OAKLAND, Calif. — Kurt Suzuki hit a three-run homer, Dallas Braden outdueled CC Sabathia and the Oakland Athletics overcame the Yankees' first triple play since 1968 to beat New York 4-2 Thursday.
The A's managed only four hits but benefited from a career high-tying six walks by Sabathia (2-1) while ending their season-high, three-game losing streak.
Braden (3-0) scattered six hits over six innings. He also engaged in a heated exchange with Yankees star Alex Rodriguez while leaving the field — it was not clear what they argued about, but Braden threw his glove against a wall and kicked a stack of paper cups when he went into the dugout.
Rodriguez then helped the Yankees turn an around-the-horn triple play moments later.
Braden had to be restrained by manager Bob Geren after jawing with Rodriguez following Robinson Cano's double-play grounder that ended the top of the sixth.
Braden yelled over his right shoulder as he stepped across the third base line and Rodriguez yelled back. The two kept screaming at each other until Geren came out and walked Braden off the field.
The A's quickly put runners on first and second in the bottom of the sixth and Kurt Suzuki hit a sharp grounder to Rodriguez, who stepped on third base and threw to Cano at second. Cano's relay to first baseman Nick Johnson barely beat Suzuki.
The Yankees had gone 6,632 consecutive regular-season games without a triple play. Their last one came on June 3, 1968, with first baseman Mickey Mantle catching the final out on a ball hit by Minnesota's John Roseboro.
It was a key win for the A's, who were sputtering offensively after a 9-4 start. They did it by getting to Sabathia early then holding off the Yankees' comeback bid to avoid being swept by New York for the first time since 2005.
Brad Ziegler pitched two innings and Andrew Bailey worked the ninth for his second save.
Suzuki's three-run homer off Sabathia in the first was the big blow, but it was Oakland's pitching that shut the door on the Yankees.
Braden gave up solo home runs to Marcus Thames and Mark Teixeira but didn't allow another New York runner past second base. The lefty struck out two and walked two,
Oakland added an insurance run in the fourth on Adam Rosales' sacrifice fly.
Sabathia, who grew up in Vallejo, 30 miles north of Oakland, gave up only four hits in eight innings but was charged with all four A's runs.
Notes
Oakland OF Travis Buck was placed on the 15-day DL with a strained right oblique muscle he injured while taking extra batting practice Wednesday. OF Matt Carson, who was called up from Triple-A Sacramento to take Buck's roster spot, started in left field and went 0-for-3. … A's LHP Jerry Blevins (lower back) is day-to-day. … A's RHP Joey Devine, already on the DL while recovering from right elbow surgery, had a setback, according to Oakland manager Bob Geren, and the team is awaiting results on an MRI test on the reliever. … Geren said RHP Michael Wuertz is feeling a "dead arm" during his extended spring training and is not yet ready to return to the big league club.