Athletics 4, Yankees 3
Josh Willingham and Hideki Matsui homered as the visiting Oakland Athletics snapped an 11-game losing streak to the New York Yankees with a 4-3 triumph on Saturday afternoon.
Jemile Weeks and Conor Jackson added two hits apiece for the A’s, who bounced back after giving up 17 runs in Friday’s blowout loss.
Willingham increased his trade value in the third inning, driving a 2-1 offering from A.J. Burnett into the bullpen in left-center field for his 13th homer, giving Oakland a 2-1 lead.
Burnett (8-8) held the A’s off the board again until the sixth, when he allowed a two-out single and then walked a pair to load the bases before being removed. Cory Wade came on and yielded an RBI single to Weeks to push it to 3-1.
Rich Harden (2-1) worked into the sixth for Oakland, striking out six and walking four. The righthander was lifted after surrendering a mammoth solo blast to Nick Swisher that hit off the facing of the upper deck down the right field line.
Three relievers bridged the gap to Andrew Bailey, who allowed a run in the ninth but still picked up his 11th save.