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Chavez walk-off blast lifts A's over Red Sox

Jun 5, 2007 - 7:58 AM OAKLAND, California (Ticker) -- Eric Chavez's walk-off homer in the 11th inning lifted the Oakland Athletics to a 5-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Monday.

Mark Ellis became the 17th player in A's history to hit for the cycle in the win, capping off his historic night with a single in the 10th. The last Oakland player to hit for the cycle was Eric Byrnes at San Francisco on June 23, 2003. Chavez also accomplished the feat on June 21, 2000 against Baltimore.

"I didn't know that until after the game that (Chavez) had hit for the cycle here," Ellis said. "This is the only other one at the Coliseum. There are a lot of tradition and a lot of good players here so that's pretty cool."

Chavez left six runners on base in his four previous at-bats, but his luck changed with one swing in the 11th, as he lifted a 1-1 offering from Kyle Snyder (1-1) over the wall in right center to give Oakland it's sixth win in the last seven meetings with the Red Sox.

"I'm able to drive balls, not homers but getting a good pitch and driving it," said Chavez, who has been battling some nagging injuries. "It was a good win but its like night and day, you hear your fans boo and I'm at the point I almost want to hear them boo. It's sometimes disheartening but that's the way it is. You play hurt you'd think they'd applaud you every time you get up to bat, not boo you. I've been hearing them and I almost welcome them now and I hope they continue."

"I left the ball up, out over the plate," Snyder said. "He's a good hitter, he'll take advantage of balls like that. It's a mistake and not a very well timed one. I think this will show what resilience that this team has. We're tough, we don't quit and a loss is a loss, it's never fun no matter what course of events lead up to it."

Chavez's homer made a winner out of Santiago Castillo (1-0) who pitched a scoreless inning of relief.

"We lost a heartbreaking game but it won't be heartbreaking tomorrow," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "We did a lot of things just to get an extra inning game on the road and you're always one pitch from something like that happening. We wiggled out of a few jams that looks like nobody on and two outs and (Snyder) left the ball over too much of the plate and we've seen Chavez do that before."

Boston tied the game in the top of the ninth when they got to former teammate and current Oakland closer Alan Embree for a pair of runs. After David Ortiz led off with a double, Embree struck out Manny Ramirez looking and Kevin Youkilis grounded out to the shortstop, moving Ortiz to third.

Jason Varitek then pinch hit for the struggling J.D. Drew and knocked a bloop single over first base to pull the Red Sox to within 4-3. Coco Crisp ran for Varitek, setting up Wily Mo Pena for a hit-and-run single into the gap in right-center that scored Crisp all the way from third to forge the tie.

Embree's collapse wasted a stellar outing by Oakland starter Dan Haren, who was lifted after 7 2/3 innings. He allowed just four hits - two solo homers - and struck out nine.

Boston got on the board in the first inning when Ortiz ended the longest home run drought of his Red Sox career with a solo blast off Haren over the wall in right-center. The All-Star slugger had gone 19 games and 69 at-bats without a homer.

The A's righthander retired 14 batters in a row between the second and the sixth before Ortiz broke the string with a two-out walk.

"He is a dominant pitcher," Francona said. "In some circles he goes under the radar, not with us. This guy has been good for a long time. He's got velocity, movement and one of the better splits in the game and a breaking ball. He's good, he's one of the best pitchers in the league as far as I'm concerned."

Oakland got to Red Sox starter Julian Tavarez in the second when Bobby Crosby walked leading off the frame and moved to third on Mark Kotsay's single to center. Ellis followed with a two-run triple to give the A's a 2-1 advantage.

Ellis would add another run in the fourth when he led off the frame with a solo blast down the line in left field.

"I felt good at the plate and you never know if it's going to be a great night or not," Ellis said. "I know I felt good at the plate and after my first couple of swings I looked terrible."

Haren allowed one more run - a solo homer to Wily Mo Pena in the seventh - before leaving the game with two outs in the eighth.