Blowers Hits For Cycle In A's Rout

Rounding first base in the eighth inning, Mike Blowers knew he needed to make it to third to complete the cycle.

"I've never seen him run that fast," Oakland teammate Scott Spiezio said.

Blowers did make it, going 4-for-5 with four RBIs Monday as the Athletics routed the Chicago White Sox 14-0.

"When I came around first, and I saw where the ball was, and I thought I was going to make it as long as I didn't fall down," said Blowers, who hit a liner into the right-field corner.

"I didn't think cycle until I was running to first base and I saw the ball slicing into the corner. I wasn't going to stop even if he cut that ball off. I was going to give it a shot. I don't hit too many triples, so the cycle part of it didn't even enter my mind."

Blowers, who has seven triples in 1,916 career at-bats, became only the second Oakland player to hit for the cycle. Tony Phillips did it at Baltimore on May 16, 1986.

Blowers homered off Mike Sirotka (5-4) leading off the second, flied out in the third, hit a two-run double in the fifth and singled in the seventh before getting his final hit.

He became the 218th player to hit for the cycle, the first since the Mets' John Olerud last Sept. 11, and the 99th in the AL.

"I've had a few cycles," Oakland manager Art Howe said. "Motorcycles."

Starting at third base in place of injured Dave Magadan, Blowers was 9-for-12 in the three-game series, including a game-tying grand slam Sunday, and drove in eight runs.

In addition to Blowers' big day, Spiezio hit his second grand slam of the season and Jimmy Haynes (3-1) pitched a six-hitter for his first career complete game.

Chicago, which wasted a five-run lead in Sunday's 9-7 loss to Oakland, was outscored 34-10 in the three-game sweep.

"As easy as it is to say we've put a loss like yesterday's behind us, it does have a carryover effect," White Sox manager Jerry Manuel said. "It's like a thunderstorm. You don't know if it will blow over or stick around for two or three days. I'm baffled by our pitching sometimes. And our hitting."

Spiezio connected off James Baldwin in the seventh for his third career slam.

"It's a freak thing for me," Spiezio said.

Haynes, making his 36th career start, struck out four and walked one. The 25-year-old right-hander had never before pitched past the eighth. His only challenge was keeping his balance against a 16 mph wind that gusted up to 21 mph.

"The wind gusts were knocking him off the mound," Howe said.

Sirotka allowed seven runs and 10 hits in 5 2-3 innings.

Blowers hit a long drive in the second and got the homer when the ball deflected over the fence off the glove of center fielder Mike Cameron, who tried for leaping catch.

Mike Macfarlane homered leading off the third, and Ben Grieve added an RBI groundout later in the inning. Blowers' double made it 5-0 in the fifth.

Macfarlane hit an RBI groundout in the sixth that scored Kurt Abbott, who rejoined the team Sunday after his wife gave birth to the couple's first child. Rickey Henderson added an RBI double for a 7-0 lead.

After a run-scoring error by first baseman Wil Cordero in the seventh, Spiezio hit his fifth homer of the season. Mark Bellhorn doubled in run in the eighth.

Notes: Spiezio hit a slam April 4 off New York's David Cone. Oakland has five this season. ... Oakland pitcher Kenny Rogers, who threw a perfect game on July 28, 1994 the first by an AL left-hander enjoyed watching David Wells' perfect game Sunday for the New York Yankees. "He has great stuff," said Rogers, who played with the Yankees last season. "`When his curve is on, he's as tough as anybody. I bet he had a good hook. I'm glad for him. They can't touch him now. George (Steinbrenner) has got to leave him alone." ... Oakland's Matt Stairs has a bruised elbow after being hit by a pitch Sunday. He did not start Monday. ... Manuel said Cordero missed Sunday's batting practice because of a "miscommunication," saying Cordero thought hitting was optional.

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