CLEVELAND, April 11 (UPI) -- Mark Ellis, Mike Sweeney and Donnie Murphy all drove in two runs Friday and the Oakland Athletics held off a Cleveland comeback to defeat the Indians 9-7.
Bobby Crosby had three hits and scored twice in Oakland's fourth straight victory.
Joe Blanton (1-2) gave up five runs on eight hits in 7 2/3 innings, but he got the win thanks to the Athletics' 15-hit attack.
Cleveland lost for the third time in four games.
C.C. Sabathia (0-2) coughed up nine runs on 12 hits in just 3 1/3 innings. His slow start to the season follows a 19-victory campaign in 2007. In three starts this season, Sabathia has given up 18 runs in 14 innings.
Oakland had a 9-0 lead going into the eighth, but Cleveland scored seven times in that inning.
After the Indians had cut the deficit to 9-6, rains forced a 59-minute halt in the action. Huston Street came on after the delay and gave up a seventh run on a wild pitch before finally recording the third out. Street then pitched a perfect ninth for his third save.
