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Sep. 14, 2011

OAKLAND, Calif. — Jered Weaver shrugged off his career-best 17th victory of the season as if it were his first.

With his team locked in a tight race with AL West-leading Texas, the Los Angeles Angels ace will have plenty of time to relish his achievements in the offseason. Weaver may also have to come back on three days’ rest for his next start, so any individual celebration will have to wait.

“We haven’t gotten to our goal yet, but from a personal standpoint, it’s pretty cool,” Weaver said after pitching seven innings in a 4-1 victory against the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday. “It’s not over yet. We still have a lot of goals to accomplish as a team, which is more important. Hopefully we keep winning some ballgames.”

Los Angeles will have to do just that to maintain its playoff hopes.

The Angels began the day three games behind Texas with two weeks remaining.

That’s one of the reasons manager Mike Scioscia is considering juggling his rotation to get Weaver (17-7) back on the mound, possibly as soon as Sunday in Baltimore.

“I’m good with it,” Weaver said. “We’ve got a tight one going on right now and anything we can do to help the club win some ballgames, I’m all for it. I feel great.”

Mark Trumbo hit a tiebreaking home run in the sixth and Bobby Abreu added two hits and scored twice for the Angels, who took the series after losing the opener.

Josh Willingham matched his career high of 26 home runs with a solo shot off Weaver in the third but the A’s managed only two baserunners over the final six innings.

Oakland, which has been held to one run or fewer 30 times this season, committed two errors to add to its AL-leading total of 119.

“That’s been the biggest weakness in the club this year,” manager Bob Melvin said. “In theory, next spring, that will be the No. 1 priority.”

Oakland might also want to work on its hitting after putting only two runners on base over the final six innings.

Weaver allowed six hits with one walk and two strikeouts. He pitched out of a bases-loaded situation in the first and escaped a two-on, one-out jam in the second to beat the A’s for the third time in four starts this season.

That lowered the lanky right-hander’s ERA to 2.40, second in the AL behind Detroit ace Justin Verlander (2.36). Weaver also improved to 13-0 this year when going at least seven innings.

That’s been big for the Angels, who are 21-10 in games Weaver starts and 61-57 otherwise.

“It was a rocky start for Weave,” Scioscia said. “It looked like he was struggling to get his pitches into good zones. He loosened up as the game went on. It was a day where he didn’t have his best stuff but pitched with it.”

It also marked Los Angeles’ second successive victory in Oakland after losing 10 of its previous 12 at the Coliseum.

Scott Downs pitched a scoreless eighth and Jordan Walden worked the ninth for his 31st save, extending his Angels rookie record.

The A’s, who still lead the season series 9-7, had Weaver in trouble early but couldn’t deliver with runners on base.

Willingham drove in the A’s only run when he hit a 2-2 pitch over the wall in left-center. That tied his career high set in 2006 with Florida.

Oakland’s defense made several nice plays to help preserve the 1-0 lead until Los Angeles broke through in the sixth.

Howie Kendrick, who hit a pair of two-run homers Tuesday in a 6-3 victory, drew a leadoff walk and scored from first on Abreu’s double to right-center. Two batters later, Trumbo hit his 26th home run of the season to make it 3-1.

Rich Harden (4-3) didn’t make it out of the sixth, allowing three runs and seven hits. Since throwing seven scoreless innings against Toronto on Aug. 19, the Oakland right-hander is winless in four starts and has a 6.97 ERA during that span.

Trumbo also hit a hard single off the wall in the eighth. He needs three home runs over the final 13 games to become the second rookie in Angels history to have at least 30 home runs and 80 RBI. Tim Salmon had 31 home runs and 95 RBI in 1993.

“He’s going to have to get a lot of Rookie of the Year consideration just because of the numbers,” Scioscia said. “And if we reach our goal, there’s no doubt he has to get some MVP consideration. If you take him out of our lineup this year, we’re not even talking about a pennant race.”

