Thursday, September 25, 2014
Sports News

Angels take series finale with A's

Send a link to a friend  Share

[September 25, 2014]  OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Oakland A's had to like their chances Wednesday against the Los Angeles Angels in the finale of their three-game series.

The A's had left-hander Jon Lester on the mound, fresh off his third straight victory and his sixth win since being traded by Boston to Oakland.

The Angels countered with left-hander Hector Santiago, who lasted a combined three innings in his past two starts, allowing 10 runs and 12 hits.

Of course, little has gone as expected for the A's in the past six weeks as they watched the Angels shoot past them to win the American League West.

Santiago pitched 5 1/3 shutout innings, second baseman Howie Kendrick drove in three runs and the Angels withstood a furious rally Wednesday to hold off the A's 5-4 at O.co Coliseum.

The A's (86-72) remain tied for the American League wild-card lead with the the Kansas City Royals, who lost to the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday night. The A's and Royals hold a three-game lead over the Seattle Mariners in the race for the final two AL playoff berths. Oakland, Kansas City and Seattle all have four games left.

The A's lost two of three to the Angels in their final homestand and will finish the regular season with four games at Texas.



"Once you make it to the playoffs, everything changes, the whole mood, the whole negativity with the way we've been playing, trying to find who we are again," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "All that would go away if you get to the playoffs, I believe. So we're trying to fight our way there.

"We played some complete games but not strung several in a row together. That's been a problem for us. It wasn't a problem for us earlier in the year.

"Right now, we're trying to find that. It's a difficult period to try to find it because everybody's pressing a little bit, everybody wants to be the guy. We want to go where we had planned to go, so there's a little more at stake as far as trying to find who we are again."

The Angels, who clinched the AL West last week, remained 2 1/2 games ahead of Baltimore in the race to finish with the best record and secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

"I think these guys have been terrific," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "What they've done the last 60 games, they've just been incredible. These guys have played hard, they've played long and they've played well, and it's fun to watch."

Santiago (6-9) gave up only three hits while striking out three and walking two.

"I forgot about them, now everyone else can forget about them," Santiago said of his previous two nightmare starts.

Lester (16-11) gave up five runs (three earned) and eight hits in seven innings, striking out seven and walking none.

"I think we're all fighting just to make it," Lester said. "Maybe that (would) give everybody kind of a refresher almost where everybody's back at zero, they're not worried about numbers or where their ERAs are at or anything like that. Yeah, maybe, but we got to get there first."

Kendrick went 2-for-4 with a double. Angels center fielder Mike Trout was 1-for-2, stole his 16th base and scored a run, but he left the game after the fourth inning because of a stomach illness.

[to top of second column]

A's right fielder Josh Reddick went 2-for-4 with a two-run double, shortstop Jed Lowrie had two hits and second baseman Nick Punto hit an RBI triple.

Oakland committed three errors, one each by third baseman Josh Donaldson, Reddick and catcher Derek Norris.

"Didn't play very good defense at all," Donaldson said. "It was nice that we scored a few runs in that one inning, but we still have to continue to do a better job at the plate."

The Angels built a 5-0 lead, but the A's scored four times in the bottom of the seventh inning, making it 5-4 and snapping their streak of 16 innings without a run.

Norris lined a leadoff single off reliever Mike Morin and moved to third on Lowrie's single with one out. Reddick sliced a two-run double to left and Punto launched an RBI triple to the right-center field alley, ending Morin's day.

Center fielder Coco Crisp singled sharply to left off left-hander Joe Thatcher, bringing Punto home. With runners on first and second with two out, Angels right-hander Jason Grilli struck out pinch-hitter Adam Dunn, ending the inning.

Angels right-hander Fernando Salas pitched a scoreless eighth inning and closer Huston Street a perfect ninth for his 41st save overall and 17th since being traded by San Diego to the Angels.

"Our bullpen has been awesome," Angels right fielder Kole Calhoun said. "A little shaky right there. They're going to score some runs but still held it together and came out with a win."

 



NOTES: Angels 3B David Freese (upper back tightness) was out of the starting lineup Wednesday against Oakland for the second straight game. ... Angels SS Erick Aybar was out of the starting lineup for only the eighth time this season, getting a rare day off to rest. INF Gordon Beckham made his second start at shortstop for the Angels. ... RHP Jered Weaver continued making progress Wednesday in his recovery from the stomach flu and said he expects to make his scheduled start Friday against Seattle. ... Oakland C Derek Norris started at catcher for the first time since injuring his right shoulder Saturday against Philadelphia during a play at the plate.

[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

< Sports index

Back to top