Advertisement

A’s Rebound, Beat the Yankees, 4-3

Share
From the Associated Press

Marco Scutaro singled over left fielder Hideki Matsui’s head in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Oakland Athletics a 4-3 victory over the New York Yankees on Tuesday night in Oakland.

Nick Swisher and Eric Chavez homered off Yankee starter Mike Mussina, who struck out six in seven solid innings but failed to earn a decision.

Milton Bradley drew a leadoff walk in the ninth against loser Scott Proctor, then moved to second on Jason Kendall’s sacrifice.

Advertisement

Swisher was intentionally walked to bring up Scutaro, playing in place of injured shortstop Bobby Crosby.

It was Scutaro’s sixth game-ending hit during three seasons with the A’s. He has five singles and a home run. Scutaro raised his right arm in the air in celebration, then hit his fist on his chest before being hugged by teammates.

The A’s turned to closer Huston Street (1-0) to start the ninth and he escaped unscathed after giving up Johnny Damon’s one-out double.

Jorge Posada hit a go-ahead single to right in the sixth and drove in another run on a groundout. The catcher was the lone New York starter without a hit in Monday’s season-opening 15-2 rout of the A’s.

Chavez hit the first pitch he saw in the sixth over the right-field wall to tie the score, 3-3, his 191st career homer.

*

Texas 10, Boston 4 -- Ranger slugger Phil Nevin had a three-run homer in the first inning at Arlington, Texas, and later chased struggling Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield with a two-run single.

Advertisement

Winner Vicente Padilla gave up only one run and four hits over six innings in his American League debut. Acquired from Philadelphia in an off-season trade, he struck out five and walked two.

Nevin’s homer put the Rangers ahead, 4-0, in the first, when the first four batters reached base. Mark Teixeira had a run-scoring single, and Nevin followed with a drive to left field.

His two-run single with two out in the fourth made it 6-0 and finished Wakefield, who took the loss.

*

Cleveland 8, Chicago 2 -- Aaron Boone homered, drove in four runs and crashed into catcher A.J. Pierzynski to score a run and help the Indians defeat the World Series champions at Chicago.

Winner Jake Westbrook gave up two runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings for Cleveland.

Victor Martinez also homered for Cleveland as the Indians roughed up loser Freddy Garcia for seven runs and nine hits in four innings.

Jim Thome hit a long homer in the fourth for the White Sox, his second in as many games against his former team.

Advertisement

*

Toronto 6, Minnesota 3 -- Roy Halladay outpitched Johan Santana in a matchup of recent Cy Young Award winners to lead the Blue Jays to the victory at Toronto.

Bengie Molina homered off Santana to give Toronto a 3-1 lead. Closer B.J. Ryan struck out two in a perfect ninth to close it out.

Halladay gave up three runs -- two earned -- and five hits, striking out four and walking none in 7 2/3 innings.

Advertisement