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A's rally in ninth to beat Angels

[June 18, 2016] OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Oakland A's took a 2-1 lead into the ninth inning with closer Ryan Madson on the mound and appeared headed for a sure win Friday night.

The A's got their win, but not before two U-turns, and a roller coaster of emotions in a matter of minutes.

The Angels pulled even with a run off Madson, after an apparent game-ending double-play was wiped away following a video review.

But the A's answered quickly.

Billy Burns hit a walk-off single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, lifting the A's to a 3-2 victory at the Oakland Coliseum.

"It was great of course," Burns said of his first career walk-off hit. "It's nice when you don't really get hits the whole game and then you come up and come through for the team and find a way to find a hole. But the real hero tonight was Kendall Graveman. Just throwing seven solid innings. He was awesome tonight. I just happened to be the last hitter."

Graveman gave up one run on a season-low tying three hits over a season-high seven innings but got a no-decision. He struck out four and walked one. Graveman was long gone when A's shortstop Marcus Semien worked a two-out walk off Angels right-hander Fernando Salas in the bottom of the ninth and went to third on Jake Smolinski's single to right.

Then Burns grounded the first pitch he saw to left field, driving in Semien.

"We knew we were swinging the bat well," Graveman said. "I thought we hit the ball well all night, we had good approaches, and to go in and do what we did in the last inning was really big. I think we needed to end it right there and get back in the club house with a win. I thought it was huge too for Burns to get that hit right there."

Jefry Marte had an infield single off Madson (3-2) with one out in the top of the ninth. Then Daniel Nava lined into what appeared to be a game-ending double play as Smolinski made a diving catch in right field then doubled up pinch-runner Todd Cunningham at first base.

But after a video review, which clearly showed that the ball hit the grass before going into Smolinski's glove, the call was overturned. Cunningham went to third with pinch-runner Shane Robinson at first.

Johnny Giavotella brought Cunningham home with a sacrifice fly to right, but the Angels celebration didn't last long.

"As a team, it's frustrating," said Angels right-hander Matt Shoemaker, who pitched six strong innings and got a no-decision. "We have a good team so we're going to start winning these games. We're going to start winning the 1-0, 2-0 games."

Shoemaker allowed two runs, only one of them earned. He struck out seven and walked one. Over his past six starts he has 55 strikeouts and two walks while allowing nine earned runs.

Khris Davis went 2-for-4 with his 16th home run of the season, a solo shot in the fourth inning that gave Oakland a 2-1 lead. Danny Valencia went 2-for-4 with a double and scored a run, while Alonso Yonder went 2-for-3 with a sacrifice fly.

"It was a battle early on, especially," Shoemaker said. "I threw a lot of pitches and they fouled off a ton of balls. I threw balls up in the zone that got hit.

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Athletics center fielder Billy Burns (1) hits a walk off single against the Los Angeles Angels in the ninth inning at O.co Coliseum. Athletics won 3-2. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports

"But overall we got through it. Slider to Davis. Just bad location. Maybe the right pitch but just bad spot."

Kole Calhoun hit a solo home run in the third inning, his ninth blast of the year, for the Angels.

The A's struck first, taking a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Valencia launched a leadoff double off the out-of-town scoreboard in right, barely missing a home run.

Davis followed with an infield single, and Valencia went to third on shortstop Andrelton Simmons throwing error. Yonder Alonso hit a sacrifice fly to deep right-center with one out.

The Angels pulled even on Calhoun's home run with one out in the third. Graveman hung a 1-1 slider, and Calhoun sent it over the right-center field fence.

"I think after the home run I said, 'Hey, the sinker's so good today, they're not hitting it, they're beating it into the ground, we need to stick with it; we need to locate it in and out, but that's the pitch we need to go to if we're in trouble or we need an out,'" Graveman said.

NOTES: Angels RHP Tim Lincecum worked out with his new teammates Friday in Oakland and will be activated from Triple-A Salt Lake on Saturday and make his first major league start in nearly a year. ... The Angels activated LF Daniel Nava (left groin strain) from the 15-day disabled list, and he started against the A's. RHP Al Alburquerque was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake in a corresponding move. ... A's RF Josh Reddick (fractured left thumb) took batting practice on the field Friday and will again on Saturday. If all goes well, Reddick will begin a rehab assignment Sunday with Triple-A Nashville, A's manager Bob Melvin said. ... A's LHP Sean Manaea (left pronator strain) played catch from as far as 90 feet. Melvin said that's an encouraging sign that Manaea might be able to be activated on June 29, the first day he's eligible. ... A's LHP Rich Hill (left groin strain) threw a 10-pitch bullpen session Friday.

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