A's nearly throw lead away but hang on to top Mariners
By Joe Roderick
Knight Ridder
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SEATTLE - Oh sure, there was some good-natured ribbing going on among relievers Justin Duchscherer and Huston Street in the afterglow of the A's 6-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Sunday.
But no one found any humor -- at least not those wearing green and gold -- when Street's underhand lob in the ninth inning to Nick Swisher was high, pulling the first baseman off the base and prolonging a game that was quickly becoming a slapstick routine.
``It wasn't very comfortable sitting on the bench that last out,'' Manager Ken Macha said.
Street, after his miscue, induced Jose Lopez to ground out to shortstop Bobby Crosby, mercifully ending this one. It was remarkable that the game came down to the wire after the A's took a 6-0 lead into the eighth, with starter Rich Harden having allowed just two hits.
With an absence of the customary postgame music -- players were riveted to the Masters on the big screen -- reporters approached Street, who first had to hear it from his buddy and fellow reliever.
``Softball, underhanded lollygagging,'' is what Duchscherer called Street's toss on a smash hit by Ichiro Suzuki. ``We get on Huston, but he knows we're just joking. He always does that when he fields a ball. Ichiro's speed might have shocked him.''
Actually, replays showed Swisher touched the base a split-second before Suzuki. The two then collided, bringing the potential go-ahead run, in Lopez, to the plate.
``It looked ugly,'' Macha said. ``He's got to get his feet under him. He ran halfway over there and threw a grenade.''
Said Street, ``I like to run the ball over there. I thought I had more time. I didn't realize how fast Ichiro is. He hit the ball hard and I still didn't have time.''
The way Harden was comporting himself, Street -- and everyone else at Safeco Field -- thought he wouldn't get anywhere near the mound.
``I think the gun here is off,'' Street said. ``He was throwing a lot harder than that.''
When told Harden was touching 97 mph on the scoreboard clock, Street said, ``Those were probably 100.''
Harden retired the first 14 batters before Adrian Beltre singled to left-center with two out in the fifth. He allowed a seventh-inning double to Richie Sexson, then Beltre walked and Jeremy Reed singled to begin the eighth. As Harden said, ``I was out of gas.''
The A's streak of 27 scoreless innings -- two away from tying the team's second-longest stretch -- was intact until Duchscherer hit Lopez on a 1-2 count with the bases loaded in the eighth. (The club record of 37 consecutive scoreless innings was set in 1983.)
``I didn't want to be the guy to end the consecutive-shutout streak,'' Duchscherer said. ``I threw him a front-door slider and it stayed in and hit him on the elbow.''
Harden wouldn't allow thoughts of a no-hitter to seep into his conscience.
``If you start thinking about that stuff out there you're going to try to change,'' he said. ``You have to keep doing what you're doing and not change. I didn't think about it.''
The A's scraped together enough runs, though the lead was precarious at the end. Mark Ellis, who was hitting .158 and had Saturday off, returned to leadoff and went 3 for 4.
Eric Chavez gave the A's a six-run lead with a seventh-inning home run, his third in seven games. Chavez didn't hit his third homer last season until May 17.
Monday, April 10, 2006
New York Yankees Beat LA Angels
Posada stars as Yankees trounce Angels
Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - Jorge Posada hit his first two home runs of the season while knocking in five runs, as the New York Yankees avoided a sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Angels by posting a 10-1 win at Angel Stadium.
Robinson Cano plated a pair of runs on three hits and Alex Rodriguez also posted three hits, including his second home run of the season for the Yankees, who halted a four-game losing streak.
Mike Mussina (1-0) turned in a strong start by allowing just one run and five hits over six innings. He also struck out five and walked two to grab his first win of the season after getting a no decision in his first start against Oakland.
Chone Figgins drove in the lone run for the Angels, who had a modest two-game winning streak halted. Los Angeles was trying for a home sweep against the Yankees for the first time since 1995.
Bartolo Colon (0-1) hardly looked like the reigning Cy Young award winner as he was torched for eight runs - seven earned - on seven hits in just two-plus innings of work. He also received a no decision in his first start of the season.
After plating 15 runs in their first game of the season against Oakland, the Yankees had scored just 10 runs over their last four games, including just three over their two games against the Angles. New York, though, broke out of their slump in a hurry with a five-run second inning.