Abreu, who led off the eighth with a walk, scored an insurance run when Trumbo stole second base and Oakland infielder Eric Sogard bobbled the throw from catcher Kurt Suzuki.

Notes

• A’s CF Ryan Sweeney strained his quadriceps while running out a grounder in the sixth.
• Coco Crisp (foot) hit in the cage and might return to Oakland’s lineup Thursday.
• Angels RHP Dan Haren, who tossed a shutout in his last start, pitches in the series opener Friday night against Baltimore. Haren (15-8) can match his career high for wins by beating the Orioles.
• Brandon McCarthy, who starts Thursday for Oakland against Detroit, is holding opponents to a .196 batting average over his past four outings.

That’s all for today.

Jared Weaver pitches against the Oakland Athletics. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

Read More: Rich Harden (P – OAK), Josh Willingham (LF – OAK), Bobby Abreu (DH – ANA), Jered Weaver (P – ANA), Jordan Walden (P – ANA), Mark Trumbo (1B – ANA), Oakland Athletics, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Angels at Oakland Athletics, Sep 14, 2011 12:35 PM PDT

Mark Trumbo hit a go-ahead, two-run home run off Rich Harden in the top of the sixth inning, leading the Los Angeles Angels to a 4-1 win over the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday afternoon at Overstock.com Coliseum in Oakland. Jered Weaver allowed one run in seven innings to pick up his 17th victory of the season. The Halos are now two and a half games behind Texas in the American League West, with the outcome of the Rangers’ game against Cleveland Wednesday night pending.

Josh Willingham hit his second home run of the series, a two-run shot off Weaver in the third inning, to give Oakland a 1-0 lead. Bobby Abreu tied the score with an RBI double off Harden in the top of the sixth, and Trumbo followed with his team-leading 27th home run of the season, giving the Angels a 3-1 lead. The Halos added an insurance run in the eighth inning.

Weaver threw 115 pitches in his seven innings of work, allowing just one run, but he also had just one strikeout against two walks. The 17 wins are a new career high for Weaver. Jordan Walden pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his 31st save of the season.

The Angels are off Thursday, but open a three-game series in Baltimore on Friday against the Orioles.

For more news and information on the Angels, be sure to read Halos Heaven.

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By Eric Stephen

– Managing Editor

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Sep 13, 2011 – Jerome Williams takes the mound Tuesday night for the Angels, looking for his fourth win in as many starts, as the Los Angeles Angels battle the Oakland Athletics in the second game of a three-game set at Overstock.com Coliseum. Tonight’s battle features two pitchers who nearly threw a no-hitter in their last start, as Guillermo Moscoso pitches for the A’s.

Williams, at 29, has had a career resurgence for the Angels in the last month, going 3-0 with a 3.51 ERA in six games, including three starts. In those three starts, Williams has pitched at least seven innings each time, and has a combined three walks and 17 strikeouts. Against Seattle on September 7 the only hit Williams allowed was a sixth-inning home run to Trayvon Robinson.

Moscoso took a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the Royals on September 7, and settled for coming within one out of a two-hit shutout.

Here are Tuesday night’s starting lineups.

Athletics (67-80)

Weeks 2B
Pennington SS
Matsui LF
Willingham DH
Sizemore 3B
Sweeney CF
Suzuki C
Allen 1B
Taylor RF

Angels (80-67)

Izturis 2B
Kendrick 1B
Abreu DH
Hunter RF
Callaspo 3B
Wells LF
Aybar SS
Bourjos CF
Conger C

Read More: Jerome Williams (P – ANA), Trayvon Robinson (CF – SEA), Guillermo Moscoso (P – OAK), Oakland Athletics, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Angels at Oakland Athletics, Sep 13, 2011 7:05 PM PDT

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Read More: Joel Pineiro (P – ANA), Hideki Matsui (DH – OAK), Torii Hunter (RF – ANA), Erick Aybar (SS – ANA), Grant Balfour (P – OAK), Scott Sizemore (2B – OAK), Cliff Pennington (SS – OAK), Jemile Weeks (2B – OAK), Oakland Athletics, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Angels at Oakland Athletics, Sep 12, 2011 7:05 PM PDT

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.

