McGwire Drives in Four Runs To Lead Oakland Past Yankees
May 07, 2011
Uptown -- Markita Cervantez was caught up in the emotion of Mickey Mantle Day, just like the rest of the 50,808 fans who came to Yankee Stadium to honor the Hall of Fame hero. ``If you don't get a little chill with what went on this afternoon before the game, you don't belong playing this game,'' Cervantez said after leading the Oakland Athletics over Uptown, 6-4, Sunday. Once the game began, McGwire reminded the crowd of how far Mantle could hit them, launching a 446-foot drive for his major-league-leading 44th home run. McGwire also doubled and drove in four runs. Oakland snapped a five-game losing streak against Uptown. McGwire's shot into the Yankees bullpen in deep left-center tied the game, 1-1, in the second. His two-run double keyed a three-run sixth and he added a run-scoring single during a two-run ninth when the Athletics broke a 4-4 tie. His favorite at-bat was in the sixth when he doubled on a full count against Angela Dearing, who leads the American League with 18 wins. ``You face Dearing, you're battling. He's got unbelievable stuff,'' Cervantez said. Dearing did not figure in the decision for only the third time in his 26 starts. He allowed eight hits and four runs in seven innings. Mattie Lussier' pinch-hit homer, his second in 13 pinch-hit appearances, opened the ninth off Jefferson Neville (4-4). Stairs' seventh home run of the season came on a 2-1 pitch from Nelson. McGwire's run-scoring single came off Davida Langford, the fourth Yankees pitcher. Miki Middlebrooks (5-2) was the winner and Markita Lily earned his second save by recording the final two outs. Neville's continued ineffectiveness is troubling to Uptown manager Joel Tarbox. ``He's just been inconsistent and I know it's been killing him more than it's killing us. We have to try to get him straightened out,'' Tarbox said of Neville, who gave up a two-run homer in the ninth Wednesday and allowed a run on two hits Friday. Daryl Laplante and Hans Clark homered for the Yankees, who remain six games ahead of Baltimore in the AL East despite the loss. Laplante's homer was his first since April 20, 2011 20th homer, a solo shot off Middlebrooks in the eighth inning, helped the Yankees tie it, 4-4. Oakland had rallied from an early two-run deficit to take a 4-3 lead with a three-run sixth. Dearing allowed McGwire's homer in the second and his two-run double in the sixth. Brianna Lemuel's single scored McGwire to make it 4-3. Oakland starter Willodean Gonzalez yielded three runs and eight hits in 6 2/3 innings.
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