The Angels scored 8 runs in effort to take the series, but that was no match for the 15 runs that the A’s put up.
Oakland took the lead in the second with 4 runs, but the Angels answered back in the bottom of the inning to make it a 5-4 lead, though all 5 runs were unearned due to a Jack Cust error when he dropped Garrett Anderson’s popup with two outs. Robb Quinlan and Mike Napoli got on with singles before Erick Aybar got his first homerun to tie the game at 4. Chone Figgins reached based then scored the fifth run off an RBI-single by Gary Matthews, Jr. Oakland then added two more before Napoli tied it in the sixth with a solo homerun. The Angels rallied for two runs in the ninth, but the damage had been done and the Angels took a 15-8 loss.
Nick Adenhart made his MLB debut, though pitching on just three days rest from Triple-A Salt Lake. The nerves and short days’ rest may have been reason why he could only go two innings, giving up five runs, three hits, and five walks. The loss was handed to Dustin Moseley, new to the bullpen, who gave up five more runs on seven hits in two innings. Darren O’Day also gave up four more runs to the A’s. Chris Bootcheck pitch 3 1/3, giving up six hits but only one run to hold the A’s to 15 runs.
Despite Adenhart’s rocky performance, Mike Scioscia has announced that Adenhart will start on Tuesday in Kansas City. He’ll have another chance to prove he’s as good as his Triple-A numbers reveal.
The loss puts the Angels and A’s in another first place tie in the AL West, both at 18-12.
