Recap: Oakland vs. LA Angels
Sports Network | September 18, 2008
Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - A pair of miscues from the Angels in the bottom of the ninth inning allowed Daric Barton and Jack Hannahan to score, as the Oakland Athletics escaped with a 3-2 win in the middle test of a three- game series with the AL West champions.
Mark Teixeira's two-run shot off Brad Ziegler gave the Angels a 2-1 lead in the top of the ninth, but Francisco Rodriguez and LA's defense couldn't hang on. Barton singled to start the frame and moved to second on Gary Matthews' throwing error.
Hannahan then worked a walk and Cliff Pennington chopped a ball back to Rodriguez, who rushed the throw to first and the ball careened into foul territory, allowing both runners to score without a play at the plate.
Ziegler (2-0) picked up the win despite blowing his first save, while starter Greg Smith took a no-decision after allowing just four hits and a walk while striking out four in six scoreless innings. Aaron Cunningham had two doubles and an RBI for the A's, who have won four straight and eight of 11.
Teixeira added two doubles, while Rodriguez (2-3) took the loss behind starter Jered Weaver, who allowed a run on six hits in six frames and three walks to go with eight strikeouts as the Angels have dropped two in a row after five straight wins.
The A's put two runners on in the fifth for Cunningham, who doubled off the scoreboard in left to score a run. Ryan Sweeney was given a free pass to load the bases, but Jack Cust and Kurt Suzuki each struck out to end the inning.
Oakland's Huston Street and Joey Devine tossed perfect seventh and eighth innings, respectively, but Ziegler, who had not allowed a home run in 54.0 innings of his rookie year, gave up a single to Garret Anderson to start the frame. Teixeira then golfed a 2-1 offering from the side-armed sensation into the right field stands for the short-lived lead.
A's second baseman Eric Patterson left the game in the fifth inning with an apparent strained left hamstring, as he pulled up running to second on single by Travis Buck and was replaced on the bases by Bobby Crosby...The season series is now tied, 9-9...Before the game, the A's recalled outfielders Carlos Gonzalez and Chris Denorfia from Triple-A Sacramento...With three strikeouts, Cust has 185 on the season, one away from the Rob Deer's single-season AL record set in 1987...The Angels have lost 11 of their last 16 road games, but still own the best road record in the majors at 43-30...Ziegler's earned-run average rose from 0.50 to 0.82.
