Recap: Oakland vs. LA Angels
Sports Network | September 18, 2008
Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - Joe Saunders tossed seven shutout innings, and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim held on for a 6-4 win over the Oakland Athletics to salvage the finale of a three-game set.
Saunders (16-7) scattered six hits with four strikeouts and three walks to pick up the win. Gary Matthews Jr. went 3-for-5, and Kendry Morales, Mike Napoli, and Brandon Wood hit back-to-back-to-back solo homers in the seventh inning for the Angels, who had dropped the first two games of the series, but have won six of eight overall. Francisco Rodriguez got the final two outs for his 59th save, extending his MLB record.
Josh Outman (1-1), making his second career start, gave up three runs on six hits in 4 1/3 innings, with four strikeouts and three walks for his first career loss. Kurt Suzuki had an RBI single in a four-run ninth inning for the Athletics, who had won four straight.
Trailing 6-0, the A's made it interesting in the ninth. Angels reliever Jason Bulger beaned Chris Denorfia and walked Bobby Crosby, and Jose Arredondo walked Cliff Pennington to load the bases. Pinch-hitter Carlos Gonzalez plated one run with an infield single, and pinch-hitter Jack Cust's one-out walk off of Rodriguez forced in another run.
Aaron Cunningham's fielder's choice grounder scored a third run, and Suzuki's RBI single pulled LA within two before Rodriguez got pinch-hitter Ryan Sweeney to ground out to end the game.
Mark Teixeira's RBI single in the first gave the Angels an early 1-0 lead, and LA added two more in the fifth on an RBI single by Robb Quinlan. Torii Hunter stole home later in the frame on a designed double steal, giving LA a 3-0 lead.
The Angels went back-to-back-to-back in the seventh off of Keith Foulke to take a commanding 6-0 lead. Morales' second homer of the season, a solo shot to right, started it, and Napoli took one strike before following with a long drive to right, his 17th homer of the season. Wood ripped the first pitch he saw out to left, his fifth homer, and the third long ball allowed by Foulke on four pitches.
The Angels left 11 runners on base, while Oakland stranded nine runners...Attendance was 12,645.
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