Final score at the Big A: Athletics: 4, Angels: 3
Don't be fooled by the scoreboard folks as Mark Trumbo crushed one to deep left-center field to bring this game within one run after having been kept scoreless for 8 and two-thirds of mind-numbingly depressing baseball.
Brett Anderson tried to start a perfect game, retiring the first 10 Angels out of the game before Erick Aybar's single to left-center but would be stranded on the bases to end the 4th inning.
The Angels had runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out in the 6th, with a legit chance to cut the A's lead, and of course fail to score. You've seen this happen all season long, get runners in scoring position then leave'em there.
Joel Pineiro pitched into the 7th inning, getting Coco Crisp to fly out but that would be all as Rich Thompson took over and struck out the next two batters to end the inning . Pineiro gave up 11 hits, including a hit for every A's starter, over 6.2 innings, striking out 3 and no walks issued.
Chopper continued to show us how awesome he is on the mound with a 1-2-3 8th inning, retiring all 5 batters faced today. Hisanori Takahashi was given mop-up duty in the 9th inning and retired the side in order.
Brett Anderson had a strong performance over the Angels today going 8 innings, giving up 3 hits while walking 3 batters and striking out 4. Anderson had the opportunity to finish with a CG SO but A's manager Bob Geren decided that he's going to be Bob Geren about it and pulled his starter in favor of closer Grant Balfour.
Erick Aybar would lead off the inning with a single through the right side of the infield but Abreu and Torii once again fail to advance the runner. Aybar would take 2nd on Catcher's Indifference and Alberto Callaspo worked a walk to bring up Mark Trumbo who launched one to deep left-center field to bring the game within one run. Newly minted Angel Russell Branyan nearly tied the game with one swing of the bat but instead a simple fly out to center field to end the flash rally and game.
Add up all the missed opportunities to score with runners on base and all of the sudden that TrumBomb would have been all the more awesome and meaningful.