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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Cory Lidle's explanation was pretty simple: better mental approach, better outcome.
The Tampa Bay pitcher entered Friday night's game with an 8.07 ERA in seven starts this season. But he looked nothing like that against Oakland, allowing just two hits in seven shutout innings to spark the Devil Rays to a 4-0 win.
Lidle (2-5) pitched for the first time since being suspended for
three games for taking part in a brawl against Boston on Aug. 29.
He helped the Devil Rays beat Oakland for only the third time in
their last 16 meetings.
"I was a little too fine the first couple of innings, but I got
away with it," Lidle said. "After that, my attitude was to just
throw my good fastball and challenge them to hit it."
The Athletics couldn't hit it very often.
Jason Giambi, a former high school teammate of Lidle's in California, got the Athletics' only two hits.
"Of the 85 pitches I threw, probably 60 of them were
fastballs," Lidle said. "It's really a good feeling. This was a
chance I needed to take advantage of, and I did."
Tampa Bay manager Larry Rothschild said, "The quick outs and
the ground balls he was getting tell you what kind of movement he
had on his pitches. He gets into trouble when he tries to be too
fine and not trust his sinker. But he just went out there and
pitched tonight."
Gil Heredia (14-10) pitched his second complete game of the
season, both of which he has lost. He gave up only five hits and
walked none.
"I had a good effort, but their pitching staff really put it to us," Heredia said. "You've got to give them credit."
Tampa Bay's Doug Creek completed the combined two-hitter,
striking out the first four batters he faced for his first major
league save. This was his 110th career relief appearance in the big
leagues.
Tampa Bay scored two unearned runs in the fourth and Greg Vaughn
hit a two-run homer in the ninth.
With two outs in the fourth, left fielder Adam Piatt nearly
collided with shortstop Miguel Tejada and then dropped Vaughn's fly
ball for an error, allowing a run to score. Vinny Castilla doubled
to drive in Vaughn.
"I got there and watched Miguel, and right when I looked up again the ball was right under me and I just dropped it," Piatt said. "That's all I can say. It was my ball all the way."
Vaughn hit his 26th homer with two outs in the ninth.
Game notes
Devil Rays starters have a 3.66 ERA in their last 18 games.
... All of Tampa Bay's final 21 games are against teams with better
than .500 records -- Oakland, Anaheim, Seattle, Toronto, New York
and Boston. ... Oakland is just 18-19 in its last 37 games and
25-28 since the All-Star break. ... Heredia is 10-2 on the road and
just 4-8 at home this season.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Tampa Bay Clubhouse
Oakland Clubhouse
RECAPS
NY Yankees 4
Boston 0
Chi. White Sox 5
Cleveland 4
Toronto 3
Detroit 0
Texas 6
Kansas City 5
Anaheim 2
Baltimore 1
Tampa Bay 4
Oakland 0
Minnesota 4
Seattle 2
Houston 13
Chicago Cubs 10
Cincinnati 0
Pittsburgh 0
Pittsburgh 3
Cincinnati 1
(2nd game)
Arizona 2
Florida 1
Philadelphia 2
NY Mets 0
Atlanta 3
Montreal 2
Milwaukee 6
St. Louis 5
Colorado 8
Los Angeles 5
San Diego 10
San Francisco 7
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