Angels 4, Athletics 1
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Mike Trout hit his first home run of the season, right-hander Nick Tropeano threw five scoreless innings, and the Los Angeles Angels defeated the Oakland A's 4-1 at the Coliseum on Monday night in the opener of a three-game series.
Trout blasted a two-run shot to left off A's ace Sonny Gray in the sixth inning, capping a three-run rally.
Tropeano (1-0) gave up six hits, struck out six and walked two. He started in place of left-hander Andrew Heaney, who went on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday with left forearm tightness.
Tropeano, who was called up from Triple-A Salt Lake on Thursday, made his 12th career major-league start and third against the A's. Last year, he went 2-0 with a 0.71 ERA, 16 strikeouts and two walks in two starts against Oakland. He struck out a career-high 11 against the A's in his final start of 2015.
Gray (1-1) gave up three runs on six hits over 6 1/3 innings. He struck out six and walked three.
Coco Crisp went 2-for-5 with a triple, and Josh Reddick was 2-for-3 with a double for the A's.
Yunel Escobar and Carlos Perez each doubled for the Angels. Albert Pujols singled, walked, scored a run and stole a base.
Tropeano and Gray matched zeroes for the first five innings, but the Angels scored three times in the top of the sixth, stringing three hits together.
Escobar doubled to right-center field with one out and scored when Daniel Nava lined Gray's first-pitch fastball to center for a single.
Trout crushed Gray's next pitch, another fastball, deep over the left field wall.
The Angels added a run in the eighth. Pujols lined a leadoff single to center off reliever Liam Hendriks. Pujols stole second with one out, catching Hendriks by surprise, moved to third on a ground out and scored on Andrelton Simmons' bloop single.
The A's had a promising rally in the sixth but came up empty. Stephen Vogt led off with a walk, and right-handed reliever Fernando Salas replaced Tropeano. Vogt moved to second on Jed Lowrie's single to left, but Khris Davis grounded into a double play, and Yonder Alonso flied out to left.
Salas blanked the A's on one hit for 1 1/3 innings, and Jose Alvarez gave up one hit over 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
The A's scored a run off Joe Smith in the ninth as Lowrie had a leadoff single, went to second on a ground out and raced home on Marcus' Semien's single to right with two outs. Huston Street got the final out for his second save of the season.
NOTES: A's LHP Felix Doubront will undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery on his left elbow Tuesday in Cincinnati, where he was examined Monday by Dr. Timothy Kremchek. Doubront won the No. 5 starter's job but was injured in his final spring appearance. ... A's OF Coco Crisp made his third straight start in center field Monday against the Angels but will likely get a day off Tuesday with Billy Burns taking his place, A's manager Bob Melvin said. ... Angels LHP Greg Mahle was called up from Triple-A Salt Lake, and RHP A.J. Achter was sent down to Salt Lake. This marks Mahle's first call-up to the major leagues. Achter made one relief appearance for the Angels, pitching a perfect inning. Mahle pitched 1 2/3 perfect innings for Salt Lake. ... Angels LF Daniel Nava, who suffered a lacerated left index finger Friday vs. Texas, returned to the lineup against the A's. He pinch hit Saturday against the Rangers. ... Angels 1B/DH Albert Pujols, who underwent offseason foot surgery, started at first base for the first time this year in the regular season.