Athletics 6, Angels 5
Coco Crisp's sacrifice fly capped a four-run rally in the ninth inning as Oakland captured a 6-5 road win over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. The defeat puts the Angels three games behind Boston in the American League wild-card race.
Los Angeles had stretched its lead to 5-2 in the eighth on a two-run single by Peter Bourjos, before the Athletics rallied in the top of the ninth against Los Angeles closer Jordan Walden. Josh Willingham led off with a home run, and after another run scored on a Walden throwing error, Kurt Suzuki tied it with a one-out RBI double to right. With the bases loaded, Crisp lofted a fly ball to center to plate the go-ahead run.
The blown save was the 10th of the year for Walden (5-4), most in the American League.
Oakland closer Andrew Bailey worked the ninth to save it for Fautino De Los Santos (3-2), who got the win despite giving up the pair of runs in the eighth.
Los Angeles starter Joel Pineiro gave up just three hits in 6 1/3 scoreless innings, facing the minimum 18 batters through the first six frames. The lone Oakland batter to get a hit during that stretch, Scott Sizemore, was erased immediately on a double play.
Bobby Abreu and Vernon Wells hit solo home runs in the second and sixth innings, respectively, to help the Angels take an early 3-0 lead.
Rich Harden allowed three runs on eight hits in six innings for Oakland, which lost right fielder David DeJesus to a right hip contusion in the seventh inning.