year. He also had one win for the New York Yankees and one for the Texas Rangers in Oakland before joining the A’s.

“He kept us off balance all day long. He paints his fastball outside. He keeps you honest,” said Colorado’s Vinny Castilla, who went 0 for 3 against Rogers. “We didn’t figure him out. He was just throwing outside, outside, outside. I’m aggressive and he knows that and I kept chasing it, chasing it.”

Darryl Kile (5-9) was the losing pitcher.

Oakland concluded interleague play with a record of 12-6, best in the AL. The Rockies went 4-8 against AL teams, the worst mark in the NL.