On Tuesday, he sparked the pivotal inning with his legsRelegated to designated hitter duty the rest of the season because of a sore foot and chronically sore knees, Pujols led off with an infield single.
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The shouts and cheers rose from the dining room and rolled down the hallway in the Los Angeles Angels’ clubhouse when the Mariners squeezed the final out to beat Houston. Starting pitcher Nicholas Tropeano allowed three hits and a run while striking out 11 over 6.2 innings to get a win to raise his record to 3-2 for the season.
The Angels have won seven in a row and now hold a half-game lead for the second American League Wild Card spot, while sitting only two games behind the Texas Rangers in the AL West. All of that is to say that I know the train I’m stepping in front of today, I just feel like taking a shot. Center fielder Mike Trout got it started with a double, and Pujols doubled Trout home.
Giavotella drilled a two-out pitch from Edward Mujica into the bullpen for his first homer since June 18, but the A’s rallied in the seventh after an error by Giavotella’s defensive replacement, Taylor Featherston.
The A’s had nothing going against Angels’ starter Garrett Richards through three innings, but Reddick’s one-out single gave Oakland its first hit in the fourth.
Los Angeles Angels right fielder Kole Calhoun catches a ball hit by… Zito, who pitched most of this season for Triple-A Nashville, has gone 12-11 with a 4.14 ERA in 30 career starts versus the Angels.
“It’s inexcusable”, said Giavotella, who made a key error at second base leading to Eric Sogard’s three-run double in the fourth.
Stephen Vogt hit a tiebreaking, two-run single during Oakland’s four-run rally in the seventh inning.
“We don’t win that game without Barry Zito”, manager Bob Melvin said to the San Francisco Chronicle after the game. Angels 3B David Freese is batting.
Tropeano came off to the roar the 33,470 paying customers at Angel Stadium on Tuesday night, all showing their approval of his stellar performance.
“The Angels hadn”t won a game by more than four runs since September 6. Richards came back to get a grounder good for a force at the plate from Brett Lawrie.
Mark Canha dropped a bloop single, and Gott walked home a run, and the score was tied, 5-5.
Seven unearned runs allowed were more than enough to end a seven-game winning streak as the Angels played their final home game unsure if they would board a flight to Texas still hanging onto the last wildcard spot. Oakland added another run in the eighth, which featured C.J. Cron’s error and Trout’s disgusting misplay on a hit to center that was ruled a triple.
Athletics: Carson Blair had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.
Angels: Joe Smith pitched for the first time since September 17, returning after spraining his ankle on a hotel staircase.
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Angels: Rookie Andrew Heaney (6-3, 3.29 ERA) opens the crucial four-game series at Texas.
