Tribe tops slumping Oakland
The Athletics have lost 19 of their last 23 games.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Ben Broussard and Jhonny Peralta each drove in two runs Saturday night and the Cleveland Indians beat Oakland 6-3 to extend the Athletics' losing streak to seven games.
The Athletics have lost 19 of 23 and are a major-league worst 5-19 in May, their most losses in a month since going 8-19 in July 1997. Oakland dropped eight straight from May 7-15, the Athletics' worst losing streak since 1998.
Cleveland manager Eric Wedge returned after missing one game because of a personal family emergency, but was without closer Bob Wickman. The veteran reliever said Saturday he felt much better than he did the night before when he removed himself from the game because of severe back spasms.
Wedge used four relievers, and Bob Howry worked the ninth for his first save since Aug. 28, 2001, when the right-hander was with the Chicago White Sox and before he had elbow surgery.
Scott Elarton (2-2) gave up six hits and two runs in six innings. He walked three and struck out four.
Oakland got within 4-3 in the seventh. Mark Kotsay hit a one-out double off Rafael Betancourt and scored on a two-out single by Eric Chavez against left-hander Arthur Rhodes.
Early lead
The Athletics took a 2-0 lead in the first. Chavez had an RBI double and later scored on a grounder by Bobby Kielty that was misplayed for an error by third baseman Aaron Boone.
Elarton got out of the two-on, one-out jam and scattered three hits over the next five innings.
Broussard singled home a run in Cleveland's first to make it 2-1 and had an RBI double in the third to tie it against Kirk Saarloos (1-4). One out later, Jody Gerut singled home Broussard for a 3-2 lead.
Saarloos allowed four runs and 10 hits over five-plus innings in his first start since May 16 following a stint in the bullpen. He has lost four straight since a 9-0 win at Baltimore on April 6 in his season debut.
Peralta's bases-loaded walk off Juan Cruz with one out in the sixth made it 4-2. Left-hander Ricardo Rincon then fell behind Grady Sizemore but got him to hit into a double play on a 3-1 pitch.
It was the first time Sizemore grounded into a double play in 308 at-bats since being called up to the majors last July.
Ronnie Belliard doubled home an unearned run in the eighth and scored on Peralta's double.
OAKLANDCLEVELAND
abrhbiabrhbi
Kotsay cf4220Szmore cf4110
Kendall c5010Blake rf5000
EChavz 3b4122Hafner dh3110
Httberg 1b3010Brssrd 1b4122
Kielty lf3001VMrtnz c4210
DJnson dh3000Gerut lf4021
MEllis 2b4010Blliard 2b4131
Swisher rf4000Boone 3b4000
Scutaro ss4010Peralta ss3022
Totals34383Totals356126
Oakland200000100--3
Cleveland10200102x--6
E--Hatteberg (7), Boone (7). DP--Oakland 2, Cleveland 2. LOB--Oakland 8, Cleveland 8. 2B--Kotsay (11), EChavez (7), Scutaro (8), Broussard (13), Belliard (6), Peralta (8). SB--Sizemore (7). CS--Kielty (1).
IPHRERBBSO
Oakland
Saarloos L,1-45104401
JuCruz1-300011
RRincon1 2-300001
Duchscherer122012
Cleveland
Elarton W,2-2662234
Betancourt2-311101
Rhodes2-310011
Miller2-300000
Howry S,1100000
Saarloos pitched to 3 batters in the 6th. HBP--by Saarloos (THafner). WP--Duchscherer, Elarton. Umpires--Home, Tim Timmons; First, Mike Fichter; Second, Chuck Meriwether; Third, Mike Everitt. T--3:02. A--33,646.