By TOM WITHERS

The Associated Press

CLEVELAND — The replays showed the Oakland Athletics may have gotten a bad call.

That’s they way it’s gone this season.

Pinch-runner Cord Phelps was called safe on a close play at the plate in the 16th inning, sliding under Oakland catcher Kurt Suzuki’s tag as the Cleveland Indians beat the Athletics 4-3 on Wednesday night, ending an August of losses for the A’s, who dropped their fifth straight and went 11-17 in the month.

“Very disappointing,” Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. “We had our opportunities and didn’t capitalize. We had more than they did.”

In the 16th, Jim Thome singled with one out off Josh Outman (3-4), the A’s eighth pitcher. Phelps came in to run for the slow-footed Thome and Carlos Santana lined a single to center. Jack Hannahan, who hit two solo homers off Rich Harden, then grounded a sharp single to right.

Phelps was waved around by third-base coach Steve Smith and was able to reach past Suzuki, who had to jump to catch right fielder David DeJesus’ strong throw.

“It was a close play, one of those things where you can’t tell if he was safe,” Suzuki said. “I tagged him. I know that. It’s too bad to lose after we battled so hard. The bullpen basically pitched a perfect game, but we just couldn’t get a key hit, either.”

Oakland’s relievers combined for eight perfect innings, retiring 24 in a row from the seventh until the 15th.

“Our bullpen was magnificent,” Melvin said.

Frank Herrmann (4-0), Cleveland’s sixth pitcher, worked four perfect innings as the Indians jumped Chicago into second place in the AL Central, 5½ games behind Detroit.

The marathon featured a Progressive Field record 34 strikeouts — 19 by Oakland pitchers — and the two teams combined for 509 pitches.

The A’s threatened in the 10th, 11th and 12th, but couldn’t push the go-ahead run across. They stranded six runners in the three innings, leaving the bases loaded in the 12th against Chad Durbin, who got out of the one-out jam by striking out Ryan Sweeney and retiring DeJesus on a pop to short.

Suzuki homered for Oakland, which went 1 of 14 with runners in scoring position and stranded 13. The A’s have dropped five straight and are 33-49 since May 30.

August was rough enough, and the A’s will start September in a hurry. Oakland will have to avoid being swept in the four-game series, which will conclude with a noon game Thursday.

“It isn’t easy, that’s for sure,” Suzuki said. “But we have to do it. That’s our job. We should have scored more runs earlier tonight.”

Hannahan’s second homer off Harden, a towering shot off the foul pole in right, tied it 3-3 in the sixth.

He turned on an 0-1 pitch and drove it three-quarters of the way up the pole for the 3,000th homer at Progressive Field, which was also hosting its 1,400th game since opening in 1994.

Cleveland’s Ubaldo Jimenez allowed three runs and six hits in six innings, and the right-hander got stronger as the game went on. He struck out six of the last seven A’s he faced, freezing Suzuki on an outside pitch to end the sixth. It wasn’t a dominant performance — he needed 114 pitches to get through six — but he kept the Indians close enough to pull out another one.

Harden, who was frequently mentioned in trade rumors involving the Indians before the July 31 deadline, posted an almost identical line to Jimenez — three runs and six hits in six innings with two walks and six strikeouts.

Suzuki connected for his 13th homer in the fourth, giving Oakland a 3-2 lead. The A’s had tied it 2-2 in the third on Brandon Allen’s two-out RBI single.

Notes: Following the game, the A’s announced they traded 1B/OF Conor Jackson to Boston for minor league RHP Jason Rice. … Of Suzuki’s 13 homers, 12 have been solo shots. … Harden made his 100th start for the A’s, the 21st Oakland player to have that many. He’s made 156 starts overall. … It was Oakland’s longest game since going 17 on June 17, 2006. … A’s bench coach Joel Skinner has been bumming a ride to the ballpark with Indians first-base coach Sandy Alomar. Skinner, who played, coached and managed the Indians, has maintained a home in the Cleveland area. … A’s OF Coco Crisp didn’t start but came in as a pinch-runner in the 10th. Crisp went 0 for 2. … The A’s recalled LHP Jerry Blevins from Triple-A Sacramento for the sixth time this year. … Oakland LHP Gio Gonzalez (11-11) will face RHP Fausto Carmona (6-12) in a noon start Thursday. Gonzalez is 4-0 with a 0.89 ERA in five career starts against Cleveland.

