Sat Apr 5 01:52:35 2008

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Duchscherer stymies Tribe, A's hold on to win

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Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - Ryan Sweeney went 4-for-4 with a run batted in, and the Oakland Athletics topped the Cleveland Indians, 6-3, at McAfee Coliseum.

Justin Duchscherer (1-0) allowed just one run on four hits over five-plus innings, striking out six as the Athletics won for the first time in North America this season. Oakland had dropped two straight since winning the second game of their season-opening series against the Red Sox in Tokyo.

Duchscherer made his first start after four seasons as a reliever, but left the game in the sixth with slight biceps tendinitis.

"It's one of those freak things that seems to happen to me quite frequently but more than anything I felt good through the first four innings and I felt like I was cruising," Duchscherer said. "I'm happy to be starting and this is the last thing I wanted to happen but we won."

Bobby Crosby went 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored, while Daric Barton was also 2-for-4 at the plate. Kurt Suzuki and Jack Hannahan both drove in a run in the win.

Ryan Garko and Travis Hafner each smacked solo home runs for the Indians, who dropped their second straight game. Garko also doubled, and Grady Sizemore added a two-hit night.

Paul Byrd (0-1) was roughed up for five runs -- three earned -- on eight hits over 4 1/3 innings.

"It was just one of those things where I couldn't figure out how to fix it up and get the ball down," Byrd said. "Probably a little bit mechanical. The bottom line is I'm in the big leagues and I have to get the ball down. An inning or two, fine but to consistently throw bad pitches over four or five innings is unacceptable."

Oakland manufactured a run with two outs in the bottom of the second. After Byrd retired Crosby and Hannahan to start the frame, Suzuki was hit by a pitch.

Ryan Sweeney laced a single to center, putting runners on first and third, and with Travis Buck at the plate, a pitch got past Kelly Shoppach and Suzuki dashed home.

Barton singled to lead off the home fifth, then Jhonny Peralta booted Mike Sweeney's grounder to put runners on first and second. Jack Cust singled to load the bases, then Crosby slapped the ball to Asdrubal Cabrera, whose throw to the plate was short as Barton came home.

Hannahan's sacrifice fly brought in Mike Sweeney, then Suzuki blooped a single to shallow center and Ryan Sweeney rapped a single up the middle to extend the lead to 5-0. The rally chased Byrd from the game in favor of Jorge Julio, who retired the side.

"(My teammates) were saying hitting is contagious and tonight we showed one guy gets hits and everyone gets hits," Ryan Sweeney said. "It's early. We've only played five games so guys are getting their rhythm and I think everybody will be fine."

After allowing singles to Kelly Shoppach and Sizemore to start the sixth, Duchscherer was pulled for Santiago Casilla, who walked Cabrera to load the bases. After a nine-pitch battle, Casilla induced Peralta into a double play that brought home Shoppach, then caught Hafner looking to end the threat.

Cleveland picked up another run in the seventh, as Garko led off the inning by crushing a Keith Foulke change-up for a long home run down the left field line.

The A's restored the four-run lead in the bottom of the frame. Crosby smashed a double to left to start the inning, moved over to third on Hannahan's grounder and scored on a wild pitch when Julio's slider bounced past Shoppach.

Hafner picked up his first homer, a solo shot in the top of the ninth, demolishing a Huston Street fastball into the right field power alley, but the Tribe couldn't get any closer in their final at-bat.

Game Notes

Street has surrendered a homer in all three of his appearances this season...Dana Eveland starts for Oakland in Saturday's matchup against defending American League Cy Young winner C.C. Sabathia...Oakland turned three double plays...Ryan Sweeney recorded the first four-hit game of his major league career...Attendance was 13,916.