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The Halos have lost six of seven games at Overstock.com Coliseum this year, and have lost 12 of their last 16 contests in Oakland dating back to 2010.
The Los Angeles Angels have lost five of their six games up north against the Oakland Athletics this season. On Monday night, Joel Pineiro takes the mound for the Angels as they battle Gio Gonzalez and the A's at Overstock.com Coliseum in Oakland. Here are starting lineups for the series opener:
Izturis 3B
Bourjos CF
Kendrick 2B
Hunter RF
Trumbo 1B
Wells DH
Trout LF
Aybar SS
Mathis C
Weeks 2B
Pennington SS
Matsui DH
Willingham LF
DeJesus RF
Sweeney CF
Suzuki C
Allen 1B
Sizemore 3B
Though the Angels are just 1-5 in Oakland this season and 4-11 there dating back to 2010, Angels PR man Ryan Cavinder passed along this reassuring note for the Halos:
Since 2005, #Angels are 21-11 against Oakland in September.
The Angels better hope that trend continues, as six of their final 19 games are against Oakland.
Monday's 7:05 p.m. PDT game will be televised by Fox Sports West. For more news and information on the Angels, be sure to read Halos Heaven.
The Los Angeles Angels look to overcome their woes in Oakland on Monday night as they open a three-game series against the Athletics. The Halos have lost five of six games at Overstock.com Coliseum this year, and have lost 11 of their last 15 contests in Oakland dating back to 2010. Joel Pineiro gets the start for the Angels, facing Gio Gonzalez for Oakland.
Pineiro made the worst start of his career in Oakland on July 17, allowing eight runs while recording just one out. That was the start of a three-week funk for Pineiro, which led to his ousting from the starting rotation. Necessity has forced Pineiro back to a starting role, and he has pitched at least six innings in each of his last three outings, with a 3.79 ERA in 19 innings. Since the All-Star break, Pineiro has 11 walks and 10 strikeouts in 40 innings.
The Angels are on their final road trip of the regular season, one that will take them to Oakland, Baltimore, and Toronto. The Halos begin play on Monday two and a half games behind the Texas Rangers in the American League West with 16 games left to play. The Rangers are off Monday, but begin a three-game home series against the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday.
Erick Aybar had four hits on Sunday and has reached base in 24 consecutive games via hit or walk, dating back to August 15. During that span, the Angels' shortstop is hitting .341/.396/.459 with four doubles and three triples.
The Angels are 24-24 against the American League West this season.
Monday's 7:05 p.m. PDT game will be televised by Fox Sports West. For more news and information on the Angels, be sure to read Halos Heaven.
Angels Vs. Athletics: Halos Lose Again In Oakland, 6-3
Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - Josh Willingham hit a three-run home run and finished with four RBI to help the Oakland Athletics take a 6-3 win over the LA Angels of Anaheim in the opener of a three-game set. Kurt Suzuki had three hits and Cliff Pennington added two hits, an RBI and a run scored for the Athletics, who had lost four of six coming into the game. Gio Gonzalez (13-12) gave up two runs on seven hits with a walk and six strikeouts over 6 2/3 frames to get the win.
Vernon Wells hit a solo homer and had two RBI while Erick Aybar also hit a solo home run for the Angels, who have dropped their past two games. Joel Pineiro (6-7) went three-plus innings and was charged with four runs on five hits with a pair of walks and four strikeouts.
The loss moves the Angels to three games back of Texas for first place in the AL West.
Oakland jumped on top in the first inning as walks by Jemile Weeks and Hideki Matsui set the table for Willingham, who clubbed a shot over the wall in left- center for a 3-0 lead.
The Angels made it a 3-1 game in the second as Torii Hunter hit a leadoff single and later came home on a Wells triple.
Oakland added two more to its lead in the fourth. With men on second and third, Tyler Chatwood took over for Pineiro on the mound and, after getting the first out, gave up a single to Scott Sizemore to score one. Later in the frame, Pennington made it a 5-1 game with a single.
Aybar's solo homer in the seventh made it a three-run game, but the Athletics got the run back in the bottom of the frame on an RBI single from Willingham.
Wells hit a leadoff homer in the ninth off of Grant Balfour, who set down the next three batters to cap the win.
Game Notes
Willingham has 25 home runs on the season and is one shy of matching his season-best set in 2006...Oakland has won nine of the 14 games against the Angels this season...The Angels batted 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and stranded six.
For more news and information on the Angels, be sure to read Halos Heaven.
Sep 12 10:54p by Eric Stephen