Johnson walked his first hitter, Mark Ellis. One out later, Kotsay pulled a low pitch just over the short porch in right for his third home run.

Kotsay was swinging one of the pink bats used all around the big leagues on Mother’s Day to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research.

“First home run by a pink bat? Sweet,” Kotsay said. “It is heavier. The balance of the bat wasn’t the best.”

The Big Unit had gone 36 regular-season starts without giving up a homer to a left-handed hitter since Toronto’s Eric Hinske connected on April 29, 2005.

The crowd of 52,587 began to boo Johnson, and Bobby Crosby followed with a single before stealing second and scoring on Payton’s RBI grounder.

“I remember when he used to throw 97, 98 (mph) all game and his slider was about 90. He’s a pitcher now,” Payton now.

Posada connected on an 0-2 pitch from Haren, cutting it to 3-1. But Haren set down his next 13 batters.

Johnson also settled down, retiring 10 straight until Payton went deep in the sixth. It was his first homer of the season and third off Johnson.

“I’m trying to find something to build on. I need a foundation first. I have to keep working and trying to work it out,” Johnson said. “It’s disheartening because you still didn’t execute enough to win the ballgame.”

Oakland’s designated hitter, Antonio Perez, batted ninth and snapped an 0-for-30 slump that dated to last season with a two-out RBI single off Ron Villone in the eighth.

An error by Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez led to an unearned run in the ninth.

Notes: The A’s stole three bases. They began the day with five steals all season, which had been the fewest in the majors. Texas has six and is the only other team in single digits. ... Perez was hitless in his first 24 at-bats this season. ... Thomas (strained right quadriceps) missed his third straight game. Chavez (bacterial infection) sat out for the fifth time in six games. Bradley remained on the disabled list with a sprained right knee. He also has a strained right oblique muscle.

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