Haren and A’s Keep On Winning

For more than two months, the Oakland Athletics have found a way to win with Dan Haren on the mound.

Haren pitched seven shutout innings to extend his winning streak to nine games, and the Athletics sent the Kansas City Royals to their 10th straight loss, 11-0, Sunday at Kansas City, Mo.

Haren (10-7) is 9-0 in 14 starts since his last loss, May 26 at Tampa Bay. His streak matches the AL’s longest winning stretch this season, accomplished by Chicago’s Mark Buehrle and Texas’ Kenny Rogers.

“Early on it was more maybe me keeping us real close,” Haren said of his winning streak.

“There was a stretch there where I wasn’t pitching that well and the offense picked me up every time,” he said. “Now it’s just kind of both clicking. I’ve thrown the ball better the past few times, and the offense is still rolling and picking me up. It’s a nice combination, and hopefully there’s two more months of it.”

Adam Melhuse, Jay Payton and Bobby Crosby each drove in three runs for the A’s, who have won each of Haren’s last 14 starts, tying a club record set by Chuck Dobson in 1971.

Haren needed 27 pitches to get out of the first inning, giving up a single and walking Matt Stairs after not issuing a walk in his last two starts.

“After that it was groundballs and double plays,” A’s Manager Ken Macha said.

Haren held the Royals to four hits, struck out six and walked two before being replaced by Kiko Calero to start the eighth inning.

The Royals’ 10 losses in a row equals the third-longest skid in franchise history and is two shy of a club-record 12 straight defeats in 1997.

“We’re playing really, really bad,” Manager Buddy Bell said. “We’ve got to come out of it.”

The A’s, who were 8 1/2 games out of first in the American League West on July 18, are 18-2 since and remained tied with the Angels, who beat Tampa Bay. The A’s are 37-8 over their last 45 games to move to a season-high 17-games above .500.

Chicago 3, Seattle 1 -- Jon Garland earned his 16th win, Paul Konerko and Joe Crede homered, and center fielder Aaron Rowand preserved the lead with a spectacular catch at Chicago.

The White Sox’s major league-high 72nd victory came on the day they unveiled a life-sized statue of No. 72, Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk.

Garland (16-5) -- the AL leader in victories -- gave up a run and five hits in 7 1/3 innings, struck out three and walked two. After giving up an RBI single to Ichiro Suzuki in the third, he retired the next 12 batters.

Garland left with runners on first and second in the eighth. Damaso Marte got Raul Ibanez to fly out before Richie Sexson sent a drive to deep center off Cliff Politte, which Rowand sprinted back for and caught as he crashed into the wall.

Boston 11, Minnesota 7 -- Manny Ramirez went four for four with a homer and three RBIs, Tim Wakefield pitched eight innings, and the Red Sox avoided a three-game sweep at Minneapolis.

Wakefield joined Roger Clemens and Cy Young as the only pitchers to throw at least 2,000 innings in a Red Sox uniform.

New York 6, Toronto 2 -- Al Leiter won for the second time since returning to New York, and Alex Rodriguez homered and had three hits at Toronto.

Before the game, Yankee Manager Joe Torre said Randy Johnson’s next start was in doubt because of a bad back. Johnson will be examined by team doctors when the Yankees return to New York today.

Texas 9, Baltimore 3 -- Chris Young pitched seven shutout innings to earn his first victory in more than a month, and Mark Teixeira and Gary Matthews Jr. each homered and drove in three runs at Arlington, Texas.

Cleveland 6, Detroit 5 -- Ronnie Belliard hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the eighth inning, lifting the Indians to a three-game sweep at Detroit.

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Sharing a streak

The A’s have won each of the last 14 games in which Dan Haren has started, tying a club record. Most consecutive starts in Oakland victories:

*--* 14 Chuck Dobson May 12-July 20, 1971 14 Dan Haren May 31, 2005-present 13 Storm Davis July 3-Sept. 5, 1988 11 Barry Zito Aug. 20, 2001-April 9, 2002 11 Bob Welch May 11-June 30, 1990 11 Dave Stewart Sept. 13, 1989-May 9, 1990 11 Vida Blue April 9-May 23, 1971

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