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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Matt Stairs and the Oakland Athletics
were able to take advantage of Dave Burba's wildness.
David Segui and the Cleveland Indians weren't able to do the
same to Mark Mulder.
Stairs hit a two-run double in the first inning after Indians'
starter Burba walked the bases loaded with two outs, leading the
A's to a 5-3 victory Tuesday night.
|  | | Matt Stairs gave the Athletics the early lead with a two-run double off Indians pitcher Dave Burba in the first inning. |
"It was a straight slap shot," Stairs said. "Burba threw a
great forkball and I stayed with it. Fortunately it hit off the end
of the bat."
The A's beat the Indians for the second straight night and moved
two games ahead of them in the wild-card race. Cleveland lost for
just the fourth time in 13 games.
"It's kind of embarrassing to walk the bases loaded," Burba
said. "I had a hard time getting my fastball over the plate. When
I don't have my fastball, it makes for a long night. I tried to
make the perfect pitch and ended up getting myself in a jam."
Ben Grieve homered and drove in two runs as the A's won for the
third time in four games following a season-high six-game losing
streak.
Mark Mulder (7-8) won for just the second time since June 25, a
span of nine starts. He went six innings, allowing two runs on five
hits and three walks.
Mulder survived a shaky first inning in which he walked the
bases loaded with one out, but then got Segui to ground into a
double play.
"I just couldn't throw a strike," Mulder said. "I was just
missing and falling behind. The pitch to Segui was another ball.
When it came back to me, I was as relieved as anyone. I guess I had
to make it interesting."
Jason Isringhausen, who had two blown saves and a loss in his
previous three outings, recorded his 26th save in 33 opportunities,
pitching a scoreless ninth.
Burba (10-5) lost for the first time in six starts after
allowing four runs -- two earned -- on four hits and four walks. He
struck out eight in five innings.
"When you play that caliber of team, you have to take advantage
of your chances because they don't give you too much," A's manager
Art Howe said. "To get the double play is an understatement to say
it's huge. Then we come back to score two. That's a big swing."
"Not scoring with the bases loaded kind of hurt us," Cleveland
manager Charlie Manuel said. "Mulder worked out of that inning and
settled in to pitch a good game. I thought Burba started throwing
the ball better, too."
Wil Cordero singled and eventually scored on Jolbert Cabrera's
sacrifice fly to give the Indians a 2-1 lead in the second.
The A's countered with a pair of unearned runs in the second.
With one out, Randy Velarde was safe on second baseman Roberto
Alomar's fielding error. Miguel Tejada followed with a run-scoring
double and after Jason Giambi struck out, Grieve doubled home
Tejada.
Grieve hit his 22nd home run of the season, a solo shot off
Justin Speier with one out in the seventh.
Game notes
Segui, who has hit safely in 14 of 15 games he's played for
the Indians, has not made an error in 45 games at first base. ...
A's OF Terrence Long didn't start the game because of a rib
contusion on his right side, but entered the game as a defensive
replacement. ... Burba has a 3.41 ERA since his last loss on July
6. ... All seven walks recorded by the starting pitchers came in
the first inning. ... Oakland has scored first in three of its last
four games after not doing so in its previous 10. ... Cleveland's
Kenny Lofton snapped an 0-for-14 streak with a single in the
eighth.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Cleveland Clubhouse
Oakland Clubhouse
RECAPS
Tampa Bay 3
Boston 1
Anaheim 8
Toronto 4
Chi. White Sox 14
Baltimore 4
Minnesota 6
Kansas City 2
NY Yankees 10
Texas 2
Oakland 5
Cleveland 3
Detroit 9
Seattle 0
St. Louis 4
Chicago Cubs 2
NY Mets 7
Colorado 5
NY Mets 4
Colorado 3
(2nd game)
Florida 7
Los Angeles 3
San Francisco 9
Montreal 7
Arizona 11
Philadelphia 6
Atlanta 3
San Diego 1
Houston 5
Pittsburgh 4
Milwaukee 2
Cincinnati 1
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