___

September 01, 2011 01:36 AM EDT

Copyright 2011, The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Pinch-runner Cord Phelps was called safe on a close play at the plate in the 16th inning, sliding under Oakland catcher Kurt Suzuki’s tag as the Cleveland Indians beat the Athletics 4-3 on Wednesday night, ending an August of losses for the A’s, who dropped their fifth straight and went 11-17 in the month.

“Very disappointing,” Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. “We had our opportunities and didn’t capitalize. We had more than they did.”

In the 16th, Jim Thome singled with one out off Josh Outman (3-4), the A’s eighth pitcher. Phelps came in to run for the slow-footed Thome and Carlos Santana lined a single to center. Jack Hannahan, who hit two solo homers off Rich Harden, then grounded a sharp single to right.

Phelps was waved around by third-base coach Steve Smith and was able to reach past Suzuki, who had to jump to catch right fielder David DeJesus’ strong throw.

“It was a close play, one of those things where you can’t tell if he was safe,” Suzuki said. “I tagged him. I know that. It’s too bad to lose after we battled so hard. The bullpen basically pitched a perfect game, but we just couldn’t get a key hit, either.”

Oakland’s relievers combined for eight perfect innings, retiring 24 in a row from the seventh until the 15th.

“Our bullpen was magnificent,” Melvin said.

Frank Herrmann (4-0), Cleveland’s sixth pitcher, worked four perfect innings as the Indians jumped Chicago into second place in the AL Central, 5½ games behind Detroit.

The marathon featured a Progressive Field record 34 strikeouts — 19 by Oakland pitchers — and the two teams combined for 509 pitches.

The A’s threatened in the 10th, 11th and 12th, but couldn’t push the go-ahead run across. They stranded six runners in the three innings, leaving the bases loaded in the 12th against Chad Durbin, who got out of the one-out jam by striking out Ryan Sweeney and retiring DeJesus on a pop to short.

Suzuki homered for Oakland, which went 1 of 14 with runners in scoring position and stranded 13. The A’s have dropped five straight and are 33-49 since May 30.

August was rough enough, and the A’s will start September in a hurry. Oakland will have to avoid being swept in the four-game series, which will conclude with a noon game Thursday.

“It isn’t easy, that’s for sure,” Suzuki said. “But we have to do it. That’s our job. We should have scored more runs earlier tonight.”

Hannahan’s second homer off Harden, a towering shot off the foul pole in right, tied it 3-3 in the sixth.

He turned on an 0-1 pitch and drove it three-quarters of the way up the pole for the 3,000th homer at Progressive Field, which was also hosting its 1,400th game since opening in 1994.

Cleveland’s Ubaldo Jimenez allowed three runs and six hits in six innings, and the right-hander got stronger as the game went on. He struck out six of the last seven A’s he faced, freezing Suzuki on an outside pitch to end the sixth. It wasn’t a dominant performance — he needed 114 pitches to get through six — but he kept the Indians close enough to pull out another one.

Harden, who was frequently mentioned in trade rumors involving the Indians before the July 31 deadline, posted an almost identical line to Jimenez — three runs and six hits in six innings with two walks and six strikeouts.

Suzuki connected for his 13th homer in the fourth, giving Oakland a 3-2 lead. The A’s had tied it 2-2 in the third on Brandon Allen’s two-out RBI single.

Notes: Following the game, the A’s announced they traded 1B/OF Conor Jackson to Boston for minor league RHP Jason Rice. … Of Suzuki’s 13 homers, 12 have been solo shots. … Harden made his 100th start for the A’s, the 21st Oakland player to have that many. He’s made 156 starts overall. … It was Oakland’s longest game since going 17 on June 17, 2006. … A’s bench coach Joel Skinner has been bumming a ride to the ballpark with Indians first-base coach Sandy Alomar. Skinner, who played, coached and managed the Indians, has maintained a home in the Cleveland area. … A’s OF Coco Crisp didn’t start but came in as a pinch-runner in the 10th. Crisp went 0 for 2. … The A’s recalled LHP Jerry Blevins from Triple-A Sacramento for the sixth time this year. … Oakland LHP Gio Gonzalez (11-11) will face RHP Fausto Carmona (6-12) in a noon start Thursday. Gonzalez is 4-0 with a 0.89 ERA in five career starts against Cleveland.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

CLEVELAND —
Indians 4, Athletics 3, 16 innings

The Cleveland Indians are performing drama like no other team — and is one believing it’s destined for something much more.

