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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Terrence Long finally gave the Oakland
Athletics the long ball they desperately needed. Afterward, the
rookie was just waiting for his teammates to give it back.
Long's first grand slam and career-high six RBI Thursday night
helped the Oakland Athletics avoid a sweep and salvage the final
game of a rough road trip with an 11-7 win over the Cleveland
Indians.
Long, who has tormented the Indians the past week, went 3-for-6
and rookie Barry Zito (2-2) pitched 6 2/3 innings for his first win
in six starts as the A's went 2-5 on a swing through Detroit and
Cleveland.
As he dressed after the game, Long wondered what had happened to
the ball he hit into Oakland's bullpen.
"I hope somebody's got it," he said. "I think they're messing
with me. I want to send it to my grandmother."
Despite winning for just the sixth time in 18 games, Oakland
moved within 2½ games of first-place Seattle in the AL West. The
Mariners lost in Detroit 10-3.
The A's, who had Jason Giambi and Randy Velarde back in the
lineup, are also just one game back of Boston in the AL wild-card
race.
"We needed that win pretty bad," said manager Art Howe. "It
was a tough road trip. After the kind of road trip we had, we're
right in the middle of things."
Oakland hadn't been able to get the clutch hit in losing the
first two games in the series. The A's stranded 28 runners and had
gone 50 innings without a homer when Long connected in the second.
The Indians completed a six-game homestand at 5-1, but missed a
chance to gain ground on Chicago in the AL Central. Cleveland,
which trails in the wild card by one-half game, remained seven
behind the White Sox, who have led the division by at least 6½ games since June 16.
"Anytime we can win five out of six, that's good," said
Indians manager Charlie Manuel. "Tonight, we just got off bad and
it wasn't a good game for us. We just never got into it."
When the A's swept the Indians last week at Oakland, Long went
5-for-7, made two diving catches in center and hit a game-winning,
two-run double in the ninth in the series finale.
He got two hits in each of the first two games of this series
before hitting his slam and a two-run single in his first three
at-bats against Steve Woodard (0-2).
Long went 12-for-24 (.500) with nine RBI against the Indians
this year.
"They were trying to find a way to get me out I guess," said
Long. "But I was patient."
Long thinks patience is the key right now for the A's as they
try to reel in the Mariners.
"We're concentrating on the division," Long said. "we're not
thinking about the wild card. I've got a funny feeling we're about
to turn it up a notch."
Zito, a first-round draft pick in '99, allowed three runs and
five hits. He walked six -- four in one inning -- and struck out
eight.
Matt Stairs, who entered the game with the AL's worst batting
average (.214), had three hits, and Jason Giambi returned after
missing five games to drive in two runs.
David Segui had two RBI for the Indians, who went 3-for-15 with
runners in scoring position.
Long's first career slam capped Oakland's five-run second inning
off Woodard, who forced in the A's first run by walking No. 9
hitter Sal Fasano on four pitches with the bases loaded.
Woodard fell behind 3-1 ad then grooved fastball to Long, who
lined it into the Oakland bullpen to make it 5-2. Stairs helped set
up the inning by surprising the Indians with a bunt down the
third-base line.
"That surprised me, too," Howe said. "He did that on his own.
It set the whole inning up."
Long added a two-run single in the third and the A's added
another run to go up 8-2 in the inning when catcher Sandy Alomar
dropped Segui's throw home.
Giambi, who sat out five games with a strained left shoulder,
put the A's up 10-2 by doubling in two runs in the fifth.
Zito hadn't won since beating Anaheim in his major league debut
on July 22. The lefty was lucky to get out of the first inning down
just 2-0 after walking four -- one intentionally.
Game
notes
Oakland's 11 grand slams this season are a franchise record
and one shy of the major league mark shared by Atlanta (1997) and
Cleveland ('99). ... Oakland had lost 10 of its last 11 road games.
... Segui has hit safely in 13 straight games. ... The Indians tied
a club record when John McDonald entered at short in the seventh.
Injuries have forced Cleveland to use 53 players this season,
matching the mark set by the 1991 club. ... Indians catcher Einar
Diaz, a converted third baseman, played third for the first time in
his major league career. He last played third for Triple-A Buffalo
in 1997. ... Oakland committed three errors, giving the A's a major
league-leading 116.
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RECAPS
NY Yankees 8
Texas 7
Detroit 10
Seattle 3
Baltimore 8
Chi. White Sox 5
Oakland 11
Cleveland 7
Boston 9
Kansas City 7
Cincinnati 8
Philadelphia 3
Los Angeles 7
Montreal 0
St. Louis 12
Atlanta 5
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