OAKLAND, Calif. — Barry Zito got his league-leading 22nd victory and Ray Durham hit a tiebreaking, three-run homer as the Oakland Athletics moved into a tie for the AL West lead with Anaheim, defeating the Angels 7-4 on Wednesday night.

        Eric Chavez and Jermaine Dye hit back-to-back homers to nearly the same spot in center field off Mickey Callaway (1-1) in Oakland's six-run fourth. Durham hit his shot to left-center off reliever Dennis Cook later in the inning.

        Mark Ellis added a solo homer in the second and scored twice for the A's, who lost 1-0 in 10 innings Tuesday.

        The Angels had won seven of eight and 17 of 19. The teams play Thursday afternoon in the finale of this four-game series.

        Billy Koch pitched the ninth for his 40th save in 46 opportunities a night after giving up a game-winning homer to Tim Salmon in the 10th.

        Zito (22-5) was tested in all but one of his 5 1-3 innings, one start after pitching a near no-hitter. He faced five batters in the first inning, four in the second, six in the third and seven in the fourth before getting a 1-2-3 fifth.

        Zito allowed four runs and seven hits, striking out four and walking four.

        The left-hander had pitched a one-hit shutout in his last outing, a 5-0 win Friday over the Seattle Mariners in which he did not give up a hit until the eighth.

        Anaheim's Darin Erstad had four hits, an RBI and a run scored. Benji Gil, filling in for regular second baseman Adam Kennedy, went 3-for-3 with two doubles, a run scored and an RBI. Kennedy came in to pinch-hit in the eighth and stayed in the game.

        Zito fell behind 1-0 in the first after allowing a leadoff walk to David Eckstein, a single to Erstad and a sacrifice fly by Salmon.

        The A's then saved a run in the second. With Scott Spiezio aboard on a walk, Gil hit a double that rolled to the wall in right.

        Dye, playing in right field, relayed to Ellis at second, whose throw home was just in time for catcher Greg Myers to tag a sliding Spiezio.

        Ellis tied the game at 1 with his homer in the second. The Angels scored a single run in the third and two more in the fourth.

        Callaway has not been effective against Oakland. He faced the A's for the first time last Thursday, a 7-6 Oakland win in which he left trailing 5-3.

       Notes: The A's hit back-to-back home runs for the sixth time this season. They last did it July 31 at Cleveland, also by Chavez and Dye. With Durham's shot, it marked the third time this year the A's have had three or more homers in an inning. They had four in the third against Chicago on April 27 and three in the third May 29 vs. Baltimore. ... Gil entered the game hitting .235 (4-for-17) against Zito. ... The Angels bullpen came into the game having allowed only five earned runs in its last 55 innings pitched, spanning 18 games. ... Zito is 8-3 in 12 starts vs. Anaheim. ... RHP Francisco Rodriguez made his major league debut for Anaheim.

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