Zito Helps A’s Take Wild-Card Lead

After lasting only two innings against the Minnesota Twins more than two weeks ago, Barry Zito decided to make some changes.

But not with his mechanics. With his head.

Zito confidently pitched a four-hitter and the Oakland Athletics stretched their winning streak to eight games Thursday with a 6-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox at Oakland that moved the A’s past the Red Sox for the American League wild-card lead.

“It’s nothing physical, it’s all up here,” Zito said, pointing to his forehead. “It’s just going out there and knowing I can do it.”

Zito (8-7) did not permit a runner past first base. The former USC All-American struck out three and walked two in his second shutout and second complete game of his career. Zito’s other shutout came last Sept. 10 against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Since lasting only two innings against the Twins on July 24 in his shortest outing of the season, Zito has given up one run and six hits in 23 1/3 innings.

The young lefty said he decided he was as good as anybody else out there--and he was going to pitch like it. So far, the strategy has worked. In his last three starts, he has a 0.39 earned-run average.

“That’s as good a game I’ve seen pitched against us all year,” said Dante Bichette, who got two of the hits against Zito. “He was tough.”

Terrence Long and Miguel Tejada hit consecutive home runs as the A’s finished off a three-game sweep of the Red Sox. It was their second consecutive sweep; the A’s swept the Detroit Tigers in a four-game series last weekend.

The Red Sox had not been swept in a three-game series at Oakland since June 1-3, 1992.

Minnesota 6, Cleveland 4--David Ortiz had a pinch-hit, three-run homer to break a fifth-inning tie at Minneapolis, creating a tie atop the American League Central.

After dropping the first two games of the series, the Twins are now 3-7 against the Indians. They’ll play nine more times this season.

Toronto 6, Seattle 5--Norm Charlton threw a wild pitch with the bases loaded, allowing Shannon Stewart to score the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning at Seattle.

Chris Latham added a two-run double against Jose Paniagua in the ninth and the Blue Jays ended a five-game losing streak against the Mariners.

New York 4, Tampa Bay 3--Luis Sojo ended the longest hitless slump of his career by delivering a two-out, two-run double in the ninth inning that lifted the Yankees at St. Petersburg, Fla.

Sojo, who got the hit that won the clinching game of 2000 World Series, was in an 0-for-19 skid before his drive against Esteban Yan (3-5) bounced over the wall in left-center field.

Kansas City 6, Baltimore 4--Raul Ibanez homered, doubled and drove in three runs at Kansas City, Mo., to help the Royals end a three-game losing streak.

Cal Ripken, making his final appearance at Kansas City, went 0 for 4, ending his 16-game hitting streak one game shy of his career best.

Texas 7, Detroit 3--Rick Helling gave up two runs in 6 2/3 innings at Arlington, Texas, and the Rangers avoided their first-ever season series sweep by an American League opponent.

The Tigers had won the first eight games between the teams. The Rangers have never gone winless for the season against an American League team in their 30-year history.