OAKLAND, Calif. -- Hideki Matsui produced three hits in a game for the second time this season as the New York Yankees beat Barry Zito and the Oakland Athletics 4-3 Wednesday.
Matsui, who saw his average surge to .319 after 27 games, singled in the second, the eight and the ninth and drew a walk against Zito in the sixth at Network Associates Coliseum.
Alex Rodriguez hit a solo homer off Arthur Rhodes (0-1) in the ninth to tie the game at 3-all before Tony Clarke, the 25th player on the Yankees' roster, doubled for the go-ahead run, lifting New York to its eighth straight victory.