“Maybe it is our year,” reliever Frank Herrmann said.

Jack Hannahan’s single with one out in the 16th inning scored sliding pinch-runner Cord Phelps from second base and gave Cleveland a 4-3 win over the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday night, moving the bend-but-don’t break Indians back into second place in the AL Central.

A season of comebacks, injuries and late-inning heroics has a new chapter.

“These guys aren’t giving up,” Indians manager Manny Acta said. “That’s good.”

Jim Thome singled with one out in the 16th off Josh Outman (3-4), the A’s eighth pitcher, and was replaced by Phelps. Carlos Santana lined a single to center before Hannahan, who hit two solo homers, singled to right. Phelps never slowed as he was waved around by third-base coach Steve Smith and was able to slip headfirst under the tag of catcher Kurt Suzuki, who had to jump to catch right fielder David DeJesus’ strong throw.

“It was all in slow motion,” Smith said. “I sent him and then I said, ‘Uh, oh.”‘

The play was close, but plate umpire Bruce Dreckman ruled Phelps was safe and the A’s didn’t argue.

“The replays are showing he was out,” Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. “It was impossible to see from my angle. There’s nothing we can do about it now.”

Suzuki was certain he got Phelps, but didn’t know where the rookie was in relation to the plate.

“It was a close play, one of those things where you can’t tell if he was safe,” the catcher said. “I tagged him. I know that. It’s too bad to lose after we battled so hard.”

Hannahan was mobbed by the Indians, who won for the 17th time in their last at-bat at home, jumped Chicago in the division and stayed 5 1/2 games behind first-place Detroit. It was Cleveland’s 11th walk-off win at home, the Indians’ 13th one-run game in August and 46th this season.

“I was just trying to stay up the middle,” Hannahan explained of his game-winning single. “To be honest with you I didn’t think about swinging away (for another homer). Those hits had happened so long ago in that game that I forgot what happened.”

It was also the longest game in Cleveland since May 7, 1995 — when the Indians went to the World Series for the first time since 1954.

“We keep pulling out games like this,” said Herrmann (4-0), who worked four perfect innings. “Things are falling into place for us or we’re making them fall into place.”

The marathon featured a Progressive Field record 34 strikeouts — 19 by Oakland pitchers, who also combined for eight perfect innings from the seventh to 15th.

The A’s threatened in the 10th, 11th and 12th, but couldn’t push the go-ahead run across. They stranded six runners in the three innings, leaving the bases loaded in the 12th against Chad Durbin, who got out of the one-out jam by striking out Ryan Sweeney and retiring DeJesus on a pop to short.

Suzuki homered for Oakland, which dropped its fifth straight.

The Indians didn’t gain any ground on the Tigers, but for a change they did get a positive medical report.

Designated hitter Travis Hafner received some “encouraging news” about his strained foot tendon from doctors, and Acta expects the slugger to return this season. Hafner has been out since Aug. 21, when he was injured trying to stretch a single during a game in Detroit.

Acta does not have a timetable for Hafner’s return, but said when the cleanup hitter does come back, he will share DH duties with Thome. Also, Indians outfielder Grady Sizemore began a rehab stint at Double-A Akron, and as long as he doesn’t have any setbacks, he could rejoin the club soon.

Hannahan’s second homer off starter Rich Harden, a towering shot off the foul pole in right, tied it 3-3 in the sixth.

He turned on an 0-1 pitch and drove it three-quarters of the way up the pole for the 3,000th homer at Progressive Field, which was also hosting its 1,400th game since opening in 1994.

Cleveland’s Ubaldo Jimenez allowed three runs and six hits in six innings, and the right-hander got stronger as the game went on. He struck out six of the last seven A’s he faced, freezing Suzuki on an outside pitch to end the sixth. It wasn’t a dominant performance — he needed 114 pitches to get through six — but he kept the Indians close enough to pull out another one.

