A's down Angels in 10th to avert sweep
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Yonder Alonso's two-out double drove in the tiebreaking run in the 10th inning, and the Oakland A's earned an 8-6 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday at Angel Stadium.
Angels reliever Mike Morin got the first two outs of the 10th before giving up consecutive singles to Danny Valencia and Billy Butler. Alonso followed with a liner to right-center to score Valencia. Marcus Semien added an RBI single to give the A's some breathing room.
Oakland reliever Ryan Madson (4-4) got the win over Morin (2-2), and Ryan Dull pitched the 10th inning for his second save.
The win allowed the A's to avoid a three-game sweep and end their five-game losing streak.
Ji-Man Choi hit home runs in his first two at-bats for the Angels, and he would have had a third if not for A's left fielder Coco Crisp.
In his third at-bat of the game, Choi hit the ball deep into the left field corner. Crisp robbed him, though, reaching over the short wall near the foul pole to make the catch for the third out in the fifth inning.
The game had plenty of offense early, as 10 of the game's runs were scored in the first 3 1/2 innings. Neither starting pitcher was sharp, as the two teams combined for five home runs.
Max Muncy (first inning), Ryon Healy (third) and Valencia (fourth) all homered off Los Angeles starter Ricky Nolasco, who was making his Angels debut after joining the team in a Monday trade with the Minnesota Twins.
Nolasco got a no-decision after going six innings and allowing five runs on six hits.
Choi doubled his season homer total. He went deep off Oakland starter Jesse Hahn to lead off the second inning, then hit a three-run homer off Hahn in the third to give the Angels a 5-2 lead.
Hahn yielded five runs on seven hits in four innings.
The A's rallied for three runs in the fourth inning against Nolasco to tie the game at 5-5, then took a 6-5 lead in the seventh on Crisp's RBI double.
In the eighth inning, the Angels put two runners on with one out. Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia then sent up Mike Trout to pinch-hit for Cliff Pennington.
Trout, who was not in the starting lineup because he has been battling a head cold, walked on four pitches to load the bases.
Pinch hitter Johnny Giavotella then hit a sharp grounder to the first baseman Alonso, who briefly bobbled the ball. His throw home was too late to get Jefry Marte, who slid across the plate to tie the game at 6-6, Alonso being charged with an error.
The Angels' rally, though, ended there as Yunel Escobar popped out and Kole Calhoun fled to center.
The shadows were not a factor early in the game that started at 4 p.m. PDT, as both teams put up plenty of offense.
A homer by Muncy in the first inning gave the A's a 1-0 lead. Choi homered for the Angels in the second to tie the game at 1-1.
In the third, Healy homered off Nolasco to put the A's back on top, but the Angels responded with four runs in the bottom of the inning, three of them coming on Choi's second homer of the day.
Nolasco, though, couldn't hold the 5-2 lead, as Oakland scored three times in the fourth to tie the game. Valencia led off with a home run, and Khris Davis (single) and Alonso (double) followed with hits.
Davis scored on a groundout by Semien, and Alonso scored on a wild pitch.
NOTES: Angels CF Mike Trout was not in the starting lineup for just the second time this season because of an illness. Trout, who has been feeling sick the past couple of days, did not start July 5 but entered that game as a pinch-runner. DH Albert Pujols moved into Trout's No. 3 spot in the batting order, and SS Andrelton Simmons hit cleanup. Shane Robinson took Trout's place in center field. ... A's RHP Andrew Triggs was optioned to Triple-A Nashville to make room on the roster for RHP Jesse Hahn, who was called up to start the game. ... Angels OF Daniel Nava, who was designated for assignment on July 30, cleared waivers and accepted an assignment at Triple-A Salt Lake. ... A's 2B Jed Lowrie was not in the starting lineup, still bothered by a bunion on his left foot. Lowrie is considering having surgery, which would end his season.