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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
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| Hernandez |
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – Cory Lidle's two months of hard luck
finally ended.
Lidle got his first victory in 10 starts with the Athletics,
allowing seven hits over seven innings as Oakland beat the
Baltimore Orioles 5-1 Sunday.
Though Lidle (1-4) has been one of the Athletics' more
consistent performers this season, he had nothing to show for it.
He left four games with a lead but didn't get the decision in any.
"That gets into the back of your head, but there's nothing you
can do about it," Lidle said. "Hopefully in the next 10 starts,
I'll be a lot better than 1-4. I think I've pitched better than
that, but I didn't have any proof until today."
Ramon Hernandez homered and drove in two runs for the A's, who
averted a series sweep. Olmedo Saenz also homered for Oakland.
Lidle won the fifth spot in the A's rotation during spring
training, but spotty run support and a handful of poor outings had
kept him winless since arriving in a trade with Tampa Bay last
winter.
As the losses piled up, he tried to stay away from superstitious
changes, though he admitted to changing his cleats from one brand
to another Sunday.
Maybe it was the shoes. Lidle pitched a strong game on the same
day his teammates gave him enough offensive support for a victory.
"He's been one of our most consistent pitchers, but we haven't
got a lot of runs for him," said Jason Giambi, who went 2-for-4
with a double. "I think that will be the first of a bunch of
wins."
Lidle struck out five and didn't issue a walk. He lost his
shutout bid on Chris Richard's one-out homer in the sixth inning.
Lidle endured a few anxious moments watching from the clubhouse.
His arm already was iced when relievers Jeff Tam and Jason
Isringhausen each allowed a hit before finishing off their innings.
"I have confidence in those guys, but still, I screamed when it
was over," Lidle said.
Willis Roberts (5-5), who lost for the fifth time in his last
six starts, walked two batters with the bases loaded in the fourth.
He allowed five hits while failing to get out of the fourth inning
for just the second time this season.
"Everything was up, and I had a little bit of a sore arm,"
Roberts said. "The slider didn't break, so I used more changeups,
and they didn't really work. It was a bad day for me."
The Orioles missed several opportunities on offense, with two
runners thrown out trying to steal second base.
The A's were shut out by rookie Josh Towers and reliever Buddy
Groom on Saturday, but Oakland's string of 14 scoreless innings
against Baltimore ended with Hernandez's solo homer to left leading
off the third inning.
It was the third homer for Hernandez, whose production improved
during Oakland's six-game homestand with two rare days off.
Hernandez went 5-for-11 during the week and he reached base three
times Sunday.
In the fourth, the A's loaded the bases on two hits and Roberts'
throwing error. Roberts walked Mark Bellhorn and Hernandez before
Chuck McElroy relieved and got out of the jam with a double play.
McElroy struck out four and allowed one run in 3 2-3 innings.
Oakland added a run in the seventh on Miguel Tejada's RBI
groundout, and another on Saenz's fourth homer of the year, off
John Parrish in the eighth.
Richard, who went 2-for-4, hit his seventh homer of the year for
Baltimore, which failed to get its first three-game series sweep of
the year.
Game notes
Baltimore won the series but fell to 2-4 on its current
road trip, which ends with three games against the Yankees. On
Tuesday, the Orioles will face former teammate Mike Mussina, who
already has beaten them twice this year. ... Despite the loss,
Baltimore stayed in third place in the AL East. The Orioles haven't
been above fourth place this late in a season since 1998.
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RECAPS
Cleveland 4
NY Yankees 3
Boston 5
Toronto 4
Chi. White Sox 9
Detroit 6
Minnesota 6
Texas 3
Anaheim 7
Kansas City 2
Oakland 5
Baltimore 1
Seattle 8
Tampa Bay 4
Montreal 10
Philadelphia 3
Atlanta 11
Pittsburgh 7
Atlanta 8
Pittsburgh 3
(2nd game)
Milwaukee 4
Chicago Cubs 2
Los Angeles 9
Houston 8
Colorado 11
San Francisco 2
Florida 1
NY Mets 0
Arizona 8
San Diego 4
St. Louis 4
Cincinnati 3
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