SAN FRANCISCO Byrnes hits for cycle for A's

Oakland is the best interleague team in baseball history at 75-47.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Last Tuesday, Eric Byrnes and Mark Ellis watched highlights of Brad Wilkerson hitting for the cycle in Montreal. The Oakland teammates made a pact: If one of them ever hit for the cycle, he would buy a huge dinner for the other.
Byrnes never thought he'd have to pay up so quickly -- or that he'd accomplish the feat against what used to be his favorite team.
Byrnes hit a ninth-inning triple to become the 16th player in Athletics franchise history to hit for the cycle, and Mark Mulder became the majors' fourth 11-game winner as Oakland beat the San Francisco Giants 5-2 Sunday in the finale of the Bay Bridge Series.
Amazing game
"I still can't believe how it worked out," Byrnes said. "It's better because we won, but it was just an amazing game for me. It's special to do it in San Francisco."
Byrnes, who grew up down the Peninsula as a die-hard Giants fan, matched the A's franchise record with five hits. He singled in the first, doubled in the second and seventh, homered in the fifth -- and got a standup triple when rookie Carlos Valderrama fell down while misplaying Byrnes' sinking liner in center field.
When he reached third base, he got a stirring ovation from the same fans with whom he watched countless Giants games.
"It's hard to describe the feelings that went through my body," said Byrnes, who thought about the importance of the series every day this weekend as he drove past Candlestick Park on his way to Pacific Bell Park.
His parents, Jim and Judy, were in attendance Sunday, as were more friends than he could count.
"Half of them are still Giants fans -- punks," Byrnes said with a grin. "Half of them were leading the cheer last night: 'What's the matter with Byrnes? He's a bum!' I guess this is one way to shut them up."
Leadoff single
Byrnes led off the game with a single and added an RBI double in the second before hitting a homer to center in the fifth against reliever Chad Zerbe.
Byrnes' seventh-inning double into the left-field corner might have been a triple with Barry Bonds in left -- but Bonds had the day off, and Pedro Feliz got the ball back to the infield in time.
But in the ninth, Byrnes' liner handcuffed Valderrama. The rookie dived and missed it, and Byrnes reached third base easily.
"It's amazing what he's been doing," Mulder said. "When we started out the season and he was raking, you think, 'OK, they just don't know him yet. They'll figure him out.' But they still haven't."
Byrnes' big day overshadowed another strong outing from Mulder (11-5), who allowed six hits and one run over seven sharp innings. The left-handed ace also got his first career RBI on a second-inning sacrifice fly as the A's evened the season series at three wins apiece.
Keith Foulke, who got the loss in the Giants' 10-inning victory Saturday, pitched the ninth for his 21st save in 24 chances.