By Morris Phillips

OAKLAND–Mark Kotsay promised enthusiasm would be his greatest currency in what has proved to be a trying, first season as manager of the A’s.

On Saturday, Adrian Martinez matched that enthusiasm and carried into Sunday’s series finale with the Yankees.

The 25-year old rookie shut down the AL East-leading Yankees into the sixth inning, and the A’s made two, first inning runs stand up in their 4-1 win. Martinez, making his fourth appearance in Oakland this season each time summoned from Triple-A Las Vegas was impressive, mixing pitches and changing speeds to fluster the New York lineup for a second straight day.

“When I saw Adrian last night, he had a big smile on his face,” Kotsay said. “This kid just seems to feed off big environments or the Triple-A numbers don’t show how he’s able to go out and perform here. He did that today against one of the best lineups in the league.”

Aaron Judge, the Major League leader in WAR (7.4) and home runs (49) was transformed into Martinez’ poster child, striking out twice, both times on just three pitches. Judge finished the day 0 for 4.

“Got a lot of swings and misses on the changeup and threw strikes with his fastball,” Kotsay said.

The win didn’t prevent the A’s (48-81) from mathematical elimination from the AL West crown (the earliest they’ve been eliminated in Oakland history) but it did open the door to the possibility that Martinez could earn a regular turn in the rotation down the stretch. His door was opened by Kotsay’s decision to move Zach Logue to the bullpen.

“I’m going to keep on working and continuing to work will hopefully allow me to continue to be with the team,” Martinez said with the aid of an interpreter.

Meanwhile the Yankees ended a week of bi-coastal ups and downs highlighted by desperately-needed wins over the Mets on Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by 18 innings of one-hit offense against A’s pitching starting with the final innings on Friday night. Yankees fans and manager Aaron Boone glossed over the five-game win streak the Gothams squeezed in and fretted over their one-series win (Mets, two games) in their last eight series.

“We should be able to put together more offense,” Boone said. “We got to if we’re going to be the kind of team we expect to be.”

A’s 20-GAME WIN STREAK REUNION: The 2002 A’s might not be the biggest fans of “Moneyball” the movie dramatizing the team and the organization with the 20-game streak being the film’s dramatic apex, but they are fans of each other and what they accomplished.

“I tell people this all the time, and all of us are in the same boat, we all won the lifetime lottery ticket,” said Rick Peterson, that team’s pitching coach.

Approximately half of the 2002 squad and many of the coaches were present for the reunion prior to Sunday’s game and the invitation-only meet-and-greet. Manager Art Howe, players Dave Justice and Scott Hatteberg, among the biggest personalities from the movie spoke to the assembled. Justice voiced his displeasure with how Howe was portrayed in the movie.

One of the team’s biggest stars, Miguel Tejada who departed for Baltimore after the 2003 season, was especially jazzed to be in the Coliseum and revisit his professional roots.

“This is the team that gave me the opportunity to come from the Dominican,” he said. “I played my first game in this stadium. Walking here makes me proud.”

Cory Lidle, who died tragically in a 2006 plane crash in which he was the pilot, and Jeremy Giambi, who committed suicide less than a year ago, were fondly remembered.