Davis' eighth-inning HR sends A's past Angels
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Khris Davis hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning to snap a 4-4 tie and lift the Oakland Athletics to a 7-4 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night at Angel Stadium.
The win moved the A's ahead of the Angels in the American League West, dropping Los Angeles into last place, 16 games behind first-place Texas. The Angels (31-43) have lost five in a row and are 12 games below .500 for the first time since Aug. 29, 2013.
The A's offense, which has struggled most of the season, pounded out 14 hits, including three each from Stephen Vogt (homer, two singles) and Marcus Semien (double, two singles).
Neither starting pitcher stuck around very long. A's starter Eric Surkamp remained winless after giving up four runs (two earned), five hits and two walks in 3 2/3 innings.
Angels starter Jered Weaver, who threw a three-hit shutout against the A's in his last start five days ago, lasted just 4 2/3 innings this time, giving up four runs, eight hits and one walk.
The score was tied 4-4 through five innings, and with both starters out of the game, it became a battle of bullpens. Angels reliever Fernando Salas looked sharp in the seventh inning, retiring the side in order on just six pitches.
But in the eighth, he quickly found trouble, allowing a single to Stephen Vogt and a double to Danny Valencia to begin the inning. Salas (3-4) got ahead in the count to Davis 0-2 but grooved a 92 mph fastball up and out over the plate to Davis, who hit a line drive over the fence in left center for his 18th homer of the year.
Four Oakland relievers -- Fernando Rodriguez, Ryan Dull (2-2), John Axford and Ryan Madson (14th save) -- combined to shut out the Angels in the final 5 1/3 innings.
Johnny Giavotella had three hits and Mike Trout two for the Angels.
Weaver retired the first two batters in the first inning before Vogt homered to center to give the Athletics the lead.
The Angels, though, responded in the bottom of the first against Surkamp, getting a two-out walk from Mike Trout and a two-run homer from Albert Pujols.
For Pujols, it was career home run No. 573, tying him with Harmon Killebrew for 11th on the MLB list.
The Angels threatened again in the second, getting singles from Andrelton Simmons and Giavotella to put runners on first and third with one out. Surkamp got a big out with a strikeout of Kole Calhoun, bringing up Trout with two outs.
Trout hit a comebacker to Surkamp, who tried to underhand his throw to first baseman Yonder Alonso. The throw, however, was in the dirt and Alonso was unable to dig it out, allowing Simmons to score and give the Angels a 3-1 lead.
The A's got a run back in the third on consecutive singles by Marcus Semien, Max Muncy and Billy Burns to cut the Angels' lead to 3-2. But Los Angeles answered again in the fourth, getting a two-out RBI single by Trout off reliever Fernando Rodriguez to push their lead to 4-2.
The A's tied it in the fifth. The inning started with a walk by Alonso and a ground-rule double by Semien. Muncy drove in one run with a groundout and Burns scored the other with a sacrifice fly.
NOTES: Angels 3B Yunel Escobar was not in the starting lineup, dealing with a sore left knee that forced him out of the game Thursday after running out a ground ball. INF/OF Jefry Marte got the start at 3B, and 2B Johnny Giavotella took Escobar's leadoff spot in the lineup. ... Athletics LHP Rich Hill, out since May 30 with a strained left groin, threw a 35-pitch bullpen session and reported feeling good. He'll begin a rehab assignment for Class-A Stockton on Monday and if all goes well, could rejoin the rotation by the end of next week. Hill is 8-3 with a 2.25 ERA in 11 starts this season. ... Angels RHP Nick Tropeano (sore shoulder) completed his minor-league rehab assignment but was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake instead of joining the major league roster. At 3-2, Tropeano is the only Angels starter with a winning record and his 3.25 ERA is better than any of the five currently in the rotation. ... With his 13th home run Thursday, A's SS Marcus Semien leads all American League shortstops.