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Today was the first scheduled doubleheader in MLB since 2003.
The Angels grabbed the opener of their doubleheader against the Athletics 4-2, and look for the twinbill sweep in the second game. Ervin Santana gets the start for the Angels, while Rich Harden starts for Oakland. Here are the starting lineups for Game 2 of the doubleheader:
Izturis 2B
Hunter RF
Abreu DH
Wells LF
Callaspo 3B
Aybar SS
Trumbo 1B
Conger C
Trout CF
Weeks 2B
Crisp CF
Sweeney LF
Willingham DH
DeJesus RF
Jackson 1B
Powell C
Sizemore 3B
Sogard 2B
The Angels used just two relievers in Game 1, Scott Downs and Jordan Walden. One night after using six relievers to throw 3 2/3 innings, Oakland used three relievers in the first game today: Michael Wuertz, Brian Fuentes, and Fautino De Los Santos. Wuertz is the only A's reliever to be used last night and today. To help their bullpen depth, Oakland in between games recalled pitcher Jerry Blevins and optioned infielder Adam Rosales, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
The second game will be televised by Fox Sports West. For more news and information on the Angels, or on today's games, be sure to read the SB Nation blog Halos Heaven.
Jered Weaver outdueled Trevor Cahill, leading the Angels to a 4-2 victory over the Athletics in the opening game of a doubleheader at Overstock.com Coliseum in Oakland. Erick Aybar had two hits and scored twice for the Angels, who have won 20 of their last 27 games. Bobby Abreu had a pair of run-scoring singles as well, including an insurance run in the top of the ninth inning. It was the 12th win of the season for Weaver.
Aybar led off the game with a single to center field, then he aggressively advanced to third base on a groundout to shortstop by Torii Hunter. Abreu singled to score Aybar for a 1-0 lead, but the Angels had opportunities to score more. Abreu was caught stealing second, then Cahill walked the next three batters, but struck out Mark Trumbo to end the threat after just one run.
The Angels tacked on another run in the sixth inning on a single by Vernon Wells, a double by Alberto Callaspo, and an RBI groundout by Howie Kendrick. In the top of the seventh inning, Aybar drove a Cahill pitch onto the steps beyond the right field wall for his seventh home run of the season, and a 3-0 lead for the Angels. Cahill, despite five walks in the first three innings, was able to last seven innings, allowing three runs while striking out eight.
Weaver was sailing along, taking a no-hitter into the fifth inning and allowing just three hits and no runs through the first six innings. However, he was chased in the seventh thanks to four hits by the A's, who plated two runs. After two outs, Scott Downs was summoned to relieve Weaver, and induced a Coco Crisp groundout to shortstop to end the inning and preserve the lead. At 6 2/3 innings, this was Weaver's shortest outing since May 18, 10 starts ago. Over his previous nine starts, Weaver had averaged 7.85 innings per outing, and on the season he has pitched at least six innings in all 20 starts.
The A's came close to three home runs during the game. Kurt Suzuki in two different at-bats hit a ball with home run distance down the left field line, but both were just foul. In the fifth inning, Suzuki did double off the wall in left field with two outs, but the inning ended as David DeJesus was thrown out by about 25 feet at the plate on a perfect relay by Wells and Aybar. Then, in the bottom of the eighth inning, Hideki Matsui doubled off the right field scoreboard, missing a home run by a few feet. The play was reviewed by the umpires but to no avail, but if ruled a home run would have been Matsui's 500th combined home run in MLB and Japan.
All-Star closer Jordan Walden retired Oakland in the ninth inning for his 21st save of the season. The win was just the fifth by the Angels in their last 14 games in Oakland. Angels' relief pitcher Fernando Rodney, on the disabled list since June 13 with an upper back strain, will start tonight for Class A Inland Empire in the first game of a rehab assignment.
The second game is scheduled to begin about 30 minutes after the end of Game 1, and will be televised by Fox Sports West. For more news and information on the Angels, or on today's games, be sure to read the SB Nation blog Halos Heaven.
The Angels and Athletics play a traditional doubleheader on Saturday at Overstock.com Coliseum in Oakland. Jered Weaver makes his first post-All-Star Game start in Game 1, facing Trevor Cahill for Oakland. Here are the starting lineups for Game 1:
Aybar SS
Hunter RF
Abreu DH
Wells LF
Callaspo 3B
Kendrick 2B
Trumbo 1B
Mathis C
Trout CF
Mike Trout makes his fifth straight start for the Angels, all batting ninth. The 19-year old rookie center fielder has two hits in 13 at-bats so far in his big league career. Trout is the youngest Angel to make his debut since Andy Hassler in 1971, and he is the youngest player in the big leagues.
Weeks 2B
Crisp CF
Willingham DH
Matsui LF
Sizemore 2B
DeJesus RF
Jackson 1B
Suzuki C
Pennington SS
The first game of today's doubleheader is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. PDT and will be televised by Fox. The second game is tentatively scheduled for 4:35 p.m. PDT and will be televised by Fox Sports West. For more news and information on the Angels, or on today's games, be sure to read the SB Nation blog Halos Heaven.
