Sports Radio Service


		Godzilla awakes – A’s win! By Charlie O. Mallonee April 10, 2011

	A monster home run from Hideki Matsui, timely hitting from other members of the Oakland A’s and strong starting pitching from Brandon McCarthy gave the A’s a 5-3 win on Sunday afternoon. The victory also gave the A’s the series win 2 games to 1 over the Minnesota Twins. With the game scoreless through three innings, Hideki Matsui led off the top of the fourth inning for Oakland. Matsui took a Scott Baker slider high off the facing of the second deck in right field for his first home run as an Athletic. After the big round tripper, the Athletics appeared to be playing with more swagger and confidence. On the mound, McCarthy was steady and in control. Thirteen of the outs McCarthy recorded were ground ball outs. McCarthy showed an unhurried confidence on the mound. The Athletics, who never trailed in the game, put together a big inning in top of the sixth. Josh Willingham led off by taking a 2-2 pitch from Scott Baker deep to left field for his third home run of the season. Matsui singled up the middle. Sweeney hit a double to left allowing Matsui to advance to third. Baker was sent to the showers and Jeff Manship came on to face Mark Ellis. Ellis walked to load the bases. A Kevin Kouzmanoff sacrifice fly allowed Matsui to score from third and moved Sweeney up to third. Landon Powell doubled to right scoring Sweeney and sending Ellis to third. Manship was pulled and Glen Perkins took the mound for the Twins. Cliff Pennington hit a sacrifice fly to center field allowing Ellis to score giving the A’s a 5-0 lead. The game stayed quiet until the home half of the eighth inning. With one out, Denard Span singled to left field. Joe Mauer then doubled to right advancing Span to third. Brandon McCarthy was pulled out of the game and Jerry Blevins took the mound. The first hitter to face Blevins was Justin Morneau. Morneau grounded out to first allowing Span to score. Jim Thome stepped in a promptly hit a towering two run homer to center field. It was Thome’s 590th career home run. At the end of eight, the score was Oakland 5 Minnesota 3. The Twins sent in pitcher Jose Mijares who kept the Athletics from scoring in the top of the ninth. Oakland reliever Brian Fuentes came in for the bottom of the ninth. Fuentes set the Twins down in order to pick up his third save of the season and gave the A’s a 5-3 win over the Twins. For Brandon McCarthy, it was his first win as a member of the Oakland Athletics. McCarthy went 7.1 innings giving up nine hits, two runs (all earned), walked none and struck out five. Minnesota’s Scott Baker took his second loss of the season. The A’s will travel on to Chicago for a three game series that begins on Monday night. Dallas Braden is scheduled to go for Oakland and Mark Buerhle will start for the White Sox.