SB Nation Los Angeles - Angel Bats Come Alive To Avoid Sweep In Oaklandhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48949/la-fave.png2010-09-05T16:24:58-07:00http://losangeles.sbnation.com/rss/stream/14350722010-09-05T16:24:58-07:002010-09-05T16:24:58-07:00Home Runs By Abreu, Napoli Pace Angels' 7-4 Win Over A's
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<p>Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/600/Bobby_Abreu">Bobby Abreu</a> drove in three runs and scored three times, as the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/teams/los-angeles-angels">Angels</a> took down the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/teams/oakland-athletics">Athletics</a>, 7-4, to avoid a three-game sweep at the Oakland Coliseum.</p>
<p>Abreu and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/642/Mike_Napoli">Mike Napoli</a> each homered for Los Angeles, which ended a six-game road trip with a 3-3 mark. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/605/Hideki_Matsui">Hideki Matsui</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/650/Torii_Hunter">Torii Hunter</a> had an RBI apiece.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/716/Ervin_Santana">Ervin Santana</a> (15-9) gave up three runs -- two earned -- on six hits over six innings to improve to 5-1 over his last six starts. The right-hander also walked four batters and fanned three.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/31843/Jeff_Larish">Jeff Larish</a> hit a two-run double for the Athletics, who have dropped five of seven. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/68725/Vin_Mazzaro">Vin Mazzaro</a> (6-8) got rocked in 4 1/3 innings, giving up five runs on six hits. The right-hander lost his sixth straight decision.</p>
<p>After stranding the bases loaded in the second, the Angels scored four times in the third inning. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/709/Howie_Kendrick">Howie Kendrick</a> reached base when he grounded into a fielder's choice and crossed the plate on Abreu's homer to right-center. Matsui hit a two-out single and scored on Napoli's blast to left-center.</p>
<p>Oakland got a run back in the home third. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/359/Rajai_Davis">Rajai Davis</a> walked, stole second, and scored on Landon Powell's single.</p>
<p>The A's scored two more runs in the fourth to cut the gap to 4-3. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/19/Jack_Cust">Jack Cust</a> singled and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/18/Mark_Ellis">Mark Ellis</a> reached first on Erick Aybar's fielding error. Larish cleared the bases with a double to left-center field. Santana retired the next three batters to keep LA in front.</p>
<p>Los Angeles went ahead by two runs in the top of the fifth. Abreu walked and crossed the plate on Hunter's double for a 5-3 lead.</p>
<p>Oakland loaded the bases with two outs in the home fifth, but Larish struck out to end the threat.</p>
<p>The Angels plated two runs in the seventh to extend their margin to 7-3. Kendrick led off with a double and raced home on Abreu's single. Abreu stole second, advanced to third on a groundout, and scored on Matsui's base hit.</p>
<p>The A's scored a run off <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/321/Fernando_Rodney">Fernando Rodney</a> in the ninth. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/180/Coco_Crisp">Coco Crisp</a> led off with a single and moved to second two batters later on Gabe Gross' groundout. Cust followed with a bloop RBI single to left. Ellis' base hit put men on first and second, but Larish grounded out to end the game.</p>
<p>The Athletics and Angels have split 16 games this season...Oakland's last three-game sweep of the Angels took place at the Coliseum from June 29-July 1, 2004...Santana boasts a tremendous 12-3 record over 20 career matchups (18 starts) with Oakland and has been terrific as well at the Coliseum, where he's gone 6-1 in nine starts and a pair of relief efforts...Mazzaro fell to 1-2 lifetime against the Angels.</p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/2010/9/5/1671709/angels-as-bobby-abreu-mike-napoliEric Stephen2010-09-05T12:45:52-07:002010-09-05T12:45:52-07:00Today's Angels-A's Lineups
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<p>Here are today’s lineups:</p>
<p><strong>Angels</strong><br>
Callaspo 3B<br>
Kendrick 2B<br>
Abreu LF<br>
Hunter RF<br>
Matsui DH<br>
Napoli 1B<br>
Aybar SS<br>
Mathis C<br>
Willits CF<br>
Santana P</p>
<p><strong>A’s</strong><br>
Crisp CF<br>
Barton 1B<br>
Kouzmanoff 3B<br>
Cust DH<br>
Ellis 2B<br>
Larish LF<br>
Davis RF<br>
Powell C<br>
Pennington SS<br>
Mazzaro P</p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/2010/9/5/1671390/angels-as-lineupsEric Stephen2010-09-05T09:12:46-07:002010-09-05T09:12:46-07:00Angels Turn To Ervin Santana To Avoid Sweep In Oakland
