Jun 12, 2008 4:05 pm US/Pacific
A's Down Yankees 8-4
OAKLAND (AP) ―
Jack Cust drove in three runs and the Oakland Athletics roughed up Darrell Rasner early, beating the New York Yankees 8-4 Wednesday night.
Justin Duchscherer (6-4) won for the third time in four starts and improved to 5-0 at the Coliseum.
Cust hit a two-run single during a six-run burst in the third inning. Rasner (3-4) lost his fourth straight start
The Athletics trailed 1-0 when an error by first baseman Jason Giambi allowed Travis Buck to reach leading off the third. A bunt single by Jack Hannahan with one out set up Bobby Crosby's tying double. Cust put the A's ahead, Mark Ellis hit an RBI single and Carlos Gonzalez capped it with a two-run double.
Cust singled home another run in the fourth and Eric Chavez's second hit of the game chased Rasner after only 3 2-3 innings, his shortest outing of the year.
Every Oakland player reached base and every starter but Buck had a hit.
Giambi hit his 15th homer of the season and drove in another run against his former team during a three-run ninth. New York fell back to the .500 mark (33-33).
Duchscherer allowed one run and five hits in seven strong innings, struck out four and walked one. He has allowed only five earned runs over his last four starts.
Duchscherer struck out Alex Rodriguez on a nasty 72 mph curveball to end the first -- the first of A-Rod's three K's in an 0-for-4 night.
Giambi's towering shot over the scoreboard in right field was the first home run surrendered by Duchscherer in seven starts. He had gone 41 2-3 innings without giving up a longball.
Giambi connected in the second for his 192nd home run while with New York, tying him with Tino Martinez for 14th place on the Yankees' list. It was Giambi's 379th homer overall and that moved him to 56th all-time along with Orlando Cepeda and Tony Perez.
The Yankees had scored only one run in each of the last three games Rasner started. This time, he didn't give New York much of a chance -- he was tagged for career highs of seven runs and nine hits. Notes: New York RHP Phil Hughes, on the DL with a stress fracture of a right rib, was scheduled to undergo X-rays and could begin a throwing program soon. ... Yankees RHP Andrew Brackman, already on the 60-day DL while recovering from Tommy John surgery, underwent an appendectomy Tuesday. ... A's RHP Joey Devine, on the DL since May 30 with inflammation in his right elbow, expects to being playing light catch Friday. He woke up pain-free Tuesday and again Wednesday and will go off his anti-inflammatory medication soon.
(© 2008 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
