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Haren, A's ruin La Russa's homecoming

Jun 16, 2007 - 6:39 AM OAKLAND, California (Ticker) -- Dan Haren and the Oakland Athletics ruined Tony La Russa's homecoming.

The Athletics scored six times in the third inning and Dan Haren continued to dominate - this time against his former team - as the Athletics defeated the St. Louis Cardinals, 14-3, on Friday.

For Haren, who was drafted in the second round by St. Louis in 2001 and played for the Cardinals in 2003 and 2004 before being traded to the Athletics as part of the Mark Mulder deal, it was his first start against his old club. The righthander, who entered with the lowest ERA in the major leagues (1.58) and a seven-game winning streak, yielded three runs and six hits, while striking out eight in seven innings.

"Of course I wanted to beat them being my former team," Haren said. "There was some extra emotion going into this game. I certainly don't hold anything personal against them. It was a game I'd been looking at for a little while, and it was a game I really wanted to win."

"A lot of guys pitch mature with age and experience and confidence," A's manager Bob Geren said. "Since he's come over here, he's gained all of those things."

For La Russa, who guided Oakland to four division titles, three pennants, and a World Series title from 1986 to 1995, it was his first game in the Coliseum as the manager of the Cardinals. La Russa, who skippered the Cardinals to a World Series victory last season, still holds the Oakland record for games managed (1,471) and victories (798).

"It wasn't very happy. It turned out very disappointing," La Russa said. "Early in the season we couldn't score. As far as having a chance to win, its not a lot different. The game looks different because they put up a bunch of runs and the other team gets all excited. The answer is to put both parts of the game together (pitching and hitting).

"Nobody's pointing fingers at each other because we've all taken turns at being the reason we walk into the clubhouse the loser."

Trailing, 3-0, Oakland roared back in the bottom of the third off Cardinals starter Braden Looper, when Mark Ellis led off with a walk and Jack Cust followed with a double to left. Kendall then drilled a 1-2 offering down the third base line for a double scoring Ellis and Cust.

Rookie Travis Buck lined a single to left before Mark Kotsay added and RBI single left-center to take a 4-3 edge. Nick Swisher followed with an RBI double to right and after Chavez walked, Bobby Crosby singled to left, plating Kotsay and Swisher for a 6-3 advantage.

"When we put that many good at-bats like that in a row, we're going to be pretty tough," Buck said. "When you have a team that has as many injuries as we have, it's good to see everyone step up. We don't necessarily have to depend on just one or two guys."

Eric Chavez led off the fifth with an opposite-field blast for a 7-3 bulge. It was Chavez's third home run in as many games.

"He is one of the best hitters in the game," Geren said. "It's always nice to see, because he's always been a big part of this team, and continues to be a big part of this team this year. It's good to see him turn it on."

Dan Johnson put the game out of reach in the seventh by belting a three run shot - his sixth and first since May 18 - off of Cardinal rookie reliever Andy Cavazos for an 11-3 lead.

"I was talking to our hitting coach 'Ty' (Tyler Van Burkleo) because I had been struggling," Johnson said. "I was thinking too much and he told me to just go up there and swing hard just in case you hit it."

St. Louis opened the scoring in the second inning when Juan Encarnacion led off the inning with an infield hit and Chris Duncan followed by lining an RBI double to right-center field. Haren fanned Gary Bennett and Adam Kennedy before Aaron Miles singled to center plating Duncan for a 2-0 lead.

The Cardinals added to the lead in the third when Jim Edmonds drew a walk and advanced to third on a wild pitch and throwing error by catcher Jason Kendall. Scott Rolen followed by lifting a sacrifice fly to left, plating Edmonds for a 3-0 cushion.

"I put us in a hole early and luckily the offense picked me up," Haren said.

Looper (6-6), who surrendered a career-high 11 hits in suffering the loss in his last start against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, was battered for eight runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings in his first career start against the Athletics.

"The third inning, which is when they scored the runs off of me, was probably the weirdest inning I've been through in my career," Looper said. "I felt great today and I I felt like I located my pitches really well. I gave up six hits and only one of them - Swisher hit the ball really hard - but other than that it was pretty frustrating the way it transpired. It's something I've never experienced to that degree."

First baseman Scott Spiezio was forced into his first relief role in the eighth inning - becoming the first position player to pitch in a game for the Cardinals since Cody McKay tossed two innings against Milwaukee on April 8, 2004.

Each member of the Athletics contributed at least one hit in the victory.

"We know we have the talent to do it, and we are starting to put it together now," Johnson said. "It's June now, and everybody seems to be kicking it into gear."