FINAL SCORE IN ANAHEIM: Angels 4, Athletics 0
The Athletics had five hits in the game while the Angels had four runs. On paper, the A's defense will not be recorded as a factor in any of the runs - two homers and a bases loaded walk. But the defense was central to the first home run of the game, a two-run shot by Chris Iannetta. A's CF Coco Crisp ran faster than might be thought humanly possible to the wall in the LF/CF gap, leaped, caught the ball as it went over the wall, and then deposited the ball out of his glove as the force of his body hitting the wall jarred the sphere loose. Crisp landed flat on his back and left the game with what looked like whiplash.
The A's stunning defense was not matched by a good offense as Yoenis Cespedes was nowhere to be found in the lineup or on the field or in the dugout. Yep, the A's traded their best offensive layer and handed the keys to the batter's box to a gaggle of .250 hitters. In return they got Jon Lester who was the losing pitcher in tonight's game. Thanks for that trade, Brad Pitt, did Angelina Jolie call Bill James to get that deadline deal made?
Lester surrendered that two-run home run to Iannetta and then walked him with the bases loaded on his next AB. Meanwhile Jered Weaver dominated, allowing three hits over seven innings on a night that begged for fewer pitchers as Johnny Allstaff will be on the mound tomorrow beginning with Corey Rasmus. Weave had to pitch with guts and guile as he had three walks and only three strikeouts to go along with the trio of hits he surrendered. Working out of a bases-loaded crisis in the sixth, he induce a harmless flyball out and walked off the mound pumping the air with F-Bomb glory.
Albert Pujols tacked on an insurance run with his 24th HR of the season in the bottom of the seventh inning and then Joe Smith and Huston Street shut the door and the Halo will be lit tonight.