Thanks for reading! .

Published: Sept. 13, 2011 at 1:24 AM

What do you guys think about this.

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.

The Sports Network

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OAKLAND, Calif. —
Athletics 6, Angels 3

Josh Willingham hit his 25th home run and drove in four runs to help the Oakland Athletics chase starter Joel Pineiro early again in a 6-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night.

Willingham’s three-run shot in the first inning off Pineiro (6-7) started a second straight brief outing for the Angels right-hander at the Coliseum. Los Angeles fell three games behind first-place Texas in the AL West.

Pineiro allowed four runs on five hits in three-plus innings. His short start still lasted longer than his previous performance in Oakland on July 17, when he gave up eight runs in one-third of an inning.

Gio Gonzalez (13-12) struck out six and gave up two runs in 6 2-3 innings.

Erick Aybar and Vernon Wells each hit solo home runs late for the Angels, who had won six of their last eight games to climb back into the playoff race. With only 15 games remaining, time is running out to catch the Rangers.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia had hoped that Pineiro’s struggles were over. He had a six-start winless streak until his last outing — allowing one run in seven innings in a 4-1 victory over Minnesota — and seemingly fixed the mechanics in his release point that were at the root of his problems.

All that washed away quickly.

Pineiro walked two of the first three batters and pitching coach Mike Butcher visited the mound for a chat before Willingham came to the plate. Willingham sent a 1-1 pitch soaring into left-center field, skipping off the top of the wall for a home run to put the A’s ahead 3-0 in the first inning.

After Torii Hunter singled leading off the second, Wells hit line drive that ricocheted off the wall just below the foul pole in right. The ball skipped back over the outstretched arms of David DeJesus, giving Wells a triple and allowing Hunter to score to bring the Angels within 3-1.

Ryan Sweeney singled and Kurt Suzuki hit one his two doubles to start the bottom of the fourth. That was enough for Scioscia to pull Pineiro for Tyler Chatwood after a start that was reminiscent of Pineiro’s last visit to Oakland, a 9-1 loss that was the shortest appearance by an Angels starter — not counting an injury or ejection — since Aug. 28, 2007.

The A’s kept piling it on with a rare display of pop. Scott Sizemore hit a run-scoring single and Cliff Pennington knocked a two-out RBI single later in the inning to put Oakland ahead 5-1. After Aybar hit his 8th home run of the season in the seventh, Willingham answered with an RBI single in the bottom of the inning to give the A’s a 6-2 lead.

Wells homered for the 21st time this season in the ninth off Grant Balfour.

NOTES: The A’s held out closer Andrew Bailey as a precaution after he was hit just above his left ear by a foul ball from teammate Kurt Suzuki during batting practice. He passed an initial concussion test. Bailey said his vision momentarily went black but joked that his sunglasses saved him and he’ll be fine. … Scioscia said ace Jered Weaver, who is scheduled to start Wednesday in Oakland, could pitch on three days’ rest Sunday at Baltimore. That would allow the right-hander to get an extra start in the season finale at Texas on normal rest. … Oakland CF Coco Crisp was scheduled to have a precautionary MRI exam on his right foot, which he injured taking two foul balls off last week. Manager Bob Melvin said he was hopeful Crisp could return this season. … The Angels will send RHP Jerome Williams (3-0, 3.51 ERA) to the mound Tuesday against A’s RHP Guillermo Moscoso, who didn’t allow a hit until the eighth inning in his last start against Kansas City.

