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Crosby's walk-off lifts A's over Tigers

Jun 3, 2008 - 6:48 AM OAKLAND, California (Ticker) -- Bobby Crosby's patience paid off.

Crosby hit a walk-off single in the ninth inning, leading the Oakland Athletics to a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Monday.

Mark Ellis had a sacrifice fly, and Daric Barton hit a game-tying home run in the seventh for Oakland, which snapped a four-game skid.

Kurt Suzuki led off the frame with a single off Francisco Cruceta (0-3) and was sacrificed to second by Jack Hannahan, setting up Crosby, who then laced a single into right-center field to plate Suzuki with the winning run.

Crosby said he did not get what he was looking for initially, but it worked out.

"I'd never seen the guy before and I figured he'd pump me a fastball, (It) didn't work out that way," Crosby said. "He threw me a (splitter) and then another split. I sat on the fastball and got it."

Conventional wisdom was that Tigers manager Jim Leyland would walk Crosby intentionally and pitch to pinch-hitter Eric Chavez, who is fresh off the disabled list and just 4-for-17 this season.

"I was worried about control," Leyland said. "If I wasn't concerned about that, I would have walked (Crosby). You have to be careful you don't put too much pressure on a young pitcher."

Cruceta had walked 10 batters in 11 1/3 innings entering play.

Keith Foulke threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings and Huston Street (1-1) worked the ninth to pick up the win. Street issued a two-out walk to Edgar Renteria, who was gunned down by Suzuki at second base.

Runs were at a premium early as Oakland starter Rich Harden dueled with Kenny Rogers until both teams broke through late. Harden retired 11 straight before walking Miguel Cabrera to open the fifth inning.

Meanwhile, Rogers was not quite as dominant but still effective. The lefthander stranded six runners in the first four frames.

"Today was a struggle," Rogers said. "I didn't feel like I had quality stuff at all, but at least I could make an adjustment and make a pitch. This isn't typical me, but I had to try to invent a release point where I could get people out."

Ellis' sacrifice fly put Oakland up, 1-0, in the first.

"My first inning or two, I'm going out to see what I have to work with today," Rogers said. "I didn't get a whole lot of information that was good today. I don't have a clue (what I'm going to have) coming from the bullpen, until I get on the mound."

Curtis Granderson led off the sixth and hit a 3-2 slider from Harden to straight away right field to tie the game at 1-1. One batter later Carlos Guillen doubled. After a strikeout and an intentional walk of Cabrera, rookie Jeff Larish singled home the go-ahead run to give Detroit a 2-1 edge.

However, one inning later Barton hit Rogers' 1-0 offering into the right-center bleachers to tie the game at 2-2.

"I just left a cookie over the plate there and the lefty made me pay for it," Rogers said. "I had the chance to win it tonight and didn't get it done. The boys got me the lead and I didn't hold it."

Rogers, who entered 23-1 in his last 41 starts at McAfee Coliseum, allowed two runs and six hits in seven innings with three strikeouts and four walks.

Meanwhile, Harden allowed two runs and five hits in 6 2/3 innings with eight strikeouts and three walks. The Victoria British Columbia departed after throwing a season-high 115 pitches in his fifth start since returning from the DL.

"It's good to see him (Harden) get his pitch count up and still be throwing hard," Crosby said. "He's a big part of what we need to do here."

Meanwhile, Harden had a harsher self-assessment.

"My command has been a little inconsistent the last couple of starts," he said. "When it's not there my pitch count goes up. I was missing my spots tonight, close pitches, but they definitely missed."