=== Oakland Athletics Team Report - June 4 ===

(My Sportsbook) - The Oakland Athletics will try and even up their three-game series with the Florida Marlins this evening when the two teams play the second portion of the three-game interleague set at Pro Player Stadium.

Oakland suffered its worst loss of the season on Tuesday, as it was pounded 13-2 by the Marlins in the first-ever meeting between the two teams. Adam Melhuse homered and Eric Chavez chipped in a run-scoring double for the Athletics, who had their two-game winning streak stopped. Eric Byrnes went 0- for-4 in the setback and saw his 22-game hitting streak come to an end.

Mark Mulder (8-3) suffered the loss in his worst outing of the season and his worst setback in nearly two years, as the lefty was reached for eight runs and 12 hits over 3 2/3 innings.

Righthander Tim Hudson, who is coming off his worst start of the year in his last outing, will attempt to get the A's back on track tonight. Hudson, 4-2 with a 3.20 ERA on the year, allowed nine runs - six earned - on 10 hits in just 3 2/3 innings of his team's 11-6 loss to Kansas City on Friday.

It was the 27-year-old hurler's shortest outing since lasting three innings at Texas on Sept. 19, 2001. The nine runs allowed matched a career high - set May 4, 2002, against Chicago -- and swelled his ERA from 2.68 to 3.20.

This will be his first appearance against the Marlins.

The A's have compiled a major league best record of 66-39 (.629) in interleague games since 1997 and were 16-2 (.889) versus the Senior Circuit last year, setting an interleague record for most wins and best winning percentage.

Oakland shortstop Miguel Tejada has played in 488 consecutive games, the longest streak in the majors. Teammate Terrence Long has appeared in 455 consecutive games, the second longest streak in the majors.