Athletics Rescue Koch, Beat Texas

The Texas Rangers couldn’t bail out John Rocker after his blown save the way the Oakland Athletics did Billy Koch.

Rocker blew his first save chance for Texas and Greg Myers’ run-scoring single in the 11th inning gave Koch and Oakland a 5-4 victory Tuesday night at Arlington, Texas.

“Pitchers like Billy and me, our game is not finesse and it takes a little while for us to get our command,” Rocker said. “It seems if I sit for four or five days, I’m really rusty.”

Eric Chavez homered twice for Oakland, including a solo drive in the 10th inning against Rudy Seanez. Texas rallied for one run against Koch (2-0) in the bottom half, but the Rangers couldn’t score the winning run despite having the bases loaded and nobody out.

Terrence Long led off the 11th with a single for Oakland, moved to second on a bunt and scored on Myers’ hit against Seanez (0-1). Koch closed it out with a perfect 11th.

“I felt like I let the team down,” Koch said. “I also kept us in it. Don’t ask me how.”

Koch blew his second save for Oakland by giving up a four-pitch walk to Rusty Greer with the bases loaded in the 10th. But he got out of the jam by getting three consecutive grounders to second baseman Frank Menechino.

New York 5, Toronto 2--Mike Mussina gave up two hits in eight innings and Rondell White hit a tiebreaking two-run home run in the top of the eighth inning, and the Yankees won their seventh in a row.

Raul Mondesi and Felipe Lopez hit home runs off Mussina (2-0), who struck out 10 and walked one. Mariano Rivera earned his fourth save.

Since their 10-3 opening-day loss at Baltimore, the Yankees have given up only eight runs and are off to their best start since going 9-1 in 1999.

Cleveland 5, Minnesota 4--Chuck Finley, who had to skip his first start last week after a domestic dispute with his wife, pitched six shutout innings at Cleveland and the Indians won their sixth in a row.

Milton Bradley hit a two-run home run, Ricky Gutierrez drove in two runs and Matt Lawton hit a home run off Joe Mays (0-2).

Finley (1-0) did not make his scheduled start April 3 at Anaheim after his wife, actress Tawny Kitaen, was arrested for allegedly assaulting him while the couple drove home. Kitaen was charged with spousal abuse and battery.

Chicago 8, Detroit 2--Frank Thomas hit his 350th career home run to spoil Luis Pujols’ debut as manager of the host Tigers.

There were only 11,833 tickets sold--and even fewer people showed up--making it the smallest crowd in the two-plus seasons of Comerica Park.

Carlos Lee and Royce Clayton each drove in two runs, and Magglio Ordonez hit three doubles and scored twice. Dan Wright (1-0) gave up two runs and five hits in 71/3 innings.

Boston 8, Kansas City 4--Nomar Garciaparra and Manny Ramirez homered for the Red Sox to back an encouraging outing from Tim Wakefield at Boston. The Red Sox also got home runs from Jason Varitek and Brian Daubach, who had three of Boston’s 15 hits.

Wakefield (1-0), pressed into a starting role because of injuries to John Burkett and Dustin Hermanson, gave up five hits, struck out four and walked none to earn his first victory as a starter since Aug. 4.

Tampa Bay at Baltimore, ppd., rain--The game will be made up on Aug. 22.