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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Kevin Appier feels a little better about facing the New York Yankees.
|  | | Kevin Appier took joy in topping the Yankees, who roughed him up last time he faced them. |
Appier, who had his worst outing of the year in Yankee Stadium
early this month, came back with one of his best on Friday night,
leading the Oakland Athletics to an 8-1 victory over New York.
Appier (12-9) gave up four hits and an unearned run in eight
innings. He struck out eight and walked four. He won for the fourth
time in five decisions following a season-high five-game losing
streak. The only loss in his recent surge was to the Yankees on Aug. 9, when he gave up
10 runs in 3 2/3 innings.
"This certainly made it sweeter considering what happened last
time," Appier said. "That got really ugly. It was bad stuff and
bad mechanics."
Oakland's victory, coupled with Seattle's 4-1 loss to the White Sox, moved the A's to 1½ games behind the Mariners for the AL West lead.
Eric Chavez and Ben Grieve each drove in three runs to support Appier.
Chavez hit a three-run double and Grieve had a two-run single
during a five-run third inning against David Cone (3-11). Grieve
later homered off reliever Randy Choate.
"The offense was awesome and they scored early," Appier said.
"That was definitely helpful."
Cone gave up six runs, five hits and three walks in three
innings. He had been 2-0 in his previous four starts, allowing a
total of seven runs in 23 innings.
"If you can't establish your fastball in and out, this team will make you throw pitches they can handle," he said. "It all centers around the fastball. It seemed like I was in a jam from the start."
Cone defeated the A's on Aug. 10, ending his eight-game losing streak and a stretch in which he went 15 starts without a victory.
"This is just a bad outing," Yankees manager Joe Torre said.
"We stayed with him all season and it is finally paying off. I'm
just going to dismiss this as a bad game and wait until he pitches
again."
Matt Stairs gave the A's a 1-0 lead when he hit his 18th homer of the season in the second. The drive hit the facade of the
right-field bleachers.
"Cone stuck it to us the last time in New York. I'm not going
to say it's payback, but you can't let him get into a rhythm,"
Stairs said. "He can control a game and that makes it tough."
The Athletics scored five runs in the third, helped by
Cone's wildness. Terrence Long led off with a double, then Cone loaded the bases after hitting Randy Velarde and walking Jason Giambi.
One out later, Grieve singled home two runs. With two outs, Cone
walked Stairs to reload the bases and Chavez cleared them with a
double into the left-center field alley on an 0-2 pitch.
"I thought hitting Velarde in the middle of that inning was a
big mistake," Cone said. "But the 0-2 pitch to Chavez was the
killer. I tried a backdoor slider and it got too much of the plate
judging how he hit it."
New York scored an unearned run in the seventh. Tino Martinez
hit an infield single and advanced to second when Appier threw the
ball away at first. After going to third on a wild pitch, Martinez
scored on Jorge Posada's infield grounder.
Glenallen Hill went 0-for-4, stopping his 13-game hitting streak
for the Yankees.
Game notes
The Yankees' starting lineup had just four players who were
with the team on opening day: Derek Jeter, Martinez, Posada and
Clay Bellinger. Chuck Knoblauch is on the DL, Bernie Williams and
Paul O'Neill are resting various ailments and Scott Brosius was
given the night off. Williams is expected to return to the lineup
for the first time in a week Saturday. ... Knoblauch had to leave
his rehab start Friday with Class-A Tampa when he was hit by a
pitch, but will play again on Saturday. ... O'Neill missed his
second straight game as a precautionary measure for his sore right
hip. ... Oakland RHP Chris Enochs, who was removed from the 40-man
roster on Tuesday, was outrighted to Class-A Visalia. ... Luis Sojo
singled in the fifth to extend his career-high hitting streak to 11
games. ... Grieve tied his career-high 89 RBIs on the season. ...
The A's recorded their sixth sellout of the season.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
NY Yankees Clubhouse
Oakland Clubhouse
Yanks' Knobluach leaves rehab game after being hit by pitch
RECAPS
Baltimore 4
Tampa Bay 3
Kansas City 6
Boston 2
Minnesota 8
Detroit 3
Texas 1
Toronto 0
Oakland 8
NY Yankees 1
Anaheim 4
Cleveland 1
Chi. White Sox 4
Seattle 1
Los Angeles 5
Chicago Cubs 3
Los Angeles 3
Chicago Cubs 1
(2nd game)
Cincinnati 6
Florida 0
Houston 3
Montreal 1
Colorado 6
Pittsburgh 3
NY Mets 13
Arizona 3
San Francisco 16
Philadelphia 3
Atlanta 7
St. Louis 4
San Diego 4
Milwaukee 0
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