A’s Win in Ninth on Pena’s Homer

Rookie Carlos Pena homered to lead off the bottom of the ninth inning, lifting the Oakland Athletics over the Texas Rangers, 3-2, Tuesday at Oakland.

Pena sent a 1-1 pitch from Dan Miceli (0-1) to right-center field over the 388-foot marker.

Miceli had pitched a perfect eighth for the Rangers before facing Pena.

A’s closer Billy Koch (1-0) got credit for the win despite giving up Gabe Kapler’s tying single with two out in the ninth.

The Athletics once again shut down Texas’ power-packed lineup.

Koch, who came to Oakland in a trade with Toronto in the off-season, blew his first save opportunity with the A’s.

With a 2-1 lead, Koch walked Rafael Palmeiro, then gave up a single to Ivan Rodriguez. Herbert Perry bunted into a forceout at third and rookie Hank Blalock struck out before Kapler singled.

Oakland’s Tim Hudson allowed one run and four hits over 61/3 innings.

Hudson, who went 18-9 with a a 3.37 ERA last season, got a standing ovation when he was pulled in the seventh after giving up a run-scoring single to Rodriguez. The 26-year-old right-hander struck out six and walked one.

With no decision, Texas starter Kenny Rogers preserved his streak at the Coliseum. The former Athletics pitcher has not lost in Oakland since Aug. 7, 1994, going 17-0 in 31 games (30 starts).

Rogers gave up two runs on three hits over five innings. He struck out four and walked five.

He hit A’s leadoff batter Jeremy Giambi in the right forearm with a pitch in the first inning. Frank Menechino walked, and an out later David Justice tripled to give the A’s a 2-0 lead.

Mike Colangelo pinch hit for Giambi in the second inning, and then replaced him in left field. The A’s said Giambi had a contusion on his arm.

It was the second time in as many days that a Ranger starter had hit an Oakland batter with a pitch. In Monday’s opener, Chan Ho Park hit second baseman Randy Velarde on the left hand.

Seattle 7, Chicago 4--Mark McLemore and Mike Cameron drew bases-loaded walks as the Mariners rallied for four runs in the seventh inning against Chicago’s bullpen to win at Seattle.

The White Sox took a 4-3 lead in the top of the seventh on Kenny Lofton’s two-run single off Arthur Rhodes. But Chicago used five pitchers in the bottom half as the Mariners sent 10 batters to the plate. Lorenzo Barcelo (0-1) started the inning, and McLemore’s walk off Damaso Marte brought in Dan Wilson with the tying run. Bret Boone’s single off Bob Howry put the Mariners ahead 5-4.

Edgar Martinez’s sacrifice fly drove in Ichiro Suzuki before reliever Mike Porzio walked two for Seattle’s final run of the inning.

Tampa Bay 9, Detroit 5--Greg Vaughn’s two-out RBI single broke an eighth-inning tie to help the Devil Rays win at St. Petersburg, Fla., before a season-opening crowd of 38,142 at Tropicana Field.

Vaughn broke a 5-5 tie after loser Juan Acevedo walked Steve Cox intentionally to get to the Devil Rays’ cleanup hitter. Ben Grieve drew a bases-loaded walk to drive in another run and Bobby Smith added a two-run double that glanced off pitcher Danny Patterson’s foot and rolled into shallow right field.