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 Kazmir gave up one run over 7 1/3 innings Sunday in a 3-2 victory
against the Los Angeles Angels, beating his former team for the
first time since 2008.
Kazmir came into the game with a 2-5 record and 7.56 ERA in seven
career starts against the Angels, who released him on June 14, 2011.
In his previous three starts against the Angels since they released
him, Kazmir gave up 18 runs on 18 hits and never lasted longer than
three innings. Last year he went 0-2 with a 27.00 ERA in two starts
against the Angels.
"You know, last year was tough, to have those back to back outings
like that against those guys," Kazmir said. "I've been chomping at
the bit to get another shot at them. It feels a little bit more I
guess you'd say special to pitch the way I did today against that
team. I know some of the guys. As much as they've heckled me the
past year or so it felt good."
Kazmir, who had lost four straight starts against the Angels, gave
up six hits, struck out six, walked three and threw a season-high
112 pitches.
One day after having a four-out save in a 4-1 victory against the
Angels, A's closer Tyler Clippard got the final five outs for his
12th save, a high-wire affair that clinched a series win for
Oakland.
Angels designated hitter Albert Pujols hit his American
League-leading 21st home run, a two-run shot with two outs in the
eighth inning off Clippard, cutting Oakland's lead to 3-2. Clippard
got the third out then returned for the ninth.
"When he came off the mound he talked me into going back out there,"
A's manager Bob Melvin said. "Give him a lot of credit. That's a
very difficult thing to do and probably won't ask him to do that
again this year. I said probably."
In the top of the ninth, Angels pinch hitter Matt Joyce reached on a
fielding error by first baseman Ike Davis with one out. Clippard
struck out first baseman Efren Navarro, bringing second baseman
Johnny Giavotella to the plate. He launched a deep fly ball that
left fielder Sam Fuld caught just in front of the wall.
"From the dugout it looked like a no-doubter," Pujols said. "But
this is a tough park to hit, so you never know. It was pretty good
swing. By his reaction, he thought he definitely had it."
Clippard thought the worse.
"I thought it was gone," Clippard said. "I wasn't happy with the
execution, for sure. He put a good swing on it. The left field fence
V's out just enough and it stayed short, thank goodness."
Clippard's save was his third of the season longer than three outs.
"Once I'm in the game, I'm hot, I want to finish it," Clippard said.
"That's my job. I was a little unhappy with how the eighth went. We
held the lead but giving up that two-run homer to Pujols left a bad
taste in my mouth so I was anxious to get back out there and close
it out in the ninth."
Angels right-hander Garrett Richards (7-5) gave up three runs on
eight hits over seven innings as his two-game winning streak ended.
It was his third straight quality start since allowing six runs on
five hits in just two-thirds of an inning in an 8-2 loss to the
Yankees on June 6.
"Felt good," Richards said. "Felt like I had good command of all
three of my pitches. They had some timely hits. Today just wasn't
our day."
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The day turned out to be Kazmir's, who had a chance to send barbs
back at some former teammates and friends, including shortstop Erick
Aybar, who have been heckling him.
"Aybar's the No. 1 guy," Kazmir said. "Great guy. Just ended up
getting me a couple of times. They have a lot of ammo. Good to get
this one."
Third baseman Brett Lawrie went 2-for-4 with a double and drove in a
run for the A's.
The A's snapped a scoreless tie with a run in the bottom of the
third when Fuld pulled a double down the right-field line with one
out and scored on center fielder Billy Burns' opposite-field single
to left. Burns extended his hitting streak to 12 games, matching his
career high.
Oakland extended its lead to 3-0 with two runs in the sixth. Catcher
Stephen Vogt lined a leadoff single to left and hustled to third
when second baseman Ben Zobrist grounded a single to center. Lawrie
brought Vogt home with a sharp one-out single to left, and Davis
followed with a run-scoring single.
NOTES: Angels RHP Jered Weaver (left hip inflammation) was placed on
the 15-day disabled list. Weaver, who has lost four straight starts,
will undergo an MRI and a battery of tests Monday. "We just need to
make sure we get this behind us and he can get back on path," Angels
manager Mike Scioscia said. The Angels have an off day Thursday and
won't need a fifth starter until June 30 vs. the Yankees. ... The
Angels called up OF Alfredo Marte from Triple-A Salt Lake to take
Weaver's spot on the 25-man roster. Marte went 1-for-4 in two games
with the Angels earlier this season. He hit .174 in 66 games with
Arizona in 2013 and 2014. ... The A's claimed OF Jake Smolinski off
waivers from the Texas Rangers and optioned him to Triple-A
Nashville. Smolinski, 26, hit just .133 with one home run and six
RBIs in 35 games over three stints this season with the Rangers, who
designated him for assignment Friday. Last year he hit .249 with
three home runs and 12 RBIs in 24 games with the Rangers. ...
Scioscia managed his 2,500th regular-season major league game
Sunday, all with the Angels. He's the 11th manager in major league
history to manage one franchise for at least 2,500 games. ... A's
DH/1B Billy Butler, who is batting .209 over his past 13 games, was
out of the starting lineup for the second straight game but will
start Tuesday at Texas.
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