Yankees Throw One Away

Jason Isringhausen and the Oakland bullpen put a clean ending to a cluttered game.

T.J. Mathews, Jeff Tam and Isringhausen combined on four innings of one-hit relief and the Athletics, taking advantage of yet another throwing error by Chuck Knoblauch, rallied past the New York Yankees 7-4 Tuesday night.

After two neat days at Yankee Stadium the Pedro Martinez-Roger Clemens duel and Andy Pettitte's two-hitter this one was messy from the start. Kevin Appier and Ramiro Mendoza combined to walk 11 in the first five innings, and neither side was retired in order until the seventh.

There were a total of 13 walks and 22 runners left on base.

"I thought it was beautiful," A's manager Art Howe joked. "The Mona Lisa, as far as I was concerned."

Knoblauch, Derek Jeter and Tino Martinez hit solo home runs off Appier (5-3).

Randy Velarde, who made an unassisted triple play and homered for the Athletics a day earlier, had a double and single and walked twice. He drove in a run, scored one and stole a base, and Terrence Long scored three times.

Mendoza (5-3), who shut out Chicago in his previous start, took a 4-2 lead into the fifth but walked Velarde and Jason Giambi starting the inning. Ben Grieve followed with a potential double-play grounder to second, and Knoblauch had trouble getting the ball out of his glove before making a low throw that pulled Jeter off the bag.

"I could've caught it, I should've caught it," Jeter said.

Knoblauch's throwing woes have been a constant source of concern for the Yankees, and he recently said perhaps joking, perhaps not

that he would retire if they persisted. The one-time Gold Glove winner had nine assists Monday against the A's, and turned double plays in the first two innings Tuesday night.

"It's not one of those errors you chalk up to the throwing problems," Yankees manager Joe Torre said.

After Knoblauch's throw loaded the bases, Olmedo Saenz had an RBI grounder and Matt Stairs hit a two-run single for a 5-4 lead. That finished Mendoza, who walked a career-high six.

Stairs had been mentioned in trade talks involving the Yankees.

"I heard a rumor today," he said. "As of right now, I'm in the green and gold."

Appier was constantly pitching in and out of trouble. He escaped bases-loaded jams in the second and third innings without any runs scoring.

The Yankees stranded 11, and were just 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Jorge Posada walked four times for New York.

Grieve hit an RBI double in the sixth for a 6-4 lead and singled home a run in the eighth.

Appier left after giving up Knoblauch's leadoff double in the bottom half. The Oakland relievers took over after that opponents are batting only .182 (10-for-55) against them in the last six games.

"Their bullpen came in and did a great job," Jeter said.

Said Appier: "I feel fortunate to get a win. I was having trouble tonight with my consistency."

Knoblauch hit his 28th career leadoff home run. Jeter opened the second with his first home run since April 18, but thinning ended when Knoblauch grounded into a double play with the bases loaded.

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