Final

Series: Game 2 of 3

Oakland leads 2-0 (as of 8/10)

Game 1: Friday, August 9
Oakland 3Final
in 16
New York 2
Game 2: Saturday, August 10
Oakland 8Final
New York 0
Game 3: Sunday, August 11
Oakland 5Final
New York 8

Athletics 8

(68-49, 32-25 away)

Yankees 0

(71-44, 35-20 home)

4:05 PM ET, August 10, 2002

Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York 

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OAK 001022210 8 - -
NYY 000000000 0 - -

W: C. Lidle (5-9)

L: D. Wells (12-6)

A's Lidle tosses eight shutout innings

NEW YORK (AP) -- Cory Lidle took his turn keeping the New York Yankees off the scoreboard.

Cory Lidle
Lidle

Lidle pitched eight impressive innings, and Miguel Tejada and Eric Chavez homered to lead the Oakland Athletics past New York 8-0 Saturday.

"Yeah, he gave us some problems,'' Yankees manager Joe Torre said of Lidle. "He changes speeds. He keeps the ball off the good part of the bat. I just thought we looked a little anxious out there.''

Oakland won for the eighth time in 10 games, handing the listless Yankees their first shutout at home since Sept. 25 of last season against Tampa Bay.

Lidle (5-9) lobbied to pitch the ninth after throwing 122 pitches. But Jeff Tam came on to finish, extending New York's scoreless streak to 17 innings.

"We weren't patient. You have to be patient with a pitcher like him,'' Torre said.

With Friday night's 3-2 loss in 16 innings, New York has dropped its first series since late June.

The Yankees won eight series and split four others since losing two of three games at Baltimore.

The only time Lidle got in real trouble was the fifth, but he retired Derek Jeter on a grounder with the bases loaded.

"He had that one jam with the bases loaded, he got out of that,'' A's manager Art Howe said. "It was their only real shot at getting after him.''

Oakland remained tied with Boston in the wild-card race, a half-game behind Anaheim.

The Red Sox moved within four games of the first-place Yankees in the AL East.

"It's a big series for us because we're in a pennant race,'' Lidle said. "You just have to focus on Jeter there.''

Lidle gave up nine hits, struck out five and didn't walk a batter. He hasn't allowed a run in 15 innings.

The A's have allowed just 16 runs in August for an ERA of 1.65. Oakland (68-49) moved a season-high 19 games over .500 after starting the year 20-26.

Oakland tied the season series with New York at four games apiece.

Lidle outpitched David Wells, who didn't get anywhere near his usual 7.2 runs of support.

Wells (12-6) left after allowing three straight singles to start the seventh. "I felt good today,'' Wells said. "But after the third inning, I made bad pitches. I left the ball up and I left the ball over the middle of the plate.''

Tejada's 27th homer gave Oakland a 3-0 lead in the fifth. He has 38 RBI in 29 games since the All-Star break. Tejada also drove in a run in the eighth on a broken-bat groundout.

Chavez hit his 25th homer in the sixth.

Oakland scored in the third inning when left fielder Shane Spencer misplayed Mark Ellis' drive into a double. With Ramon Hernandez on third, Spencer twisted and turned before the ball finally dropped out of reach. Spencer also got caught in a rundown between third and home in the third inning and was tagged out.

Game notes


Play was halted in the top of the ninth when a fan climbed the foul pole in left. ... Yankees RHP Orlando Hernandez was released from the hospital, a day after he was forced to leave a start against Oakland because of numbness in his left leg. Tests were negative, and Hernandez was listed as day to day. New York manager Joe Torre said before the game that El Duque would make his next start if given the OK by doctors. ... SS Tejada made a nice defensive play in the sixth, sprinting to the stands in foul territory to catch Chris Widger's popup. ... Friday night's game, which lasted exactly 6 hours, was the longest for the Yankees since an 18-inning game that took 6 hours, 1 minute on Sept. 11, 1988.

Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press

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