Round up: Oakland Athletics tie series 2-all against Los Angeles Angels - Part 1
Game 1: Los Angeles Angels 4 – Oakland Athletics 1
As the Los Angeles Angels has lost the previous two series, one by 2-1 in April and second by 2-0 in May, against the Oakland Athletics, this time the club entered the ground with full enthusiasm and crushed their rivals in the first outing of the four-game
series 4-1, on May 23.
The game was tied 1-all when Torii Hunter, the nine-time Gold Glove award winner, entered the plate for his third at-bat and touched a lead generating RBI single off the A’s reliever Brian Fuentes in the bottom of the fourth inning. Then Jeff Mathis scored
an RBI double to cement the Angels 25th win of the season.
The A’s starter Josh Outman, playing his first Major League game since 2009, was in excellent shape to pitch his seven innings in which he kept the Angels under extreme pressure, allowing just one run in the first inning to Bobby Abreu, walking three and
getting two strike-outs.
"I was pretty excited, but I was trying to keep my emotions under wraps," Outman said. "It feels like being at home. I feel like this is where I belong. I didn't prove that in the spring, but hopefully I can show over a period of time that this is where
I should be."
On the other hand, after allowing a single to Hideki Matsui in the third inning, the Angels’ starter Jered Weaver bounced back to complete his seven innings spell without giving further runs and getting five strike-outs.
Game 2: Oakland Athletics 6 – Los Angeles Angels 1
The Oakland Athletics crushed the Angels’ pitching depth and achieved a 6-1 win over the league rivals, on May 24 to take revenge of the defeat from last night at the same venue.
David DeJesus, who had a two-homer game of his the career on May 4, launched a 398-feet striking homer off the Angels’ starter Dan Haren in the second inning. After Josh Willingham scored an RBI double in the third inning to elevate lead 3-0, DeJesus hammered
a 413-feet long two-run homer in the fourth inning to make it 5-0.
"It's really weird right now," said DeJesus, "I don't understand how it happens, but I'll take it."
In the ninth inning, DeJesus added another RBI single after Torii Hunter drove in a single to nip the Angels scoreless game in the eighth inning.
The A’s pitcher had an impressive game except Craig Breslow, who gave a run to Hunter. Starter Guillermo Moscoso, reliever Joey Devine and closer Brad Ziegler remained scoreless.
Dan Haren, on the other hand, allowed five runs on seven hits, walked one and despite taking six batters over seven innings lost his third game of the season.
As Haren was impressed the way DeJesus touched his fastballs, he told reporters after the game. "I've had his number for a long time now, and he got the best of me today. He hit two fastballs. I mean, I throw fastballs, but not too many of them. I kind of
got away from my game, I guess, and threw too many fastballs."
Closer Trevor Bell also yielded one run over two innings.
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