Oakland Athletics defeat Los Angeles Angels 5-3 – MLB Recap
The Oakland Athletics beat the Los Angeles Angels 5-3 in the first game of the four-game series at the O.co Coliseum in Oakland on Friday, July 15.
Jemile Weeks led off the game with an RBI single but Josh Willingham launched a scorching homer to set a winning track for his team. Willingham landed the plate and scorched a 446-feet long two-run homer off the Angels’ starter Dan Haren in the bottom of
the third inning to set 3-0 lead.
"He's the guy in the line-up that can hit it out of any park, any field really," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "That's what we've been looking for, to get him back in the line-up and do stuff like that."
Haren, who allowed ten hits in just over six innings, was not pleased with himself and explained his pitch, "I was trying to throw a cutter for a strike but I left the ball up in the zone and that's not where you want to go," Haren added. "He made me pay
for it. I was not commanding the bottom of the strike zone like I have been."
First baseman Conor Jackson touched a grounder to centre-field, allowing David DeJesus to score the fourth run to steal 4-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. Until then, their starter Brandon McCarthy held the Angels’ bat. However, in the fifth inning,
he allowed a single to Erick Aybar and allowed a run consuming walk to pinch hitter Maicer Izturis in the sixth before relieved by Michael Wuertz.
Wuertz tossed only 14 pitches and allowed three walks. Melvin, realising the situation could turn difficult for his team, relieved him with Joey Devine but he also allowed a walked before Brad Ziegler took responsibility. Melvin bewildered when he saw Mike
Trout making a run off Ziegler on his second pitch. However, Ziegler stabilised and tossed a scoreless seventh inning to hold his fourth game.
The score was 4-3 at the end of the sixth inning and Hideki Matsui scored an RBI single in the eighth inning to finalise the game at 5-3.
Craig Breslow tossed three strikes of four pitches for his fifth hold, Grant Balfour threw scoreless inning for his 15th hold and closer Andrew Bailey went scoreless in the last innings to get his ninth save of the season.
Starter Brandon McCarthy struck-out season-high seven to clinch his first win since April 10. The right-hand pitcher, who missed more than a month due to strain in his right scapula, struggled hard but three-run lead by batting squad, helped him punch his
second win of the season.
Angels’ manager Mike Scioscia did not see Haren in full form but his real concern was his poor batting performance despite having numerous chances.
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