Rodriguez, who has always hit Colon well in his career, started the barrage. He came into the game with seven home runs and 16 RBI in 43 at bats against the right-handed hurler and his first at bat of the day was no different as he drilled a 1-0 pitch over the center field wall.
The flood gates opened from there as Jason Giambi singled and Hideki Matsui reached on an error before Posada took Colon deep for a three-run homer that made it a 4-0 game with no outs.
Cano followed with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Miguel Cairo, and, after Johnny Damon walked, scored on Derek Jeter's double down the right field line.
Colon didn't make it out of the third as he opened up the inning by walking Giambi before allowing a single to Matsui and a double to Posada that plated Giambi.
The spelled the end for Colon and he was replaced by Esteban Yan, who promptly allowed a two-run double to Cano for an 8-0 Yankees lead before settling down to get out of the inning.
Los Angeles got on the board in the bottom of the third on Figgins' run- scoring single that plated Jeff Mathis to make it 8-1. The Angles had the bases loaded with two outs, but Tim Salmon flied out to the warning track in left field to squander the chance.
Posada led off the fifth inning with a solo blast to right field to make it a 9-1 contest. In the sixth, Matsui put New York in double digits after his single to center scored Rodriguez. The Yankees had the bases loaded in the inning, but Cano grounded into a force out to end the threat.
Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - Jorge Posada hit his first two home runs of the season while knocking in five runs, as the New York Yankees avoided a sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Angels by posting a 10-1 win at Angel Stadium.
Robinson Cano plated a pair of runs on three hits and Alex Rodriguez also posted three hits, including his second home run of the season for the Yankees, who halted a four-game losing streak.
Mike Mussina (1-0) turned in a strong start by allowing just one run and five hits over six innings. He also struck out five and walked two to grab his first win of the season after getting a no decision in his first start against Oakland.
Chone Figgins drove in the lone run for the Angels, who had a modest two-game winning streak halted. Los Angeles was trying for a home sweep against the Yankees for the first time since 1995.
Bartolo Colon (0-1) hardly looked like the reigning Cy Young award winner as he was torched for eight runs - seven earned - on seven hits in just two-plus innings of work. He also received a no decision in his first start of the season.
After plating 15 runs in their first game of the season against Oakland, the Yankees had scored just 10 runs over their last four games, including just three over their two games against the Angles. New York, though, broke out of their slump in a hurry with a five-run second inning.
Rodriguez, who has always hit Colon well in his career, started the barrage. He came into the game with seven home runs and 16 RBI in 43 at bats against the right-handed hurler and his first at bat of the day was no different as he drilled a 1-0 pitch over the center field wall.
The flood gates opened from there as Jason Giambi singled and Hideki Matsui reached on an error before Posada took Colon deep for a three-run homer that made it a 4-0 game with no outs.
Cano followed with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Miguel Cairo, and, after Johnny Damon walked, scored on Derek Jeter's double down the right field line.
Colon didn't make it out of the third as he opened up the inning by walking Giambi before allowing a single to Matsui and a double to Posada that plated Giambi.
The spelled the end for Colon and he was replaced by Esteban Yan, who promptly allowed a two-run double to Cano for an 8-0 Yankees lead before settling down to get out of the inning.
Los Angeles got on the board in the bottom of the third on Figgins' run- scoring single that plated Jeff Mathis to make it 8-1. The Angles had the bases loaded with two outs, but Tim Salmon flied out to the warning track in left field to squander the chance.
Posada led off the fifth inning with a solo blast to right field to make it a 9-1 contest. In the sixth, Matsui put New York in double digits after his single to center scored Rodriguez. The Yankees had the bases loaded in the inning, but Cano grounded into a force out to end the threat.
New York Yankees Beat LA Angels
Posada stars as Yankees trounce Angels
Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - Jorge Posada hit his first two home runs of the season while knocking in five runs, as the New York Yankees avoided a sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Angels by posting a 10-1 win at Angel Stadium.
Robinson Cano plated a pair of runs on three hits and Alex Rodriguez also posted three hits, including his second home run of the season for the Yankees, who halted a four-game losing streak.
Mike Mussina (1-0) turned in a strong start by allowing just one run and five hits over six innings. He also struck out five and walked two to grab his first win of the season after getting a no decision in his first start against Oakland.
