SB Nation Bay Area - Cahill Leads A's To Series Victory Over Angelshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48817/bayrea-fave.png2010-07-11T19:20:39-07:00http://bayarea.sbnation.com/rss/stream/13252052010-07-11T19:20:39-07:002010-07-11T19:20:39-07:00What A Difference Power Can Make
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<p>The A’s, limping along with an 0-4 homestand, rose up and won the last two from the Angels by not just pitching well, but also remembering how to hit the ball all the way over the wall. Early fireworks against Scott Kazmir came in the form of a Rajai Davis grand slam, Coco Crisp three-run bomb and Daric Barton blast, while Jack Cust launched majestic HRs in both games.</p>
<p>There are many facets to playing winning baseball, all important, but perhaps the two most crucial components of a successful team are pitching and power, and the A’s put both on display for the last 48 hours. It showed A’s fans what winning baseball could look like — if the A’s can ever get two legitimate power hitters into the 3-4 spots in the lineup.</p>
https://bayarea.sbnation.com/2010/7/11/1564840/what-a-difference-power-can-makeNico2010-07-11T16:14:05-07:002010-07-11T16:14:05-07:00Cahill And A's Defeat Angels 5-2 To Earn Series Victory Before All-Star Break
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<p>Oakland, CA (<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/events/53890/recap/108996" target="new">Sports Network</a>) – Trevor Cahill threw seven innings and Jack Cust hit a two-run homer as the Oakland Athletics took a 5-2 win over the LA Angels of Anaheim in the finale of a three-game set.</p>
<p>Cahill (9-3) gave up just one unearned run on five hits with a pair of walks and three strikeouts. Kurt Suzuki went 3-for-3 with an <span class="caps">RBI</span> and a run scored for the Athletics, who won the final two games of this set.</p>
<p>Bobby Abreu hit a solo homer while Erick Aybar went 3-for-5 for the Angels, who have dropped six of their last seven. Jered Weaver (8-5) was tagged for five runs on seven hits with a walk and seven strikeouts over six innings.</p>
<p>The Angels sit in second place in the AL West with a mark of 47-44, 4 1/2 games back of first place Texas, while Oakland is third in the division with a 43-46 record.</p>
<p>Oakland took the lead in the first when Ryan Sweeney hit a two-out double and Suzuki followed with a two-bagger for a 1-0 lead.</p>
<p>The Athletics made it a 3-0 game in the fourth as Suzuki led off with a walk and Cust followed with a blast over the wall in left-center.</p>
<p>The Angels got a run back in the fifth as Kevin Frandsen reached second base thanks to a Cliff Pennington error and came home when Jeff Mathis followed with a single to center to make it a 3-1 game.</p>
<p>Anaheim loaded the bases in the sixth with no outs, but Mike Napoli hit into a 5-2-3 double play and Cory Aldridge struck out to end the threat.</p>
<p>The A’s padded their lead in the bottom of the sixth as Adam Rosales’ two-run single made it a 5-1 contest.</p>
<p>Abreu made it a three-run game in the eighth as he led off the frame with his 10th home run of the season.</p>
<p>Andrew Bailey worked around a one-out single in the ninth to pick up his 18th save of the season.</p>
<p>Oakland starts a three-game set in Kansas City on Friday…The Angels host Seattle for four games starting on Thursday…The Angels have taken seven of the 13 games with Oakland this season.</p>
https://bayarea.sbnation.com/2010/7/11/1564621/cahill-as-defeat-angels-recapDavid Fucillo2010-07-11T10:43:30-07:002010-07-11T10:43:30-07:00Cahill Looks To Lead A's To Series Victory Over Angels Before All-Star Break
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<p>(<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/events/53890/preview/108959" target="new">Sports Network</a>) – The Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim close out a three-game weekend set from the Coliseum this afternoon.</p>
<p>These teams have split the first two meetings of this series, with the Athletics rebounding from a loss on Friday with a 15-1 rout last night. Rajai Davis’ grand slam capped an eight-run third inning for Oakland, with the outfielder finishing 4-for-5 with five <span class="caps">RBI</span> and three runs scored.</p>
<p>“It’s just nice to get an opportunity to play,” Davis said. “To get some hits and get them early, it takes a lot of pressure off yourself.”</p>
<p>Adam Rosales went 3-for-5 with an <span class="caps">RBI</span> and three runs scored for the Athletics, who snapped a four-game skid. Ben Sheets (4-8) threw six shutout innings and gave up just two hits and a walk with four strikeouts for the win.</p>
<p>Cory Aldridge drove in the lone run for the Angels, who have lost five of six. Starting pitcher Scott Kazmir (7-9) was blown up for a franchise-record 13 runs on 11 hits and walked three over five innings to drop his fourth straight start</p>
<p>“Between he’s pitched some good baseball, and there’s been some games that have gotten away from him,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of Kazmir. “[Saturday], obviously he struggled with a lot of things.”</p>
