By DANIEL DULLUM
Sports Radio Service
Thursday, June 5, 2014

The Oakland Athletics got their first look at rookie pitching sensation Masahiro Tanaka Thursday, and the 25-year-old righthander handcuffed them for a 2-1 win at Yankee Stadium.

Tanaka (9-1) gave up one run on five hits, struck out four and walked one over six innings, as the victory snapped a four-game skid for the Bronx Bombers while ending the A’s five-game winning streak.

Tanaka finished the game with an AL-leading 2.02 ERA while giving up only one run on a solo homer by John Jaha in the first inning.

Drew Pomerantz (5-3) took the loss. Pomerantz surrendered a leadoff home run to Brett Gardner in the third inning that put the Yankees ahead to stay.

David Robertson wiggled out of trouble in the ninth for his 13th save. Oakland’s Stephen Vogt hit a one-out single, and pinch-runner Craig Gentry stole second. Alberto Callaspo followed with a hard ground ball off Robertson’s leg. Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira plucked the carom and flipped to Robertson, covering first, for the second out.

Pinch-hitter Derek Norris struck out to end the game.

Earlier, in the top of the eighth, the Yanks brought in old nemesis Ichiro Suzuki to play right field for defensive purposes. With runners on first and second with one out, Suzuki made a sliding catch on a sinking liner by Brandon Moss. New York reliever Adam Warren struck out Yoenis Cespedes to snuff out the rally.

The Yanks’ Jacoby Ellsbury almost had a two-run homer in the first inning on a drive to the top of the right-field wall. After the umpires ruled it a home run, A’s manager Bob Melvin challenged the ruling and the hit was reversed to a double.

New York tied the game at 1-1 in the second when Alfonso Soriano snapped an 0-for-16 slump with an RBI single. Soriano drove in Brian McCann, who singled and moved to second on an error.

A’s ACORNS: Before Jaha’s blast, Tanaka had gone five starts without surrendering a home run. … Cespedes served as the A’s designated hitter Thursday. Melvin said he was working through some shoulder issues. … Prior to the game, seven veterans of the D-Day Invasion were honored at home plate, and a moment of silence was held for Don Zimmer, who died Wednesday at 83. Zimmer, who came to the majors as an infielder for the Brooklyn Dodgers, was a long-time bench coach with the Yankees for Hall of Fame manager Joe Torre. … Oakland selected 3B Mike Chapman of Cal State-Fullerton and RHP Daniel Gossett of Clemson in the first two rounds, respectively, of the MLB First-Year Player Draft. Chapman was the 25th player taken overall, while Gossett was No. 65.