Athletics 6, Yankees 2
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Right-hander Sonny Gray threw eight strong innings, third baseman Brett Lawrie hit a two-run homer and the Oakland A's defeated the New York Yankees 6-2 on Friday night at the O.co Coliseum, winning back-to-back home games for the first time this season.
The A's have won 16 of their past 21 games against the Yankees overall and 11 of their past 12 meetings in Oakland.
Gray (6-2), who owns the American League's lowest ERA at 1.82, allowed two runs on four hits. He struck out five and walked two.
In his previous start, Gray took a come-backer off his right ankle in the fourth inning against Tampa Bay and was pulled after five shutout innings in a 7-2 victory. Gray's ankle appeared to be no issue against the Yankees.
First baseman Stephen Vogt went 2-for-3 and hit a two-run double in the A's four-run third inning. Designated hitter Billy Butler had an RBI double and scored a run in the third. Center fielder Billy Burns went 2-for-5 with a double and scored a run.
Lawrie homered for the second straight game against the Yankees, extending the A's lead to 6-2 in the eighth with his fourth blast of the season.
Yankees catcher Brian McCann extended his home run streak to four games with a solo shot in the fifth inning. He became just the second Yankee to homer as a catcher in four straight games since 1957, joining Mike Stanley, who accomplished the feat in 1993. McCann has at least one RBI in each of his past seven games.
Shortstop Didi Gregorius went 1-for-2 with a double, walked and scored a run for the Yankees.
Yankees left-hander Chris Capuano, making just his third start of the season, allowed four runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings and lost his third straight decision. Capuano opened the season on the disabled list with a strained right quadriceps and didn't make his debut until May 17.
The A's scored four runs in the third off Capuano, to take a 4-0 lead.
Burns lined a leadoff double and moved to third on shortstop Marcus Semien's single.
Second baseman Ben Zobrist hit a two-hopper that hit off the edge of the infield grass and shot through third baseman Chase Headley's legs for an error as Burns raced home.
Butler drilled a double off the left-field fence, driving in Semien to make it 2-0. Then Vogt lined a two-run double into the right-field corner.
McCann cut Oakland's lead to 4-1 in the fifth, hitting his eighth home run of the season. Gray got ahead 0-2, but McCann sent his slider over the right-center field fence. The Yankees pulled closer with a run in the fifth. Gregorius doubled to right-center with one out, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on center fielder Brett Gardner's ground out.
NOTES: Yankees RHP Masahiro Tanaka (right wrist tendinitis, mild right forearm strain) will be activated from the disabled list Wednesday and start that afternoon at Seattle. He'll throw 80 to 85 pitches. ... Yankees OF Slade Heathcott (strained right quadriceps) will be placed on the disabled list Saturday and could be out at least a month if the initial diagnosis of a Grade 2 strain is confirmed. ... Yankees OF Ramon Flores will be recalled Saturday from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and take Heathcott's spot on the 25-man roster. ... A's CF Coco Crisp (neck strain) will have a bone scan then receive an epidural injection on Monday in Los Angeles. He's expected to be shut down for at least another month before resuming baseball activities. ... A's RHP A.J. Griffin (Tommy John surgery in April 2014) will throw a bullpen session Saturday then make his first rehab start Tuesday for Class A Stockton. ... A's LHP Drew Pomeranz (sprained left AC joint) will begin a rehab assignment Sunday for Stockton. ... A's LHP Eric O'Flaherty will make his second rehab appearance Saturday for Stockton and is close to being activated.