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Cust, Haren lead Athletics past Giants

May 20, 2007 - 5:24 AM OAKLAND, California (Ticker) -- Jack Cust is doing everything in his power to stay in the major leagues for good.

Cust hit a three-run home run and Dan Haren pitched seven solid innings as the Oakland Athletics beat the San Francisco Giants, 4-2, in interleague play on Saturday.

From 2001-06, Cust spent time with four different organizations and did not play in the majors during the 2005 season. However, since being acquired from the Padres on May 3, he's been an offensive stalwart for the Athletics, batting .310 (13-for-42) with eight homers and 20 RBI in 13 games.

"I'm just hitting the way I always have," Cust said. "It's just a matter of getting a good pitch to hit and not missing it. After the first few series, maybe pitchers are pitching me a little different, maybe being a little more picky with what they give me. I'm seeing most of these guys for the first time, but my approach is still the same."

With his first-inning homer off starter Matt Cain (2-4), Cust became the first player in team history to hit eight homers in his first 41 at-bats as an Athletic. Dave Kingman hit his eighth home run as an Athletic in his 63rd at-bat.

"I left that ball up and over the plate where he could get extended," Cain said. "I was trying not to give him something to pull and he got it. He was the guy I didn't want to beat me and I gave him a situation where he could."

In this current homestand, Cust has four home runs in nine games, including his first walk-off homer which gave the Athletics a 10-7 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Sunday.

"I'm not surprised (with Cust's play) at all," Oakland first baseman Dan Johnson said. "He's starting to make this ballpark look really small. I think he has more home runs on this homestand than I have in my career here."

Haren (4-2) made the long ball stand up, allowing just two hits before giving up a two-run homer to Bengie Molina in the seventh inning. In recording his first win since April 28, Haren allowed two runs, three hits and walked two while striking out six.

"Obviously getting three runs makes in the first inning makes it a little more easier," Haren said. "I was able to go after hitters and be more aggressive, because I knew that after I threw that 30-some pitches in the first, I probably wouldn't last six innings."

"I was happy to be able to get us on the board early," Cust said. "(Nick Swisher) and (Johnson) had some good at-bats but we really couldn't expand on it. Three runs with a guy like (Haren), is enough. If we could have given him three runs in some of other starts, he would even have more wins."

Jay Marshall and Kiko Calero held the Giants scoreless in the eighth while Alan Embree pitched a perfect ninth inning for his first save of the season.

Jason Kendall's bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the eighth inning forced home Bobby Crosby with an insurance run.

Cain allowed three runs, six hits and four walks while striking out nine in 6 1/3 innings.

"It's tough," Cain said. "Haren gave it to us tonight, and we just didn't make it. I didn't help our cause any by giving us a three-run deficit that early to try and make up."

Giants slugger Barry Bonds went 1-for-3 with a walk and failed to homer for the ninth consecutive game. He is stuck on 745 career home runs and needs 11 to break Hank Aaron's all-time record.