Johnson hit hard again

NEW YORK -- Everybody is hitting Randy Johnson hard lately, from proven sluggers such as Frank Thomas to little-known substitutes like Antonio Perez and Mike Rouse.

Thomas hit one of Oakland's three homers off a struggling Johnson, and the Athletics held off the New York Yankees, 6-5, after a long rain delay last night.

"I was fighting myself and fighting the strike zone a little bit," Johnson said. "I didn't have much."

Bobby Kielty and Perez also connected, sending the A's to their seventh win in nine games. Rouse went 3 for 3 with a stolen base and two runs in his big league debut as Oakland roughed up Johnson with a depleted lineup missing injured infielders Eric Chavez, Bobby Crosby, and Mark Ellis.

``We've got a bunch of gamers and grinders," Athletics manager Ken Macha said.

Dan Haren (5-5) beat The Big Unit at Yankee Stadium for the second time in less than a month, improving to 3-0 with a 2.76 ERA in five career starts vs. New York.

Jason Giambi hit a three-run homer and Derek Jeter (thumb) returned to the lineup as the designated hitter for the Yankees, but they dropped their second straight at home and fell out of first place in the AL East, a half-game behind Boston.

Barking at plate umpire Chad Fairchild when he didn't get close calls, Johnson (7-5) gave up six runs -- five earned -- and six hits in four innings. He walked five, including four in a 46-pitch fourth inning that lasted more than 20 minutes, and committed a balk.

``I think that's when I lost my focus and put a little bit of focus on the umpire," Johnson said.

Kielty opened the inning with his first home run of the season. Perez was 1 for 33 this year when he stepped to the plate, but he teed off for a two-run shot to left -- his first homer since July 6 with the Dodgers at Colorado.

Nick Swisher added a shallow sacrifice fly to right -- Rouse scored easily thanks to a poor throw by Bernie Williams.

Johnson, who was 2-0 in his previous four starts since a May 14 loss to Oakland, has a 5.63 ERA. He has allowed 15 homers in 14 starts, including 10 in his last six outings. ``It just didn't look like he had any pop. For the most part, it looked like he was forcing it," manager Joe Torre said.