LDN - Sports

Angels pull out victory over struggling Athletics

[September 27, 2016] ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Albert Pujols finished what Jered Weaver started as the Los Angeles Angels continued their recent success.

Pujols' weak ground ball scored Yunel Escobar in the eighth inning to give the Angels a 2-1 win over the Oakland Athletics on Monday night at Angel Stadium.

Weaver retired the first 14 batters he faced, conceding just one hit and one walk in five shutout innings. He finished with three strikeouts before leaving with a tight lower back.

"It just started tightening up on me in the fourth," Weaver said. "It's stuff I've dealt with in the past. I tried to pitch through it in the fifth, but I was guarding against it and couldn't really finish pitches. I just decided before it got any worse to take a step back."

Yet Weaver said he would be ready to pitch the season finale Sunday.

"It didn't get to the point where it got any worse," Weaver said about his back. "By just doing some maintenance like I've done before, I usually bounce back pretty good from it."

Mike Trout hit his 29th home run for the Angels, who have won five of their past six and seven of 10.

Oakland left-hander Sean Manaea nearly matched Weaver's performance. Manaea extended his scoreless streak to 15 1/3 consecutive innings before Trout homered in the fourth inning. He retired 15 of 16 batters between the first and the sixth innings.

Manaea permitted just one run, four hits, one walk and one hit batter in seven innings while inducing 13 groundouts and registering three strikeouts.

"He's everything we want him to be," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. "Aside from a few outings early on where he was getting his feet wet and learning the league, he's been borderline dominant at times ever since against good lineups."

Stephen Vogt hit his 13th homer in the sixth inning of Deolis Guerra, but it failed to prevent the A's from taking their sixth loss in seven games.

The Angels broke a 1-1 tie in the eighth inning after loading the bases against reliever Ryan Dull (5-5).

With one out, Escobar singled up the middle. Kole Calhoun then hit a double under the glove of first baseman Yonder Alonso and down the right field line before Trout received an intentional walk.

Pujols hit a tapper toward the pitcher's mound. Dull bobbled it and had trouble recovering before making an underhand throw while falling to get Pujols. Escobar scored on the play.

Dull's problems prevented him from trying to get Escobar at the plate.

[to top of second column]

Angels fans cheer as center fielder Mike Trout (27) watches the ball leave the park on a solo home run in the fourth of the game against the Oakland Athletics at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

"That's the go-ahead run, and he's got to take a chance," Melvin said. "He makes a great pitch and does exactly what he wants Pujols to do, hit something in the infield. Unfortunately, it was just placed in the wrong spot."

The A's put the potential tying run on base in the ninth when Khris Davis walked with two out. However, Angels closer Andrew Bailey induced Alonso to ground out to earn his sixth save and preserve the victory for JC Ramirez (2-1).

Trout put the Angels ahead in the fourth inning when he hit his 29th home run. On a full count, Trout pounded Manaea's 83 mph changeup 436 feet into the left field bleachers for a solo drive.

The A's foiled Weaver's bid for a perfect game in the fifth and put the potential tying run in scoring position.

Valencia hit a sharp ground ball past diving third baseman Escobar for a single that ended Weaver's streak of 14 successive outs. Valencia then stole second base before Marcus Semien walked. However, Bruce Maxwell hit into a fielder's choice to end the inning.

Vogt tied the score in the sixth by lining a 92 mph fastball from Guerra down the right field line.

NOTES: Monday marked the 62nd anniversary of the last game for the Philadelphia Athletics, one of the American League's charter franchises. The A's beat the New York Yankees 8-6 on the road and moved to Kansas City, Mo., for the 1955 season. The A's went to Oakland in 1968. ... Athletics LF Khris Davis will finish the season with career highs in hits, home runs, RBIs, runs and extra-base hits. ... Los Angeles DH Albert Pujols needs one RBI to reach 120 for the seventh time in his career. ... The Angels' pitching staff leads the major leagues with 12 shutouts despite using 15 starters and four closers because of injuries.

Back to top