Espinosa's ninth-inning homer lifts Angels over A's
Danny Espinosa hit a three-run homer with one out in the ninth inning, lifting the Los Angeles Angels to a 7-6 win over the Oakland A's on Tuesday at the Oakland (Calif.) Coliseum.
With the A's ahead 6-4, Jefry Marte led off the top of the ninth with an infield single off Ryan Dull (0-1). Cameron Maybin singled to left, with Marte stopping at second, and Andrelton Simmons' grounder led to a forceout at second, putting runners at the corners.
Espinosa, in his second game with the Angels, then hit an 0-2 pitch to right-center to give the visitors the lead.
Andrew Bailey (1-0) pitched a perfect eighth inning for the win, and Cam Bedrosian set down the side in order in the ninth for the save.
The Angels bounced back in the second game of the four-game series after dropping the season opener 4-2 on Monday.
The A's moved in front in the seventh inning on Rajai Davis' two-run triple. Davis also scored on the play on Espinosa's throwing error, making it 6-4.
Los Angeles starter Matt Shoemaker gave up just two runs in five innings, on solo homers by Ryon Healy in the first inning and by Jed Lowrie in the second. Shoemaker allowed four hits and three walks while striking out four.
A's starter Sean Manaea was touched for four runs on five hits and two walks in six innings. He fanned four.
Martin Maldonado had a two-run single for Los Angeles, and Maybin finished with two hits.
Lowrie finished with three hits, while Davis and Healy added two hits apiece.
Oakland took an early lead as Healy homered in the first.
Los Angeles struck back with three runs in the second. After the Angels loaded the bases, Maldonado struck a two-out single with a line drive to right-center, knocking in two runs. Third baseman Yunel Escobar added on with a sharp single, scoring another.
Lowrie answered with another bomb in the home half, bringing Oakland within a run. But both of the Athletics' impressive homers left the yard with no one on base.
In addition, Oakland gave away outs on the base paths in the early innings. Marcus Semien was picked off first to end the second and Rajai Davis was thrown out trying to steal second base in the third.
Pitchers settled in and threw scoreless frames in the third and fourth. But Mike Trout tripled in a run in the top of the fifth against Manaea to extend the Angels' lead to 4-2.