Everett’s Blunder Secures A’s Victory

Carl Everett’s strange baserunning blunder left the Boston Red Sox stunned and the Oakland Athletics happily surprised.

“One of the stranger ways a game can end,” A’s Manager Art Howe said Friday night after Everett’s game-ending miscue erased what would have been the tying run and left the A’s with a 7-6 victory at Boston.

Oakland pitcher Mike Magnante walked Trot Nixon leading off the bottom of the ninth and Everett singled with one out. Jeff Tam then hit Manny Ramirez with a pitch, loading the bases for Troy O’Leary, who hit a fly ball to left-center field.

Mario Valdez, who entered as the left fielder in the ninth, caught the ball and threw to third, where shortstop Miguel Tejada tagged out Everett, trying to advance, before Nixon crossed home plate.

Everett, asked why he went with the ball hit to left, said: “You’re taught to draw the throw. He [Tejada] wasn’t there. He got the ball and ran back and tagged me.”

Nixon and Red Sox Manager Jimy Williams argued to no avail with plate umpire Dan Iassonga, who immediately ruled the run didn’t count as the Athletics came rushing out of their dugout to celebrate the win.

New York 14, Baltimore 5--Mike Mussina defeated his former team for the second time in six days as the Yankees won at New York.

Alfonso Soriano had two doubles, a single and four RBIs.

Mussina (4-3) gave up only a bloop single through four innings before Chris Richard’s leadoff homer launched a three-run fifth. Mussina was nicked by a ball hit by Richard in the sixth, and left after that inning because of a bruised left calf.

Ramiro Mendoza pitched three innings for his second save.

Seattle 7, Toronto 2--Mike Cameron hit a three-run homer to lead the Mariners at Toronto.

Ichiro Suzuki extended his hitting streak to 17 games for the Mariners. Suzuki, who went two for five, has hit safely in 33 of 35 games.

Carlos Delgado hit his 204th homer to become Toronto’s career leader. Delgado has a league-leading 14 homers.

Minnesota 5, Kansas City 4--Luis Rivas singled in the winning run in the 11th inning at Minneapolis.

The Twins rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the eighth on consecutive homers by Corey Koskie and Doug Mientkiewicz.

LaTroy Hawkins (1-0) pitched a perfect 11th for the win, striking out two.

Chicago 6, Texas 5--Jose Valentin hit his second homer of the game, a solo shot with one out in the 10th, to give the White Sox the victory at Chicago.

The White Sox hit four homers for the second game in a row since learning that Frank Thomas would miss the season because of a torn triceps.

Both of Valentin’s homers came batting right-handed. The switch-hitter now has eight of his 123 career homers from that side of the plate. His game-winner came against Mike Venafro (1-1).

Cleveland 10, Tampa Bay 6--Ellis Burks drove in six runs and Juan Gonzalez had three hits, three runs and two RBIs at Cleveland as the Indians won for the 11th time in 12 games.

Burks had a three-run homer, two-run single and sacrifice fly. Gonzalez raised his RBI total to 39.

Indian starter Tim Drew lasted only three innings. The right-hander replaced Chuck Finley, who had a stiff neck.