Harden, who was frequently mentioned in trade rumors involving the Indians before the July 31 deadline, posted an almost identical line to Jimenez — three runs and six hits in six innings with two walks and six strikeouts.

Suzuki connected for his 13th homer in the fourth, giving Oakland a 3-2 lead. The A’s had tied it 2-2 in the third on Brandon Allen’s two-out RBI single.

Notes: The A’s traded 1B/OF Conor Jackson to Boston with cash for minor league RHP Jason Rice minutes before the waiver deadline. … A’s bench coach Joel Skinner has been bumming a ride to the ballpark with Indians first-base coach Sandy Alomar. Skinner, who played, coached and managed the Indians, has maintained a home in the Cleveland area. … Oakland OF Coco Crisp did not start but came in as a pinch-runner in the 10th and ended up playing six more innings. He went 0 for 2. … Indians OF Michael Brantley underwent successful surgery on his right hand. Brantley, who is out for the season, is expected to make a full recovery. … The A’s recalled LHP Jerry Blevins from Triple-A Sacramento for the sixth time this year. … Oakland LHP Gio Gonzalez (11-11) will face RHP Fausto Carmona (6-12) in a noon start Thursday. Gonzalez is 4-0 with a 0.89 ERA in five career starts against Cleveland.

(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Oakland Athletics manager Bob Melvin had difficulty finding any words. A 6-0 loss to the Texas Rangers seemed so trivial after the game was marred by the death of a man who fell out of the stands trying to catch a ball.

“When you think you’ve had a bad day, something like that puts things in perspective,” Melvin said. “It’s just devastating. I don’t even know what to say. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family. … Certainly baseball is not very important in light of something like that.”

The Rangers and Arlington fire officials said the man, who was attending the game with his young son, fell about 20 feet to the ground

The accident happened in the second inning after Oakland’s Conor Jackson hit a foul ball that ricocheted into left field. Reigning AL MVP Josh Hamilton retrieved the ball and tossed it into the stands. Replays on Oakland’s television broadcast show the man reaching for the ball and apparently catching it before tumbling over the rail.

That area, out of sight from the field, is close to the visitor’s bullpen.

Athletics reliever Brad Ziegler was in tears after the game when he found out the man had died.

“They had him on a stretcher. He said, ‘Please check on my son. My son was up there by himself.’ The people who carried him out reassured him. ‘Sir, we’ll get your son, we’ll make sure he’s OK,’” Ziegler said. “He had his arms swinging. He talked and was conscious. We assumed he was OK. But when you find out he’s not, it’s just tough.”

There was an audible gasp in the stands when the man tumbled over the rail, eerily similar to an accident last July at Rangers Ballpark when a man fell about 30 feet from the second-deck of seats down the right-field line while trying to catch a foul ball. That fan suffered a fractured skull and sprained ankle.

Rich Harden (1-1) gave up five runs and eight hits over five innings in his second start of the season for the A’s.

“(The game) didn’t really matter after what happened,” said Harden, who was with Texas last season. “It’s horrible. You try to refocus. You have a job to do. But it’s hard to ignore that.”

Rangers president Nolan Ryan said he had spoken to the team and that they knew what had happened.

“I think as any of us would be, Josh is very distraught over this, as the entire team is,” Ryan said.

The Rangers clubhouse was closed to reporters after the game.

Hamilton was selected earlier this week to start his fourth consecutive All-Star game next week. Washington said he would wait before determining if Hamilton would play against the A’s on Friday night.

“I think we’ll deal with that tomorrow when he gets here, to see how he feels,” Washington said.

It is the second fatal fall at a MLB ballpark this season. In May, a 27-year-old man died after he fell about 20 feet and struck his head on concrete during a Colorado Rockies game.

Hamilton had four RBIs in the game to back a four-hit shutout by Derek Holland (7-4), who rebounded from his shortest outing ever.

Holland’s third career shutout came five days after he gave up five runs and four hits while getting only two outs in a start against Florida. The left-hander struck out seven and walked two while allowing only four singles against the A’s.

