|
 First baseman Albert Pujols had other ideas.
Pujols hit his 13th career grand slam, and the Angels rallied to
score 10 unanswered runs and defeat the A's 12-7 at the O.co
Coliseum.
Pujols' home run, his American League-leading 20th of the season,
came during an eight-run rally in the seventh inning when the Angels
took a 10-7 lead. His home run Friday put the Angels ahead for the
first time at 9-7.
"It's a great come-from-behind win," Angels manager Mike Scioscia
said. "We just kept playing baseball. These guys didn't quit."
Pujols went 2-for-5 with a double to go with his home run, drove in
five runs and scored three times.
Gray gave up six runs on five hits over five innings, striking out
two and walking three, but got a no-decision. He came into the game
with a 1.60 ERA, the lowest in the majors.
Angels third baseman Johnny Giavotella went 2-for-2 with a double
and a walk, drove in three runs, and scored once. Catcher Mike
Iannetta went 2-for-5 and scored a run. Center fielder Mike Trout
had a double in four at-bats, drove in a run and scored twice.
Left fielder Ben Zobrist had a three-run homer, a double, three RBIs
and one run for the A's. Catcher Stephen Vogt hit a solo home run,
doubled, drove in three and scored twice. Center fielder Billy Burns
went 3-for-5 with three infield singles, giving him an AL-best 19
for the season. He scored twice and drove in a run.
Shortstop Erick Aybar and Giavotella worked back-to-back walks off
Gray in the seventh, and designated hitter Matt Joyce lined an RBI
single. Iannetta singled to left, loading the bases and ending
Gray's night.
Left-hander Drew Pomeranz walked in a run before striking out right
fielder Kole Calhoun for the first out. Right-hander Edward Mujica,
who was activated from the disabled Friday, came on to face Trout
with the bases loaded. Trout hit a line drive to left that went off
of Zobrist's glove for an error as Joyce scored -- Trout was
credited with a sacrifice fly.
Pujols then lined Mujica's 1-1 pitch down the left-field line for a
home run, clearing the bases.
"He's one of the best in the game," Pujols said of Gray. "He doesn't
only have success against us. I'm pretty sure if I can look at his
numbers he's had success against pretty much everybody in the game.
That's why he's one of the best. Him and King Felix, those guys are
tough," he said of Gray and Seattle's Felix Hernandez. "Obviously
today we probably made him work a little bit more. We had some good
quality at-bats early the game, even though didn't do that much
damage. It showed up somehow in the seventh inning. He walked a
couple of guys. That's really rare. He doesn't do that. We just took
advantage."
The Angels added another run in the seventh and two more runs in the
ninth.
"I probably left him in a little too long," A's manager Bob Melvin
said of Gray. "But we always feel like with him, we're one pitch
away and he's our best guy."
Gray said he was struggling most of the night.
"I didn't feel great from the beginning," Gray said. "I didn't have
my best stuff and I was just trying to fight through the game and
put us in a good spot. It kind of just got away from us at the end.
That was it."
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Oakland committed three errors in the seventh inning and four for
the game, giving them a major league-high 69.
Mujica (2-2) took the loss.
Pujols has hit 12 home runs in his past 19 games and nine in June.
"I don't want to talk about that," Pujols said of his hot streak.
"But I'm just seeing the ball good, putting my best swing. Same
thing I've been doing all year. I'm just getting better breaks I
guess.
"I know that I can hit and I know what I can do. The main thing is
if I can stay healthy I can go out there and perform and give my
best. If I do that, there's nothing else I can do."
Angels right-hander Matt Shoemaker had a rough outing, giving up
five runs on eight hits and lasting only four innings, his third
shortest start of the season. Shoemaker struck out two, walked one
and gave up two home runs.
After Jose Alvarez gave up two runs, Fernando Salas (1-1), Trevor
Gott, Joe Smith and Cesar Ramos combined to blank Oakland over the
final 3 1/3 innings.
The A's grabbed a 3-0 lead in the first inning before Shoemaker
retired a batter. Burns led off with an infield single, beating out
a two-hopper Aybar, then stole second. Shoemaker walked Vogt on four
pitches, and Zobrist launched a three-run homer to right.
"Matty just never got his feet on the ground," Scioscia said.
"Didn't seem like he had that command."
NOTES: Athletics 1B Ike Davis (strained left quadriceps) and RHP
Edward Mujica (fractured and lacerated right thumb) were reinstated
from the disabled list. Davis made his first start Friday since May
11 and first appearance since May 13 and went 1-for-4. Mujica, a
reliever, had been on the DL since May 22. ... To make room on the
roster for Davis and Mujica, the A's designated INF Andy Parrino for
assignment and optioned RHP Arnold Leon to Triple-A Nashville. A's
manager Bob Melvin said he'd like to keep Parrino in the
organization if he clears waivers. ... Angels LF Efren Navarro
batted leadoff for the first time this season. SS Erick Aybar, who
has hit leadoff a team-high 35 times, hit sixth. Navarro entered the
game batting .286 with an on-base percentage of .348. Aybar was
hitting .246 with an on-base percentage of .291. ... Angels CF Mike
Trout, who made his major league debut in 2011, came into the game
with 10 career home runs in Oakland, the most at the O.co Coliseum
by any visiting player.
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