OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- John Jaha sees it as one small step toward re-establishing himself as an offensive force.

Jaha, activated last weekend after a five-week stay on the disabled list with a shoulder injury, hit a two-out single off Trevor Hoffman in the 10th inning to drive home the winning run as the Oakland Athletics beat the San Diego Padres 3-2 Monday night.

It was the first game-winning RBI of the season for Jaha, who had a career-high 35 homers for Oakland last year but has struggled much of this year, fanning 19 times in 35 at-bats.

"When I played earlier in the season, I didn't feel good at all," Jaha said. "And now I haven't played for a while and it's basically like spring training and I'm feeling for things. But I think that last at-bat, I kind of forgot about everything because of the situation and the pitcher and just tried to hit the ball up the middle."

The A's began the rally with one out in the 10th when Carlos Almanzar (1-2) hit Randy Velarde with a pitch. Jason Giambi walked and Hoffman relieved Almanzar. Velarde stole third before Ben Grieve grounded to first baseman Dave Magadan, who threw out Velarde at the plate.

Jaha, batting .143 entering the game, then lined a single to center off a 1-1 pitch from Hoffman and Giambi scored from second just ahead of a throw from Ruben Rivera. Oakland improved to 7-4 against San Diego since interleague play began.

"I know I've got a long ways to go before I feel I can come up to the plate and drive the ball but this gives me a little confidence and it gives the team some confidence with a big win," Jaha said.

Hoffman said Jaha hit a changeup.

"I wouldn't say it was a mistake," he said. "It was just a nice job by Jaha of keeping his hands back and then putting the ball in play. It could have been a better pitch but it was just a nice job of hitting."

Giambi made a nice slide at home to avoid the tag from catcher Carlos Hernandez.

"Matty (Stairs) was telling me to slide away from the catcher which I did," Giambi said. "I only have one gear and that's try to score."

San Diego had a scoring chance in the top of the 10th. Kory DeHaan reached second base when his sharp grounder got by third baseman Eric Chavez for an error. After Al Martin grounded out and advanced him to third, Jason Isringhausen (3-2) intentionally walked Tony Gwynn and then induced Phil Nevin to ground into an inning-ending double play.

"It was a well-played game," San Diego manager Bruce Bochy said. "They pitched well. We pitched well. We missed a scoring opportunity. They got a two-out hit and that was the difference in the game."

Neither starter figured in the decision after each had flirted with a no-hitter in the earlier innings.

Kevin Appier went seven innings and allowed three hits, including Rivera's two-run homer in the seventh that sailed into the left field seats to produce the first runs of the game. He struck out five and walked seven.

Adam Eaton, who won his big league debut against Milwaukee last Tuesday, blanked the A's on one hit until the bottom of the seventh. He issued a leadoff walk to Stairs and Miguel Tejada followed with a line-drive homer over the left field wall to tie it at 2.

Both Appier and Eaton had no-hitters going through the first four innings.

The game's first hit didn't come until Rivera singled with two outs in the top of the fifth, ending a string of 13 straight outs by Appier.

Velarde doubled with one out in the sixth to break up Eaton's no-hit bid. Eaton went 6 1/3 innings and allowed two runs on four hits while striking four and walking five.

Game notes
San Diego RF Eric Owens left the game with a bruised right thumb in the seventh inning. He injured it while attempting to bunt. DeHaan replaced him. ... When Owens stole second base in the second inning, it snapped a six-game streak in which the Padres had not stolen a base, their longest drought of the season. ... Eaton is the 10th rookie to be on the Padres roster already this year. Only the Anaheim Angels (12) have employed more rookies than the Padres. ... The A's, who drew more than 40,000 fans in each of the last three interleague games against the San Francisco Giants, drew 10,187 for the series opener against the Padres. ... The A's have used 49 starting lineups through the first 57 games of the year.