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  Sunday, Jul. 23 4:05pm ET
Mulder's gem lifts Mulder
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME LOG

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Rookie Mark Mulder followed up his worst outing of the year by pitching 7 2/3 scoreless innings, and Randy Velarde hit a two-run homer as the Oakland Athletics defeated the Anaheim Angels 5-0 on Sunday.

Mulder (6-6) had lost each of his last four starts, including allowing 10 runs in four innings on Tuesday at Colorado. He hadn't won a game since June 25 against Kansas City.

He allowed six hits and struck out five before being pulled with two on and two outs in the eighth. Mike Magnante got Garrett Anderson to ground out to end the threat. Jason Isringhausen finished the six-hitter.

Mulder allowed just two hits through his first four innings, a double to Mo Vaughn in the first and a double to Anderson in the fourth.

Mulder's next two innings were shaky. With two outs in the fifth, Edgard Clemente singled then went to third on Darin Erstad's blooper to shallow left. But Mulder struck out Kevin Stocker to end the threat.

With runners on first and third and one out in the sixth, Mulder got Troy Glaus to hit into an inning-ending double play.

The Angels had homered in 13 straight games before Sunday.

Velarde put the A's up 2-0 in the first inning with his eighth home run of the season, scoring Terrence Long, who singled.

Miguel Tejada hit an RBI single off Ken Hill (5-6) in the third inning, and Jason Giambi added a sacrifice to right in the fourth to put the A's up 4-0.

Giambi added a solo home run, his 24th homer, off reliever Al Levine with two outs in the sixth inning.

Hill allowed four runs and 10 hits in 4 1-3 innings.

The A's and Angels remain tangled in a close race for second place in the AL West, behind division leader Texas. The A's have struggled of late, losing 14 of their last 22 games, but remain a game ahead of Anaheim. Oakland plays seven of its next 10 games at home.

Game notes
Vaughn has been hit by a pitch in three of the last four games. He was hit by Mulder to lead off the sixth. ... With his single in the fifth, Erstad has 161 hits through 99 games, keeping him on pace to beat George Sisler's all-time season mark of 257 hits set in 1920. ... The A's put together three consecutive games without an error for the first time this season.

 


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