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Athletics win cuts Giants down to size

The Arizona Diamondbacks' Orlando Hudson, bottom, looks to home plate umpire Mike Reilly as Reilly calls him safe on a play at home plate against the Boston Red Sox during their game on Friday in Phoenix, Arizona. PHOTO: AP

Oakland's Shannon Stewart hit a tiebreaking two-run single in the 10th against a makeshift San Francisco defense to lift the Athletics to a 5-3 victory on Friday.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy, out of position players on the bench, was forced to use left-hander Noah Lowry in the outfield after a collision at the plate in the 10th forced backup catcher Eliezer Alfonzo out of the game with a leg injury.

Feliz moved from third to catcher to make his major league debut behind the plate.

Stewart singled to left off Brad Hennessey (1-2).

Kiko Calero (1-4) got two outs in the ninth with the bases loaded for the win.

It was the first career appearance for Lowry at any fielding position other than pitcher. The last pitcher to play in the field was Jason Simontacchi of St. Louis when he played in left field in the ninth inning against Arizona on April 10, 2004, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Rookie Travis Buck had a career-high four hits, including two doubles, and drove in two runs as Oakland's offense bounced back a day after being one-hit by Boston's Curt Schilling.

Mets 3, Tigers 0

At Detroit, David Wright and Carlos Delgado homered and Jorge Sosa won for the sixth time as the New York Mets beat Detroit to snap a four-game losing streak.

Wright hit his 10th homer off Tigers starter Chad Durbin in the fourth inning to make it 1-0. Delgado put New York ahead 2-0 with his 10th homer in the seventh.

Sosa (6-1) scattered four hits over eight innings in his longest outing of the year. He struck out five and walked two.

Billy Wagner pitched a perfect ninth for his 14th save.

Durbin (5-2) gave up three runs and six hits in eight-plus innings. He struck out four and walked one in his longest outing since April 25.

Red Sox 10, Diamondbacks 3

At Phoenix, J.D. Drew hit a pair of three-run homers and drove in a career-high seven runs, and Josh Beckett improved to 9-0 with a five-hitter in Boston's first regular-season visit to Chase Field.

It took Drew six innings to double the number of home runs he hit in his first 50 games since signing a US$70 million, five-year contract with the Red Sox last winter.

Drew's eruption provided plenty of support for Beckett, who matched his season high by going eight innings, allowing two earned runs and five hits without a walk. He struck out eight, also matching a season high.

Beckett has tied the fifth-best start in franchise history, matching Sonny Siebert, who won his first nine decisions in 1971. The best start is Roger Clemens' 14-0 in 1986.

Julio Lugo led off the first by driving a 3-2 pitch from Doug Davis (4-7) 408 feet into the left-field bleachers, drawing a roar from the throngs of Red Sox fans who invaded Chase Field. It was Lugo's second leadoff homer of the season.

Yankees 5, Pirates 4, 10 innings

At New York, Derek Jeter hit a game-winning infield single with the bases loaded in the 10th inning as the New York Yankees extended a winning streak to four for the first time this season.

Robinson Cano doubled to left-center leading off the 10th against Matt Capps (3-3). He was sacrificed to third. Miguel Cairo followed with an infield single. After Cairo went to second on defensive indifference, Johnny Damon was intentionally walked and Jeter hit a slow bouncer that second baseman Freddy Sanchez couldn't come up with.

Chris Duffy hit a two-run, inside-the-park home run, putting the Pirates ahead 4-2 in the seventh when his catchable seventh-inning liner sailed over Melky Cabrera and bounced to the center-field wall.

The Yankees tied it in the bottom half on RBI singles by Jeter and Jorge Posada. Mariano Rivera (2-3) pitched his first two-inning outing of year in relief.

Orioles 4, Rockies 2

At Baltimore, Nick Markakis hit a two-run homer to lead Baltimore past Colorado.

Steve Trachsel (5-4) allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings for the Orioles, who have won two straight following a five-game skid.

Both managers were ejected from the game by first base umpire Larry Vanover. Baltimore's Sam Perlozzo was tossed after arguing a balk call in the sixth inning, and Clint Hurdle was thrown out for disputing a check-swing strike call against Ryan Spilborghs in the eighth.

Chris Ray, the fourth Baltimore reliever, got four outs for his 13th save.

Markakis singled and scored in the first inning, then hit his ninth home run in the fifth to put Baltimore up 4-1.

Jeff Francis (5-5) gave up four runs and seven hits in seven innings for the Rockies.

Reds 4, Indians 3

At Cincinnati, Homer Bailey benefited from Cincinnati's three home runs, including the 577th of Ken Griffey Jr.'s career, to win his major league debut.

Brandon Phillips and Jeff Conine also homered in support of Bailey, Cincinnati's No. 1 pick in the 2004 draft. He allowed two runs and five hits with four walks and three strikeouts. He left after five innings with a 3-2 lead. David Weathers got the last four outs for his 12th save despite giving up a homer to pinch-hitter Ryan Garko in the ninth.

Cliff Lee (2-4) gave up four hits and four runs in six innings.

Griffey led off the sixth against Lee with a home run to right field, his 14th of the season, to give Cincinnati a 4-2 lead.

Nationals 8, Twins 5

At Minneapolis, Dmitri Young had three hits and three RBIs for Washington.

Ryan Zimmerman added two hits and drove in two runs, and ex-Twin Cristian Guzman went 4-for-5 with an RBI and three runs as the Nationals won for the fourth time in 10 games.

Jason Simontacchi (3-4), an ex-Twins farmhand, allowed four runs and six hits in 7 2-3 innings.

Jason Kubel hit a three-run homer in the seventh for Minnesota, which has lost five of its past seven. Torii Hunter had two hits and drove in a run in the eighth.

Carlos Silva (3-7) gave up seven runs in three innings, his shortest start of the season, and allowed nine hits. He dropped to 1-6 in his past seven starts.

Astros 5, White Sox 2

At Chicago, Chris Sampson (6-5) allowed six hits in 6 2-3 innings and Houston won despite the early ejections of right fielder Lance Berkman and manager Phil Garner.

Both struggling teams are far removed from the ones that met in the 2005 World Series 20 months ago. Houston's win was just its fifth in 21 games. The White Sox have lost 11 of 13.

Berkman, who is appealing a two-game suspension announced Friday by major league baseball for his outburst following an ejection earlier this week, was tossed again in the fourth inning for arguing a called third strike with Holbrook. Berkman had to be stopped from going back to the plate by Carlos Lee as Garner argued. Moments later Garner was also ejected.

The Astros took a 3-2 lead in the fifth when Hunter Pence doubled and scored on a single by Luke Scott, who replaced Berkman.

Craig Biggio's 52nd career leadoff homer moved him 20 hits from 3,000 and gave Houston an early lead.

In other Interleague action on Friday it was:

* Rangers 9, Brewers 6

* Angels 10, Cardinals 6

* Royals 8, Phillies 4

* Marlins 14, Devil Rays 8

* Mariners 6, Padres 5, 11 innings

* Dodgers 4, Blue Jays 3,

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