Beltran powers Yankees past A's, 5-3

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) After struggling in April, Carlos Beltran started taking a more aggressive approach to hitting and has been blooming in May.

Beltran had three RBIs, including a go-ahead, two-run homer in the sixth, Brian McCann and Chase Headley each also drove in a run and the New York Yankees ended a four-game losing streak in Oakland, beating the Athletics 5-3 Saturday night.

''I'm just getting better results,'' Beltran said. ''Sometimes I have been too passive at the plate, so my mentality is to hit. If I'm too patient, it puts me in a hole.''

After hitting .162 in the first month, Beltran has turned it on this month. He's hitting .308 in May and slammed his fifth homer, all since May 10. He's driven in 14 of his 21 RBIs this month.

''Sometimes it takes a while to get going,'' Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. ''He's feeling good about his swing and came out of it. He kept working at it and now you're just seeing Carlos.''

McCann drove in a run in his eighth straight to help the Yankees win their fourth in six games. Headley had three hits and Alex Rodriguez hit safely in his ninth straight, and in his last 14 starts.

Josh Reddick had three hits and drove in a run for the A's, who had a two-game win streak snapped. The A's have still won five of their last eight following a four-game losing streak. Billy Butler and Marcus Semien drove in runs.

''Early on you look up there and I think we had seven hits and no runs, and that's hard to do,'' A's manager Bob Melvin said. ''One extra base hit maybe breaks it open a little bit more. We were getting good at-bats; we were getting our share of hits, but just not to the point where we're knocking runs in early.''

Jesse Hahn (2-5), who threw his first complete-game and shutout in his last start, gave up four runs - three earned - and seven hits over six innings. He walked one and struck out four.

Chasen Shreve (2-1) struck out all four batters he faced to earn the win. Andrew Miller pitched the ninth for his 15th consecutive save.

Yankees starter Nathan Eovaldi lasted 4 2/3 innings, allowing three runs and 11 hits. He did not walk a batter and struck out two.

Beltran added an RBI single in the eighth.

OPENING ACT

Outfielder Ramon Flores made a splash in the field in his major-league debut, making a diving catch and throwing a runner out at the plate.

Flores, on his first major league chance, threw out Semien trying to score in the first and then robbed Eric Sogard with a diving catch in the fourth.

''It was exciting for me those two plays,'' Flores said. ''That's the way I played in Triple-A. I try to enjoy the game.''

TRAINER'S ROOM

Yankees: RHP Chris Martin (right elbow) threw a scoreless inning with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Saturday, his first rehab appearance. He threw 14 pitches, nine for strikes. ... OF Slade Heathcott (right quad strain) was placed on the disabled list 10 days after making his major league debut.

Athletics: LHP Eric O'Flaherty (strained left shoulder) allowed an unearned run on one hit in one inning with the Single-A Stockton Ports in his first rehab appearance. ... LHP Sean Doolittle (left shoulder sprain) returned to the disabled list three days after making his season debut.

UP NEXT

Yankees: RHP Adam Warren (3-3, 3.91) will start against the Athletics in the series finale Sunday. He's thrown three consecutive quality starts.

Athletics: RHP Jesse Chavez (1-5, 2.44) hopes his luck begins to change as he has the lowest run support (1.20) in the majors since his first start on April 23 and has received no run support in four of his first seven starts.