<p>Jered Weaver has been outstanding for Anaheim this season, and the righty will take the mound for this afternoon’s rubber match. Through 18 starts, Weaver is 8-4 with a 2.97 <span class="caps">ERA</span> and has posted 130 strikeouts and only 27 walks through 115 innings, while yielding 96 hits.</p>
<p>In his most recent start, Weaver allowed four earned runs in 6 1/3 innings against the White Sox on Tuesday en route to defeat.</p>
<p>Weaver is 0-1 against Oakland this season and 3-4 with a 3.10 <span class="caps">ERA</span> lifetime against the A’s.</p>
<p>As for Oakland, it will give the ball to Trevor Cahill today. Cahill lost his last outing, permitting six earned runs in six innings against the New York Yankees on Tuesday, but still is an impressive 8-3 overall with a 3.17 <span class="caps">ERA</span>. He has only allowed 65 hits through 88 innings.</p>
<p>Cahill has yet to face the Angels this season and is 2-1 with a 2.56 <span class="caps">ERA</span> in his career against them.</p>
<p>The Angels have won seven of 12 meetings with Oakland this season and are 11-5 in the 16 most recent contests between the AL West foes.</p>
https://bayarea.sbnation.com/2010/7/11/1564220/trevor-cahill-jered-weaver-as-angelsDavid Fucillo2010-07-10T21:00:24-07:002010-07-10T21:00:24-07:00Davis Goes 4-for-5 With A Grand Slam As A's Cruise to Victory
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<p>Rajai Davis had arguably the best night of his major league career, going 4-for-5 with a grand slam, two doubles, a single, a stolen base and three runs scored, as the Oakland A’s provided their most prolific offensive performance of the season in snapping a four-game losing streak. The 15 runs scored were the most this season, and the eight-run third inning was a season high. Throw in a strong Ben Sheets performance and it was probably the best night of an up-and-down season for the A’s.</p>
<p>Fittingly, it was Rajai Davis who got the night started in style. He opened the third inning with a double that almost turned into an inside-the-park homerun. Davis hit a shot down the right field line and Bobby Abreu just barely got his out-stretched glove on the ball, holding Davis to a single. Davis then proceeded to steal third, and then score on a passed ball to give the A’s a 1-0 lead.</p>
<p>Cliff Pennington followed with a triple and the A’s were off to the races. The team scored three wins before Davis returned with the bases loaded and hit a no-doubt grand slam to give the A’s an 8-0 lead. The Angels kept Kazmir in the game and he finished the night going five innings and giving up 13 runs, all earned, leaving the evening with a 6.92 ERA.</p>
<p>The run support was more than enough for Ben Sheets as he cruised through six innings, giving up 2 hits and 1 walk on 104 pitches. Sheets has been the subject of trade rumors, and his performance tonight should only increase the chatter, and the scouts following the A’s around the country.</p>
<p>The A’s offense has been given a lot of grief for its general struggles, particularly the lack of power in the lineup. Tonight the A’s certainly showed they can cut loose on occasion. Aside from Davis, Coco Crisp hit a 3-run homer off the top of the out of town scoreboard and Daric Barton hit a beautiful solo shot to the right field seats. The offensive explosion was particular sweet because 13 of the 15 runs came with two outs in the given inning.</p>
<p>The A’s wrap up the first half of the season tomorrow afternoon looking to win this series behind All-Star Trevor Cahill. He’ll be facing Jered Weaver, a guy who should have been an All-Star (AL leader in Ks, top 10 in <span class="caps">ERA</span> and <span class="caps">WHIP</span>). It’s possible the A’s used up all their runs for the series tonight, so we could have quite the pitcher’s duel.</p>
https://bayarea.sbnation.com/2010/7/10/1563698/rajai-davis-grand-slam-as-victory-angels-recapDavid Fucillo2010-07-10T17:21:16-07:002010-07-10T17:21:16-07:00Sheets Looks To Guide The A's To Victory As his Oakland Days May Be Drawing To a Close
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<p>(<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/events/53884/preview/108876" target="new">Sports Network</a>) – The Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are set to play the second contest of a three-game weekend series from the Coliseum this evening.</p>
<p>Pitcher Scott Kazmir has fallen far short of expectations for the Angels this season, a major reason that the team continues to trail division-leading Texas in the American League West race. Kazmir is 7-8 with a 5.98 <span class="caps">ERA</span> for the year and was torched for seven earned runs in 6 1/3 innings by the White Sox on Monday. The hard-throwing lefty has only struck out 58 batters in 87 1/3 innings while walking 46.</p>
<p>Kazmir did win his only previous start against Oakland this season and is 9-3 lifetime with a 2.85 <span class="caps">ERA</span> versus the Athletics.</p>
