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Inge powers A's past Yankees

Jul 22, 2012 - 5:20 AM Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - Once again, the Athletics' pitching held the Yankees' explosive offense at bay and for the second straight night, Oakland came up with a big late-inning hit.

Jarrod Parker outdueled Phil Hughes and Brandon Inge smacked a go-ahead solo homer in the bottom of the eighth inning, helping the surging A's take a 2-1 win over the AL-leading New York Yankees in the third installment of a four- game set.

Brandon Moss provided the game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the ninth Friday.

Yoenis Cespedes is hitting a red-hot 7-for-10 during the series and smacked a solo shot for the A's, who moved to 13-2 in July and unimaginely sit in a three-team tie with the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles for the second AL wild card spot.

"We're a talented team, a lot more talented than I think people gave us credit for earlier in the season," Inge said. "It's starting to show now."

Parker (7-4) surrendered a run on five hits and a walk in eight innings. He's allowed one run or fewer in 11 of 17 career starts.

Robinson Cano went 0-for-4 for New York, putting an end to his 23-game hitting streak.

The Yankees, who tallied three-or-more runs in a franchise-record 43 straight games coming into Friday's contest, have now gone back-to-back games without pushing across at least three runs.

Hughes (9-8) fanned six and was charged with two runs on four hits and two walks over 7 2/3 innings.

"Losses are losses," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "The good thing is that we're pitching well and eventually our bats will wake up again."

With the game tied 1-1 heading into the home eighth, Inge led off the frame and belted a solo blast to center, banging it off the concrete overhang in center for a 2-1 A's edge.

"I was just trying to get him out with fastballs," Hughes said. "Sometimes it doesn't work out."

After Alex Rodriguez began the ninth with a single, Sean Doolittle struck out the side to notch his first save of the year.

The Yanks and A's traded runs in the fourth to open the scoring.

Raul Ibanez lined an RBI single to center, while Cespedes cracked a towering shot deep into the seats in left to tie the score in the bottom half.

Game Notes

The Yankees are 2-16 this year when they score two or fewer runs...A's starters have allowed a total of three runs in 21 innings so far in this series...Time of Game: 2:22.