Eric Chavez drove in both runs with a first inning single and a seventh inning sacrifice fly, lifting the Oakland Athletics to a 2-1 win over the Minnesota Twins in American League play yesterday in Oakland.

Daren Haren pitched six shutout innings and five Oakland pitchers in all combined on a seven-hitter to keep the A’s in second place in the AL West, despite a sub-.500 record (26-30). Haren allowed just three hits with six strikeouts and two walks and left after six innings with a 1-0 lead.

However, Jason Kubel hit a run-scoring single in the seventh inning off reliever Kiko Calero to tie the score, with Ryan Keisler and Brad Halsey both needed to pitch out of the seventh inning. Halsey (2-2) recorded two outs in the seventh and got credit for the win before Huston Street pitched two shutout innings, the eighth and ninth, to close the game out for his ninth save, completing a seven-hitter.

Oakland manager Ken Macha gave credit to Street for the win, as his closer has battled through some problems all season.

“It was a big day for Street,” Macha told reporters. “He’s had his bumps in the road. Hopefully this will get him back to what he did for us last year.” Jason Kendall had two hits for the A’s, who had eight hits, before they turned to Street for his longest outing of the year.

“It just so happened that he had to get all six of the outs,” Macha said. “We give up the lead, we’re in big trouble.”

Brad Radke (4-7) pitched seven strong innings for the Twins, but was still charged with his third straight loss despite allowing just two runs—one earned—on eight hits. He struck out one and walked two. Joe Mauer and Kubel both had two hits for the Twins, who will try to salvage a split of the four-game series with a win in Sunday’s series finale.

Jesse Crain finished up by pitched a scoreless eighth inning for the Twins, who are 25-30 overall and 2-4 so far on their 10-day road trip.

In Baltimore, Johnny Damon homered in the 10th inning to lift the injury-riddled New York Yankees past the Orioles 6-5.

In the National League in New York, Aramis Ramirez hit a grand slam home run and Phil Nevin hit a two-run homer in his first start with Chicago as the Cubs downed the St. Louis Cardinals 8-5 in National League play yesterday in St. Louis.

It was a bad day all around for the Cardinals, who lost slugger Albert Pujols with a strained right oblique muscle. Pujols, who leads the major leagues in home runs with 25 and RBI 65, pulled up and grabbed his right side after chasing a foul pop by Ramirez in the second inning.

He left the game and the club said he would be re-evaluated on Sunday, but the early prognosis did not look promising. “He’s going to miss a significant period of time,” St. Louis manager Tony LaRussa told reporters. “Anywhere from little significant to real significant. We can’t tell for another 18-24 (hours). But it’s something we’ve got to deal with.”

Ramirez hit his grand slam in the fourth and Ronny Cedeno added a run-scoring single later in the inning to highlight a five-run Chicago outburst that erased an early 1-0 Cards lead off starter Mark Mulder. Mulder (5-4) allowed eight runs - five of them earned - on 12 hits over 6 2/3 innings, striking out one and walking two.

Pujols’ injury dominated the conversation after the game, however, and LaRussa told reporters he hoped for a short absence. “If you told me right now he’d be out two weeks, I’d buy you dinner the rest of the year,” LaRussa added.

Nevin followed with his blast in the fourth and that was all the offense the Cubs would need to record their second straight win over the Cardinals in the three-game series. The Cubs pounded out 13 hits, with Michael Barrett and Jacque Jones each having three hits, with Barrett scoring a pair of runs and Jones scoring once.

Glendon Rusch (2-5) pitched five innings in his return to the starting rotation, allowing three runs on four hits with five strikeouts and two walks. Three relievers finished up, including Bob Howry, who got the final out for his first save.

Cedeno and Matt Murton each added two hits for the Cubs, who are just 22-32 overall, but have a 6-2 record against St. Louis this season.

Yadier Molina had two hits and drove in three runs for the NL Central leading Cardinals, while Juan Encarnacion also had two of his team’s seven hits.

In Los Angeles, Brad Penny pitched a one-hitter over six scoreless innings as the Dodgers trounced the Philadelphia Phillies 8-2.

Penny (6-1) struck out seven and walked four and two relievers completed a two-hitter for the Dodgers, who stayed in the thick of the NL West race thanks to Penny's fourth straight win.

Matt Kemp hit a two-run homer for the Dodgers.