LDN - Sports

A's top Angels, Lincecum

[June 24, 2016] ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Five days ago, Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tim Lincecum got his first win in just over a year, beating the Oakland Athletics. He balanced things out Thursday night, getting his first loss in just over a year, this time losing to the A's.

Lincecum lasted only three innings, giving up four runs on seven hits and two walks in Oakland's 5-4 victory over the Angels at Angel Stadium on Thursday.

Lincecum, who signed with the Angels May 20 and made three minor league starts after recovering from hip surgery performed last September, beat the A's on June 18 with a solid performance over six innings, giving up just one run and four hits. But the A's tagged him for six hits in the second inning alone, including a three-run homer by Marcus Semien that set the tone for the game.

Khris Davis added a solo homer in the fifth inning for Oakland, which got at least one hit from everybody in the starting lineup.

A's starter Kendall Graveman (3-6) got the win with a solid performance, giving up two runs on eight hits in 6 2/3 innings. It was first win since May 30 against Minnesota.

In fact, the win for Gravemen was the first by any A's starter in 18 games, the previous win coming from Sean Manaea on June 1.

Sean Doolittle, the last of three A's relievers, pitched the ninth to get his fourth save, but it didn't come easy. A two-run homer by backup catcher Jett Bandy got the Angels to within one run before Doolittle retired pinch hitter Jefry Marte for the final out.

The loss for the Angels dropped them to a season-worst 11 games under .500 at 31-42 and 16 games behind first-place Texas in the American League West. They are only a half-game ahead of last-place Oakland, which beat the Angels for the second time in seven games this season.

Mike Trout, Johnny Giavotella and Andrelton Simmons each had two hits for the Angels.

Lincecum got through the first inning but found trouble in the second. After giving up back-to-back singles to Jed Lowrie and Yonder Alonso to begin the inning, Lincecum yielded a three-run homer to Semien.

The A's didn't stop there, getting three more hits in the inning and an error by Angels third baseman Yunel Escobar to push across another run for a 4-0 lead.

[to top of second column]

Athletics center fielder Coco Crisp (4) celebrates with his team after he scores against the Los Angeles Angels during the second inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

Oakland's six hits in the second inning were more than the A's totaled over six innings against Lincecum when he faced them last Saturday and gave up four.

Lincecum managed to get through the third inning unscathed, but by the time the inning was finished, he had made 83 pitches in the game and was finished for the night.

Los Angeles got on the scoreboard in the fourth inning on an RBI single by Johnny Giavotella, a blooper to shallow center field that the shortstop Semien just missed. Jett Bandy added a sacrifice fly later in the inning to cut the Angels' deficit to 4-2.

The A's increased their lead to 5-2 in the fifth inning on a solo homer by Khris Davis, his 17th of the season.

NOTES: Albert Pujols was in the Angels' starting lineup after missing the previous two games with a sore left hamstring and left ankle. He started as the designated hitter. Going into the game, the Angels were 17-28 when Pujols started at DH, compared to 13-12 when he starts at first base. ... Athletics' starting pitchers went into the game without a victory in the club's last 17 games (0-9, 5.29 ERA, eight no-decisions). ... Angels 2016 first-round draft pick 1B/C Matt Thaiss (University of Virginia) made his professional debut Wednesday with short-season Class A Orem (Utah) and went 3-for-5 with two doubles and a three-run, go-ahead home run in the ninth inning. ... A's manager Bob Melvin said before the game that LHP Eric Surkamp, initially scheduled to start Saturday's game, will start Friday instead.

Back to top