SB Nation Bay Area - Athletics Vs. Angels: Oakland Wins Series With Unorthodox 4-2 Victoryhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48817/bayrea-fave.png2012-04-19T22:19:43-07:00http://bayarea.sbnation.com/rss/stream/27180432012-04-19T22:19:43-07:002012-04-19T22:19:43-07:00Athletics Vs. Angels, Game 4 Final Score: Oakland Steals A 4-2 Win
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.athleticsnation.com/">Oakland Athletics</a> played the final game of a four-game series against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.halosheaven.com/">Los Angeles Angels</a> on Thursday night. One night after a one-of-a-kind pitching performance by <span>Bartolo Colon</span>, the A's took the field behind new lefty phenom <span>Tom Milone</span>. Thanks in large part to shoddy Los Angeles defense, Oakland took the series, three games to one, with a 4-2 win.</p>
<p>Oakland knew they would have their work cut out for them on Thursday, as they went up against dominating left-hander <span>C.J. Wilson</span>. The A's were able to get Milone an early lead, as <span>Seth Smith</span> drew a two-out walk in the top of the second inning and scored on a <span>Kurt Suzuki</span> double.</p>
<p>In the fourth inning, <span>Yoenis Cespedes</span> and <span>Jonny Gomes</span> drew back-to-back walks to start the frame. Smith then reached on a throwing error by Wilson that also allowed both baserunners to score and put Smith in scoring position, putting Oakland up 3-0. <span>Kila Ka`aihue</span> singled in Smith to stretch the lead to 4-0.</p>
<p>The A's saw their lead cut in half in the bottom of the frame, on an RBI double by <span>Vernon Wells</span> and a <span>Mark Trumbo</span> single that brought Wells home.</p>
<p>Fautino De Los Santos came out to pitch for Oakland in the bottom of the sixth and gave up a leadoff walk and a single. De Los Santos was then lifted for <span>Jordan Norberto</span>, who got a one-pitch groundout that was unable to score the runner. Norbetro then struck out <span>Peter Bourjos</span> and got a second groundout to end the inning.</p>
<p>Tom Milone went six innings, allowing two runs on seven hits and a walk, while striking out three. Grant Balfour picked up his fourth save of the year with a scoreless ninth inning.</p>
<p>Despite only picking up three hits in the game, the A's handed Wilson his first loss of the season, thanks to his costly throwing error.</p>
<p><i>For all news and information regarding the Oakland A's, please visit <a target="_blank" href="http://www.athleticsnation.com/">Athletics Nation</a>. For updates and perspective on the Los Angeles Angels, head on over to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.halosheaven.com/">Halos Heaven</a> or check out <a target="_blank" href="http://losangeles.sbnation.com/">SB Nation Los Angeles</a>. </i></p>
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https://bayarea.sbnation.com/oakland-athletics/2012/4/19/2961590/athletics-vs-angels-game-4-final-score-recapBill Hanstock2012-04-19T09:44:15-07:002012-04-19T09:44:15-07:00A's Bartolo Colon Throws Most Consecutive Strikes Since 1988 [VIDEO]
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<p>With the stacked AL West, the <a href="https://www.athleticsnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Oakland Athletics</a> will certainly have an uphill battle the rest of the season if they want to make any semblance of a playoff push. But if starting pitcher <span>Bartolo Colon</span> keeps up his hot start, their may be a bit more hope than once thought, especially since he set a new MLB record Wednesday night after <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/bartolo-colon-throws-38-straight-strikes-most-since-154441200.html" target="_blank">throwing 38 consecutive strikes</a> en route to a 6-0 victory over the Anaheim <a href="https://www.halosheaven.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Angels</a>.</p>
<p>Just how is this possible? Make the jump to find out.</p>
<p>The 38-year old Colon started his feat on the second pitch of the fifth inning, and lasted until the seventh pitch of the eighth inning. He had no foul balls, struck out two and allowed two Angels hits during that span. And of course, NOT A SINGLE BALL. Not only is that impressive, it's almost freaky, with the last suck player to get even close was journeyman <span>Tim Wakefield</span> through 30 straight back in 1988, though this 'record' isn't known any further because of pitch data's relatively recent expansion.</p>
<p>Colon ended with 102 pitches, 82 of them for strikes, while pushing his record to 3-1 with a 2.61 ERA on the season. After the game, Colon had no idea he was in such a zone:</p>
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<p>''I felt like I threw a lot of strikes, but I never thought I threw 38 in a row. I didn't know anything about it until I came in here,'' Colon said to reporters through a translator. ''The two-seamer was the most consistent pitch that I had."</p>
