A's sock Angels; Pujols hits No. 574
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Coco Crisp collected three hits, including two doubles, drove in two runs and scored four times to lead the Oakland Athletics to a 7-3 over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night in front of 40,643 at Angel Stadium.
Danny Valencia added three hits and three RBIs with a two-run homer and a run-scoring single as the A's posted their third successive win and their fourth in five games.
Left-hander Dillon Overton won his major league debut despite allowing three home runs. In 5 2/3 innings, Overton permitted three runs, seven hits and two walks while collecting three strikeouts and throwing 108 pitches.
Albert Pujols hit his 574th career home run to pass Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew and take over 11th place all time. Mike Trout and Kole Calhoun also hit solo homers and finished with three hits apiece, but the Angels suffered their sixth consecutive loss to match their longest losing streak this season.
Los Angeles brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning after Calhoun, Trout and Pujols hit successive singles with one out. But right-hander Sean Doolittle made Jefry Marte pop out and Jeff Bandy fly out to end the game.
Oakland broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the third. Crisp blooped a double down the left-field line, moved to third base when Jed Lowrie grounded out and scored on Stephen Vogt's sacrifice fly.
Los Angeles had a chance to tie the score in the bottom of the third after Johnny Giavotella, who led off with an infield single, took third on Trout's single.
Overton struck out Pujols on three pitches before making Marte ground out to defuse the threat.
The Angels created another chance to tie the score in the fourth. Andrelton Simmons doubled with one out before moving to third when Gregorio Petit's lined out. After Shane Robinson walked, Giavotella hit a line drive to right fielder Max Muncy, ending the inning.
The missed opportunities proved costly as the Athletics added a run in the fifth. Khris Davis' two-out single scored Crisp, who doubled down the right-field line to start the inning.
Pujols drew Los Angeles within 4-3 with his 14th home run of the season, a solo drive over the fence in left-center field.
Oakland combined three hits, two walks and a sacrifice into three runs in the sixth. Crisp's two-run single led the rally.
The A's used Valencia's two-run homer to take a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Crisp began the game with a walk, then two outs later, Valencia propelled right-hander Jhoulys Chacin's 91 mph fastball over the center-field fence for his 11th home run of the season.
The Angels tied the score in the bottom of the first when Calhoun and Trout hit successive solo home runs against Overton.
After fouling off three pitches, Calhoun sent Overton's 90 mph fastball on a 2-2 count down the right-field line for his 10th home run. Trout followed with his 15th, a drive over the left-field fence just over the leaping Crisp's outstretched glove.
Chacin (2-4) lasted just 4 2/3 innings and suffered his third loss in four decisions. The Venezuelan right-hander allowed four runs, four walks and six hits.
NOTES: Saturday marked the 20th anniversary of former Oakland 1B Mark McGuire's 300th career home run. ... The Athletics promoted LHP Dillon Overton from Triple-A Nashville, optioned LHP Eric Surkamp to the same club and moved RHP Henderson Alvarez to the 60-day disabled list. ... Oakland OF Coco Crisp passed Bill North and moved into ninth place on the club's career list of games by an outfielder since the team moved to Oakland with 628. ... Los Angeles 3B Yunel Escobar was not in the starting lineup for the second consecutive game after bruising his left knee Thursday night. ... Angels DH Albert Pujols needs two doubles to tie Todd Helton for 17th in major league history with 592. ... Injuries have forced the Angels to use 42 players, second most in the major leagues.