Athletics Relieved to Get a Victory

The Oakland bullpen has picked up the slack for its vaunted starting staff.

Mike Wood, who took injured Mark Mulder’s roster spot, earned his first major league victory Saturday as the Athletics defeated the Toronto Blue Jays, 11-5.

The Athletics are 3-2 on their trip despite not getting a win from their impressive foursome of Mulder, Barry Zito, Rich Harden and Tim Hudson, who was scratched from his start Thursday.

Oakland’s taxed bullpen is 3-0 with two saves and a 3.28 earned-run average in that span.

“I hope we don’t have to use the bullpen the rest of the road trip because there could be big problems,” said A’s Manager Ken Macha, whose team has two games left on the trip. “We have to get guys further out in the game.”

Billy McMillon hit a two-run double as part of a six-run sixth inning. The Athletics moved within two games of Seattle for first place in the AL West and remained tied with Boston in the wild-card race.

Wood (1-0) gave up two runs and one hit, while striking out three and walking one in 1 2/3 innings. The 23-year-old right-hander made his major league debut Thursday.

“After one day rest he said he was ready to go, and he got us five big outs,” said Macha, who used four relievers. “I think he’s done very well. I like what I see.

“He’s got some movement, he’s got a pretty good slider and a good changeup.”

Wood was recalled from triple-A Sacramento on Thursday when Mulder was put on the 15-day disabled list. Mulder has a stress fracture in his right hip and probably is out for the season.

John Halama, who replaced Mulder in the rotation, gave up three runs and six hits in four innings.

Adam Melhuse hit a three-run homer off Toronto starter Pete Walker in the second. Chris Woodward hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom half, and Bobby Kielty had a tying, two-run double in the third.

The A’s broke the game open in the sixth against Tanyon Sturtze (6-6). After Chris Singleton hit a go-ahead RBI single, McMillon, who was hitless in his previous 18 at-bats, doubled.

Miguel Tejada added an RBI double, and Mark Ellis later had a run-scoring grounder. Terrence Long’s RBI single gave the A’s a 9-3 lead.