CALIFORNIA Lilly outduels Lackey in A's triumph

Miguel Tejada and Ramon Hernandez had big hits in Oakland's 3-2 win.
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- After what Ted Lilly did against the Anaheim Angels, either his trade value will increase or the Oakland Athletics might want to hang onto him for a while.
Lilly outlasted Anaheim's John Lackey in a spirited pitchers' duel Friday night and was rewarded in the eighth inning when Miguel Tejada hit a tying double and Ramon Hernandez a go-ahead single in Oakland's 3-2 victory.
Lilly (6-8), the subject of trade speculation with the July 31 deadline approaching, allowed a run and five hits over seven innings, striking out five and walking two for his first victory in five starts since beating San Francisco on June 22.
"I don't take that into the game," Lilly said of the trade talk. "The only thing that goes through my mind is that we've got guys who are playing their butts off, and I want to give them a good game and give them a chance to win.
"It seems like every year at this point I hear stuff like this, so I've really become accustomed to dealing with it. Sometimes you get traded, sometimes you don't. I mean, obviously, I want to stay here and I want to win, which is something I think this club is capable of doing."
Gil whiffs
Lilly escaped a second-inning jam by striking out Benji Gil with runners at the corners.
The left-hander squelched another rally in the third, fanning Angels RBI leader and All-Star MVP Garret Anderson with runners on first and second.
But the defending World Series champions broke through against Lilly in the sixth with an RBI single by Scott Spiezio.
"He's showed us signs that he can go out there and pitch very well. It's just a matter of consistency with his location. And tonight he had it going," Oakland manager Ken Macha said.
So did Lackey, who scattered five hits, struck out five and walked three over 6 2/3 innings. It was his third scoreless outing in his last four starts -- all at Edison Field.
Donnelly loses
Brendan Donnelly relieved in the seventh after Lackey gave up a one-out single to Terrence Long and a two-out walk to Billy McMillon. The right-hander escaped the jam by getting Scott Hatteberg on a grounder to second.
But four of the first five batters in the Oakland eighth got hits against Donnelly (0-1). Eubiel Durazo and Tejada opened the inning with doubles and Hernandez drove in Tejada with a single to center.
"I'm human. It happens. But I would have preferred to have it happen in a different spot, especially after Lackey pitched the way he pitched," Donnelly said. "It stinks when it cost you the game, especially against Oakland, especially where we are in the season and as important as this series is."
Donnelly has stranded 20 of his 23 inherited runners, and retired 36 of 43 first-batters faced. The blown save was the first in three opportunities this season for the first-time All-Star, who was a key figure in Anaheim's first championship in franchise history.
"I guarantee you, the next time I have a one-run lead, I'm going to hand the ball to him with all the confidence in the world," said Lackey, who did just that in Game 7 of the World Series. "He's been putting up numbers and pitching great for us all year. And that's not going to change."
Insurance run
McMillon, in just his second game in the leadoff spot, led off the ninth against Francisco Rodriguez with his second homer of the season. The insurance run became vital when pinch-hitter Adam Kennedy homered off Keith Foulke with two outs in the bottom half.
Chad Bradford escaped his own jam in the Angels' eighth by retiring Shawn Wooten on a double-play grounder with two on. Foulke, who saved the victory for Donnelly in the All-Star game, got three outs for his 26th save in 30 attempts.
Just days after third baseman Troy Glaus went on the disabled list because of a bruised right shoulder, everyone in the Angels dugout cringed at the sight of Gold Glove center fielder Darin Erstad limping all the way in from left-center after robbing Mark Ellis of an RBI with a diving catch to end the Oakland fourth. But Erstad finished the game.
Notes
The Athletics gave Hatteberg a two-year contract extension through 2005, with a one-year club option.
Anderson played his first home game since winning the All-Star MVP award and the Home Run Derby, and was acknowledged in a brief home plate ceremony with a couple of framed mementos.