<p>A’s starter Ben Sheets is just 3-8 this season with a 4.89 <span class="caps">ERA</span>, but there is reason for optimism in Oakland. The big righty, who takes the mound tonight, allowed three earned runs over a season-high 7 1/3 innings Monday against the New York Yankees, and while that game did end in defeat, Sheets finally feels back to form after missing last season due to elbow surgery.</p>
<p>Sheets has faced the Angels four times in his career, and while his 3.67 <span class="caps">ERA</span> against the squad is solid, he has yet to win a game (0-2).</p>
<p>Erick Aybar’s leadoff homer in the 10th proved to be the difference in Friday’s series opener as the Angels defeated the A’s, 6-5, despite squandering three different leads.</p>
<p>Torii Hunter and Bobby Abreu each added a two-run homer for the Angels, who snapped a four-game losing streak. Hideki Matsui added a sacrifice fly in the victory.</p>
<p>“We need to focus on our club, not who we’re playing,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said after the game. “We have a lot of things on our club we need to tighten up a little bit, do more consistently. Obviously, out of the batter’s box we did a better job tonight and got the win.”</p>
<p>Joel Pineiro was in line for the win after allowing three runs in seven solid innings, but the Angels righty had his six-start win streak snapped after Fernando Rodney gave up two runs in the eighth. Kevin Jepsen (1-1) received the win and Brian Fuentes recorded his 16th save by throwing the ninth.</p>
<p>Jack Cust hit a solo home run for the Athletics, who have lost four in a row. Kevin Kouzmanoff finished with two hits and Coco Crisp had an <span class="caps">RBI</span> in defeat.</p>
<p>Vin Mazzaro yielded three runs, four hits and three walks in a seven-inning start for Oakland, while Andrew Bailey (0-3) was saddled with the loss after giving up Aybar’s game-winning homer.</p>
<p>“You really want to win that first one, especially after getting swept by the Yankees,” Bailey said. “It’s a tough loss. We have to do our jobs and win the next two.”</p>
<p>The Angels have won seven of 11 meetings with Oakland this season and are 11-4 in the 15 most recent contests between the AL West foes.</p>
https://bayarea.sbnation.com/2010/7/10/1563434/ben-sheets-as-angels-preview-tradeDavid Fucillo2010-07-09T22:21:23-07:002010-07-09T22:21:23-07:00A's Lose On Tenth Inning HR By Erick Aybar...Seriously
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<p>Oakland, CA (<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/events/53878/recap/108851" target="new">Sports Network</a>) – Erick Aybar’s leadoff homer in the 10th proved to be the difference, and the Angels defeated the A’s, 6-5, despite squandering three different leads in the opener of a three-game set.</p>
<p>Torii Hunter and Bobby Abreu each added a two-run homer for the Angels, who snapped a four-game losing streak. Hideki Matsui added a sacrifice fly in the victory.</p>
<p>Joel Pineiro was in line for the win after allowing three runs in seven solid innings, but had his six-start win streak snapped after Fernando Rodney gave up two runs in the eighth. Kevin Jepsen (1-1) received the win, and Brian Fuentes recorded his 16th save.</p>
<p>Jack Cust hit a solo home run for the Athletics, who have lost four in a row. Kevin Kouzmanoff finished with two hits and and Coco Crisp had an <span class="caps">RBI</span> in defeat.</p>
<p>Vin Mazzaro yielded three runs, four hits and three walks in a seven-inning start for Oakland, and Andrew Bailey (0-3) was saddled with the loss after giving up the game-winning homer</p>
https://bayarea.sbnation.com/2010/7/9/1562511/as-lose-angels-recap-erick-aybarDavid Fucillo2010-07-09T16:36:46-07:002010-07-09T16:36:46-07:00A's Begin Surprisingly Important Series With Angels
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<p>The A's host the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/ANA">Angels</a> in the last series heading into the All-Star Break, and Oakland's status as a team 4 games under .500 and 9.5 games shy of 1st place may suggest that no series, this one included, means a whole lot anymore. However, the A's are just 4 games back of the Angels and so if the A's could rise from the comatose and sweep the series, Oakland would reach the All-Star Break just one game back of 2nd place as well as within a game of .500.</p>
<p>No they don't give out medals for runner-up, but given that the Angels have been the cream of the AL West over most of the past 9 years it would be a confidence builder to play even with Oakland's southern rivals as a stepping-stone to contention. A sweep this weekend would go a long way towards realizing this goal.</p>
<p><span>Vin Mazzaro</span>, <span>Ben Sheets</span>, and <span>Trevor Cahill</span> are due to matchup against Joel Piñeiro, <span>Scott Kazmir</span>, and <span>Jered Weaver</span>. Perhaps the most significant start will be that of Ben Sheets, considered the most likely A's player to be worth a good prospect at the deadline -- if he pitches well the rest of the month.</p>
https://bayarea.sbnation.com/2010/7/9/2317675/as-begin-surprisingly-important-series-with-angelsNico