“Obviously, he was outstanding,” Washington said. “He came out and pounded the strike zone from the very first pitch. He never looked back and stayed focus.”

After Kurt Suzuki’s single in the fifth, Holland retired 10 consecutive batters without a ball leaving the infield before giving up a pair of singles and a walk in the ninth.

Hamilton drove in a run in each of his first four at-bats, putting Texas ahead to stay with an RBI groundout in the first. The outfielder added a run-scoring single in the third before two sacrifice fly balls after that.

This was the makeup of a May 11 game that was rained out after Texas built a 7-0 lead through four innings.

Before the Rangers batted in the second, Washington spoke briefly with one of the umpires. Michael Young, who was leading off the inning, could be seen talking to A’s catcher Suzuki and pointing toward the area where the previous accident happened.

It was the 10th time this season that Oakland was held scoreless.

Notes: Young led off the fifth with his eighth homer. That was also his 959th career run, breaking his tie with Rafael Palmeiro for the most in the Washington/Texas franchise history. Young was already the team’s career leader in games played, hits, doubles and triples. … Oakland is 5-10 since a season-high six-game winning streak. … Harden, who pitched with Texas last season, is 5-3 against the Rangers.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Oakland Athletics manager Bob Melvin had difficulty finding any words. A 6-0 loss to the Texas Rangers seemed so trivial after the game was marred by the death of a man who fell out of the stands trying to catch a ball.

“When you think you’ve had a bad day, something like that puts things in perspective,” Melvin said. “It’s just devastating. I don’t even know what to say. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family. … Certainly baseball is not very important in light of something like that.”

The Rangers and Arlington fire officials said the man, who was attending the game with his young son, fell about 20 feet to the ground

The accident happened in the second inning after Oakland’s Conor Jackson hit a foul ball that ricocheted into left field. Reigning AL MVP Josh Hamilton retrieved the ball and tossed it into the stands. Replays on Oakland’s television broadcast show the man reaching for the ball and apparently catching it before tumbling over the rail.

That area, out of sight from the field, is close to the visitor’s bullpen.

Athletics reliever Brad Ziegler was in tears after the game when he found out the man had died.

“They had him on a stretcher. He said, ‘Please check on my son. My son was up there by himself.’ The people who carried him out reassured him. ‘Sir, we’ll get your son, we’ll make sure he’s OK,’” Ziegler said. “He had his arms swinging. He talked and was conscious. We assumed he was OK. But when you find out he’s not, it’s just tough.”

There was an audible gasp in the stands when the man tumbled over the rail, eerily similar to an accident last July at Rangers Ballpark when a man fell about 30 feet from the second-deck of seats down the right-field line while trying to catch a foul ball. That fan suffered a fractured skull and sprained ankle.

Rich Harden (1-1) gave up five runs and eight hits over five innings in his second start of the season for the A’s.

“(The game) didn’t really matter after what happened,” said Harden, who was with Texas last season. “It’s horrible. You try to refocus. You have a job to do. But it’s hard to ignore that.”

Rangers president Nolan Ryan said he had spoken to the team and that they knew what had happened.

“I think as any of us would be, Josh is very distraught over this, as the entire team is,” Ryan said.

The Rangers clubhouse was closed to reporters after the game.

Hamilton was selected earlier this week to start his fourth consecutive All-Star game next week. Washington said he would wait before determining if Hamilton would play against the A’s on Friday night.

“I think we’ll deal with that tomorrow when he gets here, to see how he feels,” Washington said.

It is the second fatal fall at a MLB ballpark this season. In May, a 27-year-old man died after he fell about 20 feet and struck his head on concrete during a Colorado Rockies game.

Hamilton had four RBIs in the game to back a four-hit shutout by Derek Holland (7-4), who rebounded from his shortest outing ever.

Holland’s third career shutout came five days after he gave up five runs and four hits while getting only two outs in a start against Florida. The left-hander struck out seven and walked two while allowing only four singles against the A’s.

“Obviously, he was outstanding,” Washington said. “He came out and pounded the strike zone from the very first pitch. He never looked back and stayed focus.”

After Kurt Suzuki’s single in the fifth, Holland retired 10 consecutive batters without a ball leaving the infield before giving up a pair of singles and a walk in the ninth.