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<p>Two things are for sure, the A's have gotten themselves quite a deal for a 38-year old starting pitcher, and the <a href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Yankees</a> certainly are giving themselves a facepalm for letting him go. Maybe we all should get <a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/baseball-reportedly-looking-into-operation-on-yankees-bartolo-colon-051111" target="_blank">stem cell injections</a> in our elbows.</p>
<p>Still don't believe it? You can watch the whole thing <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2012_04_18_oakmlb_anamlb_1&#gid=2012_04_18_oakmlb_anamlb_1&mode=video" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
<p><i>For more on the A's, head over to <a href="http://www.athleticsnation.com" target="_blank">Athletics Nation.</a> </i></p>
<p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PL6969C40420638137&hl=en_US" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
https://bayarea.sbnation.com/oakland-athletics/2012/4/19/2960249/bartolo-colon-throws-most-consecutive-strikes-since-1988-videoErnie Pomin2012-04-18T22:19:35-07:002012-04-18T22:19:35-07:00Athletics Vs. Angels, Game 3 Final Score: Bartolo Colon, Yoenis Cespedes Lead Oakland To 6-0 Win
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<p>After Wednesday night's game between the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.athleticsnation.com/">Oakland Athletics</a> and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.halosheaven.com/">Los Angeles Angels</a>, <span>Bartolo Colon</span> is now tied with <span>Roy Halladay</span> for the MLB lead in wins. Colon was once again fantastic, improving his record to 3-0 with eight shutout innings in a 6-0 Oakland victory.</p>
<p>The A's at least assured themselves a split in the four-game series following back-to-back wins on Tuesday and Wednesday. The bulk of the damage was done in the top of the first inning, when <span>Yoenis Cespedes</span> hit a three-run homer -- his fourth of the year -- off of Angels starter <span>Ervin Santana</span>. The Athletics would add another run in the top of the sixth with a leadoff home run from Jonny Gomes. The final two Oakland runs came in the top of the ninth inning, via a Jemile Weeks RBI double and a bases-loaded walk by Gomes as the A's once again took advantage of the weak Angels bullpen.</p>
<p>Colo went eight innings, giving up just four hits and no walks while striking out five. He combined with Faytino De Los Santos for the shutout. Oakland's 1-2-3 hitters of Weeks, <span>Cliff Pennington</span> and <span>Josh Reddick</span> each had two hits in the game.</p>
<p>Oakland improves to 6-7 and will go for the series win -- and .500 -- on Thursday night.</p>
<p><i>For all news and information regarding the Oakland A's, please visit <a target="_blank" href="http://www.athleticsnation.com/">Athletics Nation</a>. For updates and perspective on the Los Angeles Angels, head on over to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.halosheaven.com/">Halos Heaven</a> or check out <a target="_blank" href="http://losangeles.sbnation.com/">SB Nation Los Angeles</a>. </i></p>
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https://bayarea.sbnation.com/oakland-athletics/2012/4/18/2959389/athletics-vs-angels-game-3-final-score-recap-bartolo-colonBill Hanstock2012-04-17T23:05:55-07:002012-04-17T23:05:55-07:00Athletics Vs. Angels, Game 2 Final Score: Oakland Rallies Back For 5-3 Win
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.athleticsnation.com/">Oakland Athletics</a> were able to even their away series against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.halosheaven.com/">Los Angeles Angels</a> at 1-1 on Tuesday night, taking advantage of a weak bullpen for a four-run eighth inning and an eventual 5-3 victory.</p>
<p>The A's got on the board first with a <span>Daric Barton</span> solo home run in the top of the fourth inning. The blast was Barton's first home run since 2010. The Angels would tie things up in the bottom of the frame, as <span>Vernon Wells</span> scored on a groundout.</p>
<p>In the bottom of the sixth, the Angels took a 2-1 lead when <span>Torii Hunter</span> singled home Kendrys Morales. Angels starting pitcher <span>Dan Haren</span> left the game in the top of the seventh inning with the lead, but the A's would pick apart the bullpen in the top of the eighth inning.</p>
<p><span>Kevin Jepsen</span> started the eighth inning for the Angels, striking out <span>Josh Donaldson</span> looking before walking back-to-back batters. <span>Coco Crisp</span> then hit an RBI single and <span>Josh Reddick</span> followed that up with an RBI double to give the A's a 3-2 lead. Angels manage Mike Scioscia brought in David Carpenter to limit the damage, but the first batter he faced -- <span>Yoenis