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<p>(Sports Network) - The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/teams/los-angeles-angels">Los Angeles Angels</a> of Anaheim haven't been swept in a series of at least three games by the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/teams/oakland-athletics">Oakland Athletics</a> in more than six years, partly due to the success <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/716/Ervin_Santana">Ervin Santana</a> has produced against the team's American League West rival.</p>
<p>The right-hander will attempt to keep that streak ongoing, while adding to his impressive career numbers versus the A's, when he takes the mound for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.halosheaven.com/">Angels</a> this afternoon at the Oakland Coliseum.</p>
<p>Oakland's last three-game sweep of the Angels took place at the Coliseum from June 29-July 1, 2004, but the club is in position to bring out the brooms after claiming the first two tests of this set. After limiting Anaheim's sputtering offense to five hits in an 8-0 triumph in Friday's opener, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.athleticsnation.com/">Athletics</a> got some more effective pitching to record a 3-1 win yesterday afternoon.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/68728/Trevor_Cahill">Trevor Cahill</a> (15-6) kept the Angels off the scoreboard over the game's first six innings to notch his 15th victory of the season, even though the young standout issued a career-high six walks and threw only 60-of-116 pitches for strikes.</p>
<p>Anaheim wasn't able to capitalize on its opportunities, stranding eight baserunners on the day and failing to come up with any clutch hits. That's been an ongoing problem for the Angels as of late, as the three-time defending division champs have lost nine of their last 12 contests and scored three runs or fewer in all of those defeats.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/650/Torii_Hunter">Torii Hunter</a> accounted for the Halos' lone run with a solo homer in the eighth inning, with ace <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/713/Jered_Weaver">Jered Weaver</a> (11-11) stuck with the loss after allowing three runs in seven innings of work.</p>
<p>"We didn't get anything going on the offensive side to help make that game Jered's," Angels manager Mike Scioscia remarked.</p>
<p>Scioscia's squad could fare better this afternoon, provided Santana can deliver his usual results against the A's. The 2008 AL All-Star boasts a tremendous 11-3 record and a 1.99 earned run average over 19 career matchups (17 starts) with Oakland and has been terrific as well at the Coliseum, where he's gone 5-1 with a 1.89 ERA in eight starts and a pair of relief efforts.</p>
<p>That lone loss took place in his most recent visit to Oakland, however. In a June 10 showdown with the Athletics, Santana was reached for five runs (four earned) and lasted just five innings in a 6-1 setback against Cahill.</p>
<p>The 27-year-old does come into today's clash having won four of his last five starts, though, and improved to 14-9 on the year after holding Seattle to two runs over 7 2/3 innings this past Monday at Safeco Field. Santana has pitched at least 6 1/3 innings and permitted three runs or fewer in each victory of that five-game stretch.</p>
<p>Oakland, which closed within eight games of slumping Texas for first place in the AL West with Saturday's verdict, will hand the ball to <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/68725/Vin_Mazzaro">Vin Mazzaro</a> for the finale. The sophomore hurler will be seeking a rebound from a brutal showing at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, when he was battered for nine runs (seven earned) and served up three homers before being lifted after 3 2/3 innings.</p>
<p>Since winning six of his first eight decisions to begin the year, Mazzaro is 0-5 over his seven most recent starts and pitched to a 5.09 ERA over that rough stretch. His last victory took place against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/teams/chicago-white-sox">Chicago White Sox</a> at the Coliseum on July 24.</p>
<p>Mazzaro has fared well in two previous encounters with the Angels this season, having gone 1-0 and allowing just three runs over a span of 12 innings. He's 1-1 with a 4.95 ERA over four career starts in this series.</p>
<p>Oakland has won six of nine meetings with the Angels at the Coliseum thus far in 2010, as well as eight of 15 overall games between the divisional foes this season.</p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/2010/9/5/2320517/angels-turn-to-ervin-santana-to-avoid-sweep-in-oaklandEric Stephen