Chone Figgins drove in the lone run for the Angels, who had a modest two-game winning streak halted. Los Angeles was trying for a home sweep against the Yankees for the first time since 1995.
Bartolo Colon (0-1) hardly looked like the reigning Cy Young award winner as he was torched for eight runs - seven earned - on seven hits in just two-plus innings of work. He also received a no decision in his first start of the season.
After plating 15 runs in their first game of the season against Oakland, the Yankees had scored just 10 runs over their last four games, including just three over their two games against the Angles. New York, though, broke out of their slump in a hurry with a five-run second inning.
Rodriguez, who has always hit Colon well in his career, started the barrage. He came into the game with seven home runs and 16 RBI in 43 at bats against the right-handed hurler and his first at bat of the day was no different as he drilled a 1-0 pitch over the center field wall.
The flood gates opened from there as Jason Giambi singled and Hideki Matsui reached on an error before Posada took Colon deep for a three-run homer that made it a 4-0 game with no outs.
Cano followed with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Miguel Cairo, and, after Johnny Damon walked, scored on Derek Jeter's double down the right field line.
Colon didn't make it out of the third as he opened up the inning by walking Giambi before allowing a single to Matsui and a double to Posada that plated Giambi.
The spelled the end for Colon and he was replaced by Esteban Yan, who promptly allowed a two-run double to Cano for an 8-0 Yankees lead before settling down to get out of the inning.
Los Angeles got on the board in the bottom of the third on Figgins' run- scoring single that plated Jeff Mathis to make it 8-1. The Angles had the bases loaded with two outs, but Tim Salmon flied out to the warning track in left field to squander the chance.
Posada led off the fifth inning with a solo blast to right field to make it a 9-1 contest. In the sixth, Matsui put New York in double digits after his single to center scored Rodriguez. The Yankees had the bases loaded in the inning, but Cano grounded into a force out to end the threat.
Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - Jorge Posada hit his first two home runs of the season while knocking in five runs, as the New York Yankees avoided a sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Angels by posting a 10-1 win at Angel Stadium.
Robinson Cano plated a pair of runs on three hits and Alex Rodriguez also posted three hits, including his second home run of the season for the Yankees, who halted a four-game losing streak.
Mike Mussina (1-0) turned in a strong start by allowing just one run and five hits over six innings. He also struck out five and walked two to grab his first win of the season after getting a no decision in his first start against Oakland.
Chone Figgins drove in the lone run for the Angels, who had a modest two-game winning streak halted. Los Angeles was trying for a home sweep against the Yankees for the first time since 1995.
Bartolo Colon (0-1) hardly looked like the reigning Cy Young award winner as he was torched for eight runs - seven earned - on seven hits in just two-plus innings of work. He also received a no decision in his first start of the season.
After plating 15 runs in their first game of the season against Oakland, the Yankees had scored just 10 runs over their last four games, including just three over their two games against the Angles. New York, though, broke out of their slump in a hurry with a five-run second inning.
Rodriguez, who has always hit Colon well in his career, started the barrage. He came into the game with seven home runs and 16 RBI in 43 at bats against the right-handed hurler and his first at bat of the day was no different as he drilled a 1-0 pitch over the center field wall.
The flood gates opened from there as Jason Giambi singled and Hideki Matsui reached on an error before Posada took Colon deep for a three-run homer that made it a 4-0 game with no outs.
Cano followed with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Miguel Cairo, and, after Johnny Damon walked, scored on Derek Jeter's double down the right field line.
Colon didn't make it out of the third as he opened up the inning by walking Giambi before allowing a single to Matsui and a double to Posada that plated Giambi.
The spelled the end for Colon and he was replaced by Esteban Yan, who promptly allowed a two-run double to Cano for an 8-0 Yankees lead before settling down to get out of the inning.
Los Angeles got on the board in the bottom of the third on Figgins' run- scoring single that plated Jeff Mathis to make it 8-1. The Angles had the bases loaded with two outs, but Tim Salmon flied out to the warning track in left field to squander the chance.
Posada led off the fifth inning with a solo blast to right field to make it a 9-1 contest. In the sixth, Matsui put New York in double digits after his single to center scored Rodriguez. The Yankees had the bases loaded in the inning, but Cano grounded into a force out to end the threat.
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