Pujols, Angels walk off with victory over A's
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Albert Pujols' two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth lifted the Los Angeles Angels to an 8-6 win over the Oakland A's on Wednesday night at Angel Stadium.
Pujols unloaded on a 3-1 pitch from Ryan Dull with Mike Trout on first base, ending the game a half-inning after Los Angeles reliever Cam Bedrosian blew a 6-5 lead.
The Angels set things up to win the traditional way, taking a 6-4 lead into the eighth. The A's pushed across a run in the eighth, then scored in the ninth against Bedrosian.
Angels reliever Fernando Salas began the eighth and gave up a single and walked two to load the bases with one out. He was replaced by JC Ramirez, who walked Jed Lowrie to force home a run.
Ramirez escaped by getting Ryon Healy to hit into a 5-4-3 double play, getting good plays by second baseman Cliff Pennington at the pivot and first baseman Ji-Man Choi, who did the splits while catching Pennington's throw.
That set the stage in the ninth for Bedrosian, who one night earlier he recorded his first career save. On Wednesday, he was tagged with his first blown save.
Coco Crisp singled, went to second on a walk to Max Muncy and scored on a single by Stephen Vogt, tying the game at 6-6.
Mike Morin (2-1) replaced Bedrosian and got a double play to escape further damage. Morin got the victory for his two-pitch performance.
The Angels' offense helped offset a shaky but gritty start by Jered Weaver, who battled his way through six innings. Weaver gave up four runs (three earned) on nine hits, outlasting Oakland starter Kendall Graveman, who lasted just four-plus innings and gave up six runs on nine hits and one walk.
Oakland had leads of 1-0, 2-1 and 4-2 before the Angels tied the game in the fourth on the homers by Jefry Marte and Pennington. Los Angeles pulled ahead for good for the first time with two runs in the sixth.
Trout and Pujols each had three hits, and Andrelton Simmons two for the Angels. Yonder Alonso, Billy Butler, Crisp, Vogt and Healy had two hits apiece for Oakland.
Oakland took a 1-0 lead in the second inning after back-to-back singles by Khris Davis and Alonso. Davis scored when Butler grounded into a double play.
The Angels matched the run in their half of the second after Simmons singled with one out and eventually scored on a two-out infield single by Carlos Perez.
Angels third baseman Yunel Escobar booted a grounder in the third inning, allowing Lowrie to score an unearned run and put the A's up 2-1, but the Angels again matched the run in the bottom of the inning.
Escobar led off with a single, went to second on Kole Calhoun's flyout to deep center, took third on a passed ball by Stephen Vogt and scored on a Mike Trout single to make it 2-2.
Weaver again found trouble in the fourth, with the A's getting back-to-back singles by Alonso and Butler to begin the inning. Weaver, though, got the next two hitters and kept the runners stranded, and it appeared he might escape.
However, No. 9 hitter Healy followed with a long drive into the right-center-field gap. Trout got a glove on the ball but couldn't hold on. Healy's two-run double gave the A's a 4-2 lead.
The Angels again responded, getting solo homers from Marte and Pennington in the fourth to tie the score, then added two runs in the fifth, sparked by hits from Trout (single) and Pujols (RBI double) to take a 6-4 lead and knock Graveman out of the game.
NOTES: An ultrasound on the right elbow of Angels RHP Garrett Richards showed that stem-cell therapy is working and he may be able to avoid Tommy John surgery. Over the next 10 days or so, Richards will begin a series of stress tests on the elbow, then have another ultrasound. If the results shows the stress tests did not damage the elbow ligament, Richards will be cleared to begin throwing. He then could pitch in the Arizona Fall League and possibly be ready for the 2017 season. If he had opted for Tommy John surgery, Richards would have missed the entire 2017 season. ... Angels RHP Nick Tropeano decided he will have Tommy John surgery. He will be out until the 2018 season. ... A's OF Coco Crisp went into the game leading the majors with a .436 average with runners in scoring position. ... A's INF Jed Lowrie, bothered by a bunion in his left foot, began the night hitless in his past 20 at-bats. He singled in his first at-bat Wednesday and finished 1-for-3 with a bases-loaded walk.