Hamilton drove in a run in each of his first four at-bats, putting Texas ahead to stay with an RBI groundout in the first. The outfielder added a run-scoring single in the third before two sacrifice fly balls after that.

This was the makeup of a May 11 game that was rained out after Texas built a 7-0 lead through four innings.

Before the Rangers batted in the second, Washington spoke briefly with one of the umpires. Michael Young, who was leading off the inning, could be seen talking to A’s catcher Suzuki and pointing toward the area where the previous accident happened.

It was the 10th time this season that Oakland was held scoreless.

Notes: Young led off the fifth with his eighth homer. That was also his 959th career run, breaking his tie with Rafael Palmeiro for the most in the Washington/Texas franchise history. Young was already the team’s career leader in games played, hits, doubles and triples. … Oakland is 5-10 since a season-high six-game winning streak. … Harden, who pitched with Texas last season, is 5-3 against the Rangers.

Gio Gonzalez issued seven walks against the White Sox and the last one was most costly.
The Oakland Athletics’ left-hander lost his third straight start on Saturday as Chicago beat the A’s 3-2.
Gonzalez took the mound in the sixth inning and issued a one-out walk to Brent Lillibridge before being relieved by Brad Ziegler.
Lillibridge stole second and advanced to third when Kurt Suzuki’s throw hopped into center field. After Alexei Ramirez walked, Carlos Quentin hit a comebacker to Ziegler, who threw wide to second on what could have been an inning-ending double play, allowing Lillibridge to score and put Chicago ahead 3-2.
“We’ve got plenty of time if I make a good throw, I just have to give him more time to get there,” Ziegler said. “I got the groundball I needed, I just didn’t make the play.”
Lillibridge then helped make John Danks a winner, robbing Coco Crisp of a go-ahead home run and what would have been his 1,000th career hit.
With Daric Barton on second and one out in the eighth, Crisp lofted a flyball deep to left-center. Lillibridge retreated to the wall, leaped and snared Crisp’s drive before it cleared the fence.
“Coco put a good swing on it. I was just running to the track. I didn’t think it was actually going to go out the way the ball was carrying tonight,” Lillibridge said. “I picked up the wall and took a chance. I actually didn’t think I was going to hit the wall that hard…It was big.”
Crisp declined to speak to reporters after the game.
“The way it played out, that was the game,” A’s interim manager Bob Melvin said. “We felt like if we got a couple runs right there, we could close it out. They say it’s a game of inches … literally.”
That turned out to be the last batter Danks (2-8) faced. He allowed just four hits, struck out four and walked two in 7 2-3 innings. He won his second straight start after going winless in his first 11 starts to start the season.
Ramon Castro hit his third homer of the season, a solo shot in the fourth.
Gonzalez (5-5) is winless in his last five starts. Oakland issued nine walks, has lost 11 of 12 games and fell to 1-2 under interim manager Bob Melvin.
Gonzalez allowed three runs in 5 1-3 innings, five hits, a career-high seven walks, hit a batter, committed a balk and threw two wild pitches.
“I just have to throw strikes, pound the strike zone,” Gonzalez said. “I felt I was close enough to get some contact, but the White Sox have great eyes, they can see the ball good.”
Chicago’s Jesse Crain worked 1 1-3 hitless innings, picking up his first save one night after White Sox closer Sergio Santos blew a two-run, ninth-inning lead in Oakland’s 7-5 win on Friday.
Josh Willingham’s RBI single tied the game at 1 in the fourth for Oakland, but Castro broke the deadlock with a leadoff homer in the bottom half of the fourth.
Oakland knotted the game in the sixth on Hideki Matsui’s sacrifice fly to right.
Gonzalez’s control problems led to Chicago’s first run in the third. Ramirez stroked a one-out single. Quentin walked and Paul Konerko struck out. With two outs and Rios at the plate, Gonzalez threw a pitch in the dirt that bounced away from catcher Suzuki and Ramirez scored the game’s first run.
Rios eventually walked, giving Gonzalez four walks in three innings. He’s walked four or more batters in six of his 13 starts this season.
NOTES: A’s 2B Scott Sizemore, who won Friday’s game with a three-run double with two outs in the ninth, went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts.