OAKLAND, California (Ticker) -- Giving Barry Zito a nine-run lead at home against the Texas Rangers is about as close to a sure thing as baseball gets.
Zito recorded his first shutout in nearly two years and Erubiel Durazo homered and drove in three runs as the Oakland Athletics rolled to a 9-0 victory over the Rangers.
Zito had his 10-game regular season winning streak snapped in his previous start but bounced back Friday. He posted his first shutout since August 20, 2001 and improved to 22-1 in his last 31 starts at Network Associates Coliseum.
The reigning American League Cy Young Award winner is 9-0 in 12 career starts against the Rangers.
"He pitched good once again. He seems to always do that against us," Texas slugger Rafael Palmerio said. "He threw a shutout, that's special."
"I don't know," Zito said when asked to explain his success against Texas. "They have a great hitting team. It's not that they're a weak team at all. They're one of the best as far as I'm concerned and I just bear down when I get out there and I have my good stuff when I face them I guess."
Zito allowed just six hits and a walk while striking out six. It was his first complete game since August 8, 2002.
Zito (3-1) retired the first 11 batters he faced before running into trouble. He loaded the bases with two outs in the fourth, but got Palmerio to pop out to end the threat.
"Zito turned in a pretty awesome performance," Oakland manager Ken Macha said. "He went through their lineup, retiring the first 11 batters. He used his fastball and changeup effectively and really didn't use his curve until the fifth inning."
Zito allowed just two singles thereafter until the ninth, when he gave up a one-out single to Juan Gonzalez, who went to third on Ruben Sierra's double. But Zito struck out Palmeiro and retired Todd Greene on a flyout to complete his fourth career shutout.
"(Palmerio has) hit me fairly well and I really wanted to obviously get him out and shut the door," Zito said. "I lost a shutout in the ninth to them two years ago and it's not a good feeling."
The Athletics had four doubles in a five-run first inning against Rangers starter John Thomson, highlighted by Durazo's two-run drive into left-center field.
"That was huge. For us to get some runs, that took the pressure off me. I could just go out, do my job, and make pitches," Zito said. "I try to focus on no lead. I've got to go out there and make pitches regardless of the score and it just so happened tonight, we got some runs."
Scott Hatteberg began the rout with a one-out double before Miguel Tejada reached on a throwing error by rookie third baseman Mark Teixeira. Eric Chavez followed with a double to plate Hatteberg for a 1-0 lead.
"I don't really pay attention to guys making errors behind me because things like that are going to happen," Thomson said. "As far as a pitcher, I throw the ball and all I've got control over is making a pitch. What happens after that is what happens."
Durazo made it 3-0 with his double and scored on a single by Terrence Long. Ramon Hernandez followed with an RBI double for a 5-0 cushion.
Long and Hernandez hit back-to-back homers off Thomson to open the fourth as Oakland won for just the second time in eight games.
Thomson (0-2) was shelled for eight runs - three earned - and eight hits in just 3 2/3 innings.
Durazo capped the scoring with one out in the fifth, driving an 0-2 pitch from reliever Esteban Yan over the right-center field wall.
