Oakland, CA (Sports Network) – Scott Sizemore knocked in the game-winning run with a hit into the right-center field gap in the bottom of the 10th inning, as the Athletics earned a 4-3 win over the Angels to split a doubleheader Saturday. David DeJesus, Landon Powell and Coco Crisp also had an RBI apiece for the A’s, who dropped the opener of the doubleheader 4-2 in the afternoon.
In that game, Angels starter Jered Weaver scattered seven hits while fanning three and walking a pair to win his sixth straight decision. Brad Ziegler (3-1) worked a scoreless 10th in the nightcap for the A’s, while Rich Thompson (1-3) surrendered the winning hit to Sizemore on a hanging breaking ball and absorbed the loss. Mark Trumbo and Vernon Wells blasted home runs for the Angels.
Josh Willingham led off the 10th with a walk and pinch-runner Cliff Pennington advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by DeJesus. Conor Jackson grounded out and Powell walked to set the stage for Sizemore’s walkoff. Despite falling down in the count 0-2, Sizemore ripped a hanging 2-2 curveball into the gap to win it for the A’s.
“I just battled until I got one I could handle,” Sizemore said.
Earlier, Los Angeles struck first in the second inning, plating a pair of runs on Trumbo’s home run to center field, his 18th of the year. Oakland came back to knot the game at two in the fourth. Sweeney ripped a one- out single to center, advanced to second on a wild pitch by Angels starter Ervin Santana, moved to third on a single by Willingham and scored on a single to right by DeJesus. Oakland picked up its second run of the inning on a single by Powell.
The A’s took a 3-2 lead in the fifth. Eric Sogard led off the inning with a walk, advanced to third on a throwing error by Santana and scored on a groundout by Crisp. Santana fought back to strike out Sweeney and induce a groundout from Willingham with a runner on third to limit the damage to one run.
Los Angeles came right back to tie the game at 3-3 in the sixth on Wells’ two- out solo homer, his 14th of the season. Los Angeles is 33-13 when scoring first in 2011…Saturday’s twin-bill was the first doubleheader in Oakland since August 22, 1998 against the Detroit Tigers…Oakland is 15-17 against the AL West, while the Angels hold a 14-13 mark against their own division…Oakland is 5-8 during the month of July…Santana gave up three runs — two earned — on 10 hits, while Oakland starter Rich Harden went seven innings, giving up three runs on four hits.