(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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Read More: Trevor Cahill (P – OAK), Hideki Matsui (DH – OAK), Bartolo Colon (P – NYY), Los Angeles Angels, New York Yankees

The Oakland Athletics open up a three game series with the New York Yankees Monday night sending out Trevor Cahill to face Bartolo Colon. Cahill is coming off a poor outing against the Angels in which he gave up ten hits, walked five batters and took his second straight loss. He only gave up four runs (three earned), but he lacked the control that has been key for him in 2011.

Cahill will face a Yankees lineup that leads the American League in runs scored and OPS. They have three players with double digit home run totals, with two more at nine home runs. Given the A’s struggles scoring runs this season, Cahill will have to pitch a pretty solid game if Oakland is going to take the first game of the series.

The A’s decided not to go with Ryan Sweeney against the right-hander Colon. They find themselves in a bit of a conundrum when it comes to their starting lineup. Matsui is struggling to get going with a line of .226/.282/.346. He’s generally been a slow starter so the team has to be hoping he’ll heat up with the weather in June. The question becomes how long does the team wait before making playing time adjustments?

Oakland Athletics
1. Coco Crisp CF
2. Daric Barton 1B
3. David DeJesus RF
4. Josh Willingham LF
5. Hideki Matsui DH
6. Kurt Suzuki C
7. Mark Ellis 2B
8. Kevin Kouzmanoff 3B
9. Cliff Pennington SS

New York Yankees
1. Derek Jeter SS
2. Curtis Granderson CF
3. Mark Teixeira 1B
4. Alex Rodriguez 3B
5. Robinson Cano 2B
6. Russell Martin C
7. Jorge Posada DH
8. Nick Swisher RF
9. Brett Gardner LF

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Read More: Oakland Athletics, Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners

The Oakland Athletics open a three-game series with the New York Yankees on Monday looking to build on their current four-game winning streak. The A’s dropped to four games under .500 following a sweep at the hands of the San Francisco Giants. The A’s rebounded by splitting four games at the Angels and following that up with a three game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles.

The AL West is one big knot at the moment as all four teams are playing fairly well. The Seattle Mariners are the hottest team in the division having won eight of their last ten, including a series victory over the Yankees. The Mariners entered the season with a lot of question marks and they appeared set to finish in the cellar. A weak start reinforced that view, but their recent run has them providing stiff competition for the rest of the division.

The A’s schedule includes no divisional matchups the entire month of June. The A’s wrap up the first half of the season with seven games against Seattle and Texas but will be everywhere but the West for June. Given the relative lack of divisional contests in June, it’s possible the next few weeks could tighten up the wildcard race as well. Of course, that would require the AL West teams maintaining their hot streaks. It should make for an interesting June.

Gotta run!.

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Brett Anderson tossed three-hit ball over eight scoreless innings and Andy LaRoche drove in three runs to help the last-place Oakland Athletics beat the Los Angeles Angels 4-3 on Thursday.

The A’s split their four-game series with the second-place Angels, who fell to 4-7 in their past 11 games.

Anderson (3-4) struck out four and walked three to beat the Angels for the first time in six career starts. The left-hander had been 0-3 in his previous five starts. Anderson finally got some run support from his teammates, who had supplied two runs or less in seven of his previous 10 starts this season.

Grant Balfour gave up a three-run homer to Mark Trumbo with two outs in the ninth.

The Angels’ Torii Hunter, who had a hit and an RBI in each of his previous six games, failed to extend the longest such stretch of his career, going 0 for 3 with a walk.

The Angels’ only hits off Anderson were a single by Erick Aybar in the second inning, a double by Maicer Izturis in the sixth and a single by Alberto Callaspo in the seventh.

Joel Pineiro (2-1) gave up 11 hits and four runs in 6 1-3 innings — the same three totals he had in his previous start against Atlanta. The 11 hits are the most allowed by an Angels starter this season. The right-hander struck out three and walked none while falling short in a bid to notch his 100th career victory.

