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Suzuki, Cust help Athletics beat Rangers

Jul 28, 2008 - 12:25 AM By Al Barba PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

OAKLAND, California (Ticker) -- Kurt Suzuki had three hits - including a three-run home run and Jack Cust added a two-run shot as the Oakland Athletics defeated the Texas Rangers, 6-5, on Sunday to salvage the finale of the three-game series.

Jerry Blevins pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief to register his first career victory.

"It's a different coming out there in the fifth inning, knowing your starter is trying to secure a victory," Blevins said. "You have to get ready quick and you just try to minimize the damage as much as you can. Once you get that out, you just try to put your team in the best position to win. It just happened to be a situation where I pitched the correct inning to get the (win)."

Oakland received 4 1/3 clean frames from its bullpen as Blevins, Brad Ziegler and Huston Street preserved the one-run victory. Street pitched the ninth to register his 18th save of the season.

"You have to give a lot of credit to Blevins and (Ziegler) for what they've been able to do so far," Street said. "I think the two of them have only given up one run in almost 40 innings. We've got a lot of confidence in those two guys when they come out to the mound even as young as they are."

Ziegler worked two innings to establish a new modern major league record for consecutive scoreless innings (27) to begin a career. He broke the previous mark of 25 innings established by George McQuillan of the Philadelphia Phillies in 1907.

"There are so many records that seem incredible that are broken and didn't last as near as long as that one did," Ziegler said about the 101-year old record. "There have been a lot great pitchers in the last 100 years that have debuted and to be at the top that list at this point is just great. It feels good."

Athletics starter Dana Eveland yielded five runs, eight hits and two walks while striking out five in 4 2/3 innings. The outing marked the fifth straight start that Eveland has failed to work at least six innings.

"More than anything, I just got angry and the adrenaline started flowing too much and I tried to take walks on the mound to calm myself down and it wasn't working," Eveland said of his struggles in the fifth. "I struggled with it in the past where sometimes I would get angry and start overthrowing the ball. It just takes me to get out of that inning and sit back down and get myself back under control again. I didn't obviously have a chance to get out of the inning because of it."

Oakland erased a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on Cust's shot and extended the margin to 6-1 when Suzuki capped a four-run second with his three-run homer off rookie Eric Hurley.

The Rangers' righthander was reinstated prior to the game after spending time on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring. Hurley, who was making his first appearance since June 29, lasted two innings and allowed six runs, four hits, while walking two and striking out one.

"He didn't have much life on his fastball," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "He got a fastball of to Cust and this guy hits home runs and he didn't miss it. His last inning he looked like he was stretching out, but we fell behind 6-1, and I'm trying to keep it a ballgame there. We almost came back."

Texas came back to make it a one-run game as it scored four times against Eveland. The Athletics' lefthander, who had not issued a walk through the first four innings, ran into command issues in the fifth by walking two and surrendering a bases-clearing, three-run double to Hank Blalock to cut the lead to 6-5.

"We were down 6-1 and we tried to come back and we fell one run short," Washington said. "And they put up zeroes for the next three innings. They have a pretty good bullpen over there and, you have to give them credit. We had one more shot to try to tie the ballgame and we didn't get it done."

Blalock, representing the tying run, was left stranded on second base when Blevins came out of the bullpen to retire Gerald Laird on a called third strike to end the inning.