Athletics pounce Giants to snap three-game losing streak

SAN FRANCISCO - Gil Heredia can't explain why he has more success on the road. He won't question it either.

Heredia pitched 6 2-3 effective innings as the Oakland Athletics defeated the San Francisco Giants 6-2 Saturday to avoid a sweep and snap a three-game losing streak.

''I think it's just coincidence,'' said Heredia, who improved to 8-1 in 10 road starts this season. ''I feel more comfortable at home. It's just one of those things.''

The Athletics won for the first time at Pacific Bell Park after two losses. The Bay Area rivals split their six-game interleague series this season, and each has won 10 of the 20 regular-season games they've played.

Ramon Hernandez and Miguel Tejada hit consecutive home runs as the A's won for the fourth time in 14 games. Randy Velarde and Adam Piatt each had three hits.

''The pitchers have been doing a great job for us,'' Hernandez said. ''It's about time the offense got going. I hope we can keep it going.''

Heredia (10-7) allowed two runs on seven hits and one walk. He struck out six, including Barry Bonds three times, and won for the first time in six starts.

''Everyone knows Heredia knows how to pitch,'' Giants manager Dusty Baker said. ''He changes speeds and gets that first pitch strike. He didn't give us too many pitches to hit.''

Heredia, 3-0 in six career starts against the Giants, for whom he broke into the majors, couldn't explain his success against Bonds either.

''I watched some of the videos of the last time we played and we couldn't get him out,'' he said. ''Obviously he's one of the best and I just didn't want to upset him.''

Kirk Rueter (6-5) lost for the first time in eight starts after allowing three runs - two earned - on 11 hits in six innings.

''I should have started the game from the stretch,'' Rueter said. ''I was fortunate early. It could have been worse. I'd make one good pitch and two bad pitches.''

Ryan Christenson singled home Tejada to give the A's a 3-2 edge in the sixth. Tejada reached on an error by second baseman Jeff Kent.

Hernandez hit a two-run homer off reliever Aaron Fultz in the eighth, and Tejada followed with his 16th homer for a 6-2 lead.

''We needed this win to get some momentum going,'' A's manager Art Howe said.

Jason Giambi gave the A's a 1-0 lead with an RBI double in the first. Velarde singled with one out and scored when Giambi drove a ball to the wall in right field. Giambi tried to stretch the hit into a triple, but was thrown out by Ellis Burks.

Olmedo Saenz singled home Velarde in the third for a 2-0 lead. Oakland loaded the bases with two outs, but Hernandez flied out to Bonds to end the threat.

Burks hit his 11th home run with two outs in the fourth. The Giants tied it in the fifth when Rueter hit a two-out double, his first extra-base hit of the season, and Marvin Benard singled him home.

Notes:

The A's announced that RHP Ariel Prieto will be recalled to start Monday's game in Colorado. ... The Giants reached 1,841,850 in attendance Saturday (45 home dates). It's already the seventh largest single-season total since the team moved to San Francisco in 1958. ... A's RHP Chad Harville has yet to make an appearance since being recalled from the minors on July 3. ... Piatt, normally a third baseman, played in the outfield for the first time in the majors.