The A’s extended their lead to 4-0 with three runs in the fourth. Josh Willingham led off with a single before Mark Ellis singled with two outs. LaRoche followed with a double to left field, scoring Willingham and Ellis. He scored on Cliff Pennington’s single.

Oakland led 1-0 in the second on LaRoche’s groundout to third that scored former Angel Hideki Matsui, who singled to lead off the inning.

Notes: The Angels placed INF Howie Kendrick on the 15-day DL with right hamstring tightness, and signed INF Russell Branyan to a contract for the season. Branyan pinch hit in the ninth. … Angels INF Kendrys Morales underwent a second surgery in Vail, Colo., on his left ankle to clean out scar tissue, degenerative cysts and debris in the area. He won’t return this season. … The A’s closed their seven-game trip with a 2-5 record. … Oakland starters have allowed one earned run or less in seven of the past eight games.

(This version CORRECTS Athletics 4, Angels 3. Corrects to Andy in 1st paragraph. Restores previous.)

That’s all the news for today.

(Sports Network) – Behind Torii Hunter’s resurgent bat, the Los Angeles Angels
take aim at a series victory over the Oakland Athletics this afternoon in the
finale of a four-game set in Anaheim.

Hunter and Alberto Callaspo ripped back-to-back homers off A’s starter Trevor
Cahill in the fifth inning of Wednesday’s matchup, leading the Angels to a 4-1
victory. It marked the sixth game in a row for Hunter with an RBI, with the
outfielder driving in eight in that span.

The 35-year-old Hunter is batting .409 (9-for-22) over his last six games
after managing just one hit in his previous 24 at-bats.

“I’m just trying to settle in and focus,” Hunter said. “Cahill is one of the
best pitchers in the American League. We were able to capitalize on a couple
of his mistakes. He doesn’t make many.”

Ervin Santana threw six innings of one-run ball for the Angels, who have won
four of six and sit a half-game behind the Rangers for first place in the
American League West. The Athletics are three games back of Texas.

Coco Crisp brought in the lone run for Oakland, which has dropped seven of
its last eight games, while Cahill allowed all four runs — three earned — in
six innings of work to fall to 6-2.

The A’s have been held to just a single run or less in five of their last
seven games, batting .214 as a team in that span.

Oakland’s Brett Anderson and Joel Pineiro of Los Angeles will square off this
afternoon in a rematch of a May 16 contest in which neither starter factored
into the decision of the Athletics’ 5-4 victory in extra innings. Anderson
allowed three runs over 6 2/3 innings while striking out seven, and Pineiro
was charged with three runs over seven innings.

Anderson’s no-decision is part of his current five-start winless stretch that
has seen him go 0-3 with a 5.04 earned run average since his last victory on
April 24. Following his outing versus the Angels, Anderson took the loss in
San Francisco on Saturday despite allowing just one first-inning run over his
five-frame outing.

“You don’t want to ever give up a run in the first inning,” Anderson told
Oakland’s website. “You walk the leadoff guy and he comes around to score, and
it’s kind of unfortunate, but you have to put that behind you.”

The 23-year-old is 2-4 with a 3.18 ERA in 10 starts this season and 0-2 with a
4.55 ERA in five career starts versus the Angels.

Pineiro, meanwhile, picked up his second straight no-decision on Saturday
versus the Braves. The right-hander gave up season highs of four runs and 11
hits over 6 2/3 innings, with all four runs allowed coming in the seventh
inning. The big blow came on a three-run homer.

“The only slider I hung was the home run. It seemed like all the pitches I
left up were in that one inning, and they made me pay for it,” said Pineiro.

Pineiro, 32, is 2-0 with a 2.67 ERA and is still sitting on 99 career wins. He
is 9-8 with a 4.12 ERA lifetime when facing Oakland.

Oakland has won four of six over Los Angeles since a six-game series losing
streak, but has dropped 10 of its last 12 at Angel Stadium.

The Sports Network

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