Hurricane Floyd
08-14-2002, 09:36 AM
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Barry Zito pitched eight smooth innings interrupted by one shaky sequence. Billy Koch pitched one inning -- and there was nothing smooth about it.
Both pitchers survived the trouble spots to give the Oakland Athletics a 5-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night.
On a team that might depend more on its starting rotation and its closer than any other playoff contender, Zito and Koch were just good enough to end Oakland's five-game losing streak against Toronto.
``Our team's built around pitching,'' Zito said. ``Our offense gets hot sometimes, but as long as the starting pitching holds up and the offense picks us up when we have a rough outing, then we're OK. That's the way we're going to be successful and make the playoffs.''
Eric Chavez broke a tie with a two-run single in the seventh, and Jermaine Dye hit a three-run homer as Zito recovered from consecutive losses for his 16th victory and the A's ninth win in 13 games.
After losing two straight for the first time all season, Zito (16-5) pitched eight innings of four-hit ball, striking out seven and allowing just one earned run. Of all the remarkable statistics Zito has posted this season, perhaps the most impressive is his 12-1 record in starts following an A's loss.
Oakland blew a 3-0 lead in the sixth by committing two errors and allowing two unearned runs -- one when Orlando Hudson tripled and scored after Terrence Long's throw to third caromed away from Chavez.
``We didn't want to let a game like Barry pitched go to waste,'' Chavez said. ``I felt a little bit responsible for not grabbing that throw at third base, so it felt great to get the big hit.''
In the seventh, Toronto starter Chris Carpenter (4-5) walked John Mabry and Ramon Hernandez. Two outs later, reliever Mark Hendrickson walked Miguel Tejada to face Chavez, who singled cleanly to left.
``You've got to get the leadoff guy in a game like that,'' said Carpenter, who allowed six hits and four walks over six innings. ``We came back and got the three runs off Barry, who's been pitching well all year, and you can't give him that opportunity again.''
Zito retired his first nine hitters and his final seven hitters. After Koch finished, Zito joined Boston's Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe for the AL lead in victories.
Koch pitched a wild ninth against the team that traded him last winter, walking his first two batters and allowing a run-scoring grounder to Brian Lesher before striking out pinch-hitter Tom Wilson for his 29th save.
``We got ourselves in a position to tie the game, but it's tough against him,'' Toronto manager Carlos Tosca said. ``When you live and die with your closer, usually you're going to have some roller-coaster rides.''
Hudson doubled and tripled for the Blue Jays, who tied it on Vernon Wells' two-run double in the sixth. Toronto lost for the fifth time in seven games.
Dye hit his 14th homer -- his second in two games against Toronto -- in the fourth inning against Carpenter, whose curveball is nearly the equal of Zito's flashy looping pitch.
Long dived and nearly caught Hudson's triple in the sixth, but his throw to third bounced off Hudson and into the outfield. After Dave Berg singled, Tejada then made an error on Shannon Stewart's grounder. Wells drove home both runnerswith a double to left.
Both pitchers survived the trouble spots to give the Oakland Athletics a 5-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night.
On a team that might depend more on its starting rotation and its closer than any other playoff contender, Zito and Koch were just good enough to end Oakland's five-game losing streak against Toronto.
``Our team's built around pitching,'' Zito said. ``Our offense gets hot sometimes, but as long as the starting pitching holds up and the offense picks us up when we have a rough outing, then we're OK. That's the way we're going to be successful and make the playoffs.''
Eric Chavez broke a tie with a two-run single in the seventh, and Jermaine Dye hit a three-run homer as Zito recovered from consecutive losses for his 16th victory and the A's ninth win in 13 games.
After losing two straight for the first time all season, Zito (16-5) pitched eight innings of four-hit ball, striking out seven and allowing just one earned run. Of all the remarkable statistics Zito has posted this season, perhaps the most impressive is his 12-1 record in starts following an A's loss.
Oakland blew a 3-0 lead in the sixth by committing two errors and allowing two unearned runs -- one when Orlando Hudson tripled and scored after Terrence Long's throw to third caromed away from Chavez.
``We didn't want to let a game like Barry pitched go to waste,'' Chavez said. ``I felt a little bit responsible for not grabbing that throw at third base, so it felt great to get the big hit.''
In the seventh, Toronto starter Chris Carpenter (4-5) walked John Mabry and Ramon Hernandez. Two outs later, reliever Mark Hendrickson walked Miguel Tejada to face Chavez, who singled cleanly to left.
``You've got to get the leadoff guy in a game like that,'' said Carpenter, who allowed six hits and four walks over six innings. ``We came back and got the three runs off Barry, who's been pitching well all year, and you can't give him that opportunity again.''
Zito retired his first nine hitters and his final seven hitters. After Koch finished, Zito joined Boston's Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe for the AL lead in victories.
Koch pitched a wild ninth against the team that traded him last winter, walking his first two batters and allowing a run-scoring grounder to Brian Lesher before striking out pinch-hitter Tom Wilson for his 29th save.
``We got ourselves in a position to tie the game, but it's tough against him,'' Toronto manager Carlos Tosca said. ``When you live and die with your closer, usually you're going to have some roller-coaster rides.''
Hudson doubled and tripled for the Blue Jays, who tied it on Vernon Wells' two-run double in the sixth. Toronto lost for the fifth time in seven games.
Dye hit his 14th homer -- his second in two games against Toronto -- in the fourth inning against Carpenter, whose curveball is nearly the equal of Zito's flashy looping pitch.
Long dived and nearly caught Hudson's triple in the sixth, but his throw to third bounced off Hudson and into the outfield. After Dave Berg singled, Tejada then made an error on Shannon Stewart's grounder. Wells drove home both runnerswith a double to left.