Dodson celebrates Father's Day on Mets

A's bats stay alive in third straight double-digit victory, stay one game out of 1st

Billy Dodson celebrated father's day the best way he knows how, playing baseball with his sons at his side.

The longtime A's shortstop had a hit for every little Dodson in the house, banging out three hits and driving in four runs in the A's 17-3 victory that turned a battle for third place into a blowout. Dodson missed the previous game looking after grandfather, who is feeling better, and he A's were happy to have him back.

"Billy brings us an energy level that few can equal," A's manager Ryan Metcalfe said. "He's always making something happen and when it isn't with his feet or hands it is with his mouth making sure everyone is awake and having fun."

The A's broke their recent slump of slow starts with their first crooked number in the first inning since opening day, slapping four hits and scoring four runs to erase and early 1-0 deficit. Clinton Yeager walked and Ryan Metcalfe singled weakly to right before a solid RBI single by Dodson tied the game. He scored the go-ahead run on an RBI single y Brodie Nissen, who scored on a two-out double by Keith Lederer.

Nissen, Lederer and Dodson all had three hits. Lederer drove in three runs with three RBI hits. Nissen scored twice and drove in two and kept his bruise streak going, getting hit by a pitch.

The A's slowed after the four-run first and the Mets kept the game close scoring in the third and fifth to cut the A's lead to 5-3 in the fifth before the A's broke the game open with a four-run fifth. Rene Torres started the rally with a walk, Yeager followed with a single and Metcalfe reached on a fielder's choice before before Dodson hit a two-run double and Mike Mastro' hit an RBI triple.

Mastro' scored on an RBI grounder by Jon Breidinger, who didn't get a hit in four trips but still managed to add to his league-leading RBI total of 16 with a sac fly latter in the game.  Breidinger also showed he can perform as a starting pitcher, going four innings with eight strikeouts.

"He's still walking too many batter and ending most innings with the bases loaded, but how can I complain about that," Metcalfe said of the fellow lefty who tends to be both effectively wild and wildly effective.

The A's picked up two more runs in the sixth on an RBI single by Torres, who also walked twice and scored two runs. Kevin Kennedy, who singled and scored in the sixth, pitched three innings of relief, allowing one unearned run, two hits and one walk. Dodson closed out the game with two innings without allowing an earned run.

Brent Everett, who had a strikeout for every daughter at the game, busted out of his slump with a clean single in the A's five-run eighth.

It was the A's (5-1)  fourth straight win and third straight by double digits. The Mets appear headed in the opposite direction, losing their third straight after beginning the season 4-0.

Keith Lederer's two-out double gave the A's a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the first. He had three RBI hits in the game and also reached on an error and scored in the sixth.

Jon Breidinger makes a big kick before throwing home in his first start and 2nd win of the season.

Kevin Kennedy singled and scored twice as well as throwing three strong innings of relief.

Dodson- MVP