If there were ever a weekend for Angels fans to make the trip to the Bay Area, this might be it. Not only are the Angels battling for first place in the American League West, but getting out of southern California this weekend also means avoiding Carmageddon as the 405 is closed. But more importantly, in Oakland, there are two notable things happening this weekend, namely a doubleheader Saturday and an MC Hammer bobblehead giveaway on Sunday.
Today is the first scheduled doubleheader in MLB since 2003. Jered Weaver and Trevor Cahill face off in the opener, while Ervin Santana and Rich Harden do battle in the second game. The Angels have lost four straight in Oakland dating back to last season.
On Sunday, the capper to the weekend is the MC Hammer bobblehead doll, which will be given to the first 15,000 fans at the game. Hammer, back when he was just plain old Stanley Burrell, worked for the A's from 1973 to 1980, starting when he was just 11 years old after being spotted by A's owner Charlie Finley in the parking lot of the stadium.
The first game of today's doubleheader is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. PDT and will be televised by Fox. The second game is tentatively scheduled for 4:35 p.m. PDT and will be televised by Fox Sports West. For more news and information on the Angels, or on today's games, be sure to read the SB Nation blog Halos Heaven.
The Angels and A's battle on Saturday in the first scheduled doubleheader in MLB since 2003. Jered Weaver and Trevor Cahill face of in the opener, on Fox. The second game features a battle between Ervin Santana and Rich Harden.
Ervin Santana has pitched well this season but doesn't have the wins to show for it. He is 4-8 despite his 3.89 ERA. Santana has pitched seven innings or more in five of his last seven starts, since the beginning of June, during which he has a 3.17 ERA. However, as has been the case all season, Santana hasn't had the run support; the Angels have scored 18 total runs in those seven games, and he is 1-4.
Rich Harden -- stop me if you've heard this before -- began the season on the disabled list with a strained right shoulder. After a pair of starts on a rehab assignment with Triple A, Harden has made two starts this month with Oakland. He beat Arizona at home and lost to the Rangers in Texas, and on the season is 1-1 with a 5.73 ERA.
The Angels are 4-6 against the A's this season, including 0-3 in Oakland. The Angels have lost four straight in Oakland dating back to last season.
The first game of today's doubleheader is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. PDT and will be televised by Fox. The second game is tentatively scheduled for 4:35 p.m. PDT and will be televised by Fox Sports West. For more news and information on the Angels, or on today's games, be sure to read the SB Nation blog Halos Heaven.
The Angels look to rebound from Friday's loss to Oakland, and luckily they have two chances to do so on Saturday, playing a pair of games Saturday afternoon against the A's. It is the first scheduled doubleheader in MLB since 2003. Jered Weaver and Ervin Santana start today for the Angels, opposed by Trevor Cahill and Rich Harden.
Weaver started the All-Star Game on Tuesday and pitched one inning, and he starts Game 1. He has allowed one run or less in each of his last five starts, and has allowed 10 total runs in his last nine starts, a run during which he is 5-0 with a 1.27 ERA. He leads the majors with a 1.86 ERA.
Mike Trout will have his stay with the Angels extended, as outfielder Peter Bourjos was placed on the disabled list before Friday's game with a tight right hamstring. The move is retroactive to July 8, so the earliest Bourjos can return is next Saturday, July 23. Trout drove in his first run on Friday night with an RBI single, and is 2-for-13 with a walk in four games this season.
Cahill is 8-7 with a 3.12 ERA in 20 starts this season. In 10 starts at home this season, he is 4-4 with a 2.66 ERA. Oakland was 5-13 heading into the break before last night's win.
The first game of today's doubleheader is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. PDT and will be televised by Fox. The second game is tentatively scheduled for 4:35 p.m. PDT and will be televised by Fox Sports West. For more news and information on the Angels, or on today's games, be sure to read the SB Nation blog Halos Heaven.
Angels Suffer 4-3 Extra-Inning Loss To A's, Settle For Doubleheader Split
Scott Sizemore delivered an RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning Saturday night, giving the A's a 4-3 win, and a split of the doubleheader at Overstock.com Coliseum in Oakland. The Angels fell to 6-10 in extra-innings this season, and are assured of not winning this four-game series, meaning the Angels won't win their ninth consecutive series.
The Angels' offense came from the long ball in the nightcap. Mark Trumbo hit a two-run home run to open the scoring, his team-leading 18th home run of the season. After the A's took a 3-2 lead with runs off Ervin Santana in the fourth and fifth innings, Vernon Wells tied the game with his 14th home run, a sixth-inning shot off Rich Harden.
Rich Thompson came in to pitch the 10th inning for the Angels, and allowed a leadoff walk to Josh Willingham. After a sacrifice moved pinch runner Cliff Pennington to second base, Thompson walked Landon Powell before giving up the game-winner to Sizemore. Brad Ziegler pitched a scoreless 10th inning for the A's, though Mike Trout did double with two outs, the first extra-base hits of Trout's career.
Joel Pineiro pitches for the Angels Sunday afternoon as they go for the split, facing Gio Gonzalez.
For more news and information on the Angels, or on today's games, be sure to read the SB Nation blog Halos Heaven.
Jul 16 8:29p by Eric Stephen