Final Score in Oakland: Angels 6, Athletics 3
With the results of the Texas victory over Cleveland hanging right in front of them on the Left Field Bulletin Board at the Oakland Coliseum, the Angels walked a three hour plus tightrope before adding some insurance with Howie Kendrick's second homerun of the game in the top of the 9th inning of 4-3 game. The Angels won their 81st game of the season with a full bullpen effort from Hisanori Takahashi, Bobby Cassevah, Scott Downs and Jordan Walden. Takahashi ended up getting the Win and Walden the Save.
Angels starter Jerome Williams could not comply with home plate Umpire Gary Cederstrom's strike zone that looked bought and paid for by a loan shark leveraged on the "Under". And why should he be afraid, there was hardly anyone watching this game despite Oakland's Free-Parking-Tuesday promotion. In a gutsy move with nobody out, a run across and runners on 2B and 3B in the 5th inning, Mike Scioscia left Williams in to face Scott Sizemore. The righty struck him out swinging and Takahashi picked up the pieces cleanly.
Kendrick capped a wild 3rd inning with a two-run HR. Erick Aybar had doubled to lead off the inning and was advancing to 3B on a deep foul out (only in Oakland is that a probable play). While a perfect throw would have had him, Oakland's D was nowhere to be found and neither was the ball as it sailed past the base and Aybar ran home for the game's first run. a strikeout and a single later, Kendrick's 2-out blast made it 3-0. But Williams unraveling at the hands of Cederstrom's tight K-zone made this a needlessly long game that might have lasted forever had the Angels defense not turned 4 double plays.
Light up the Halo. Angels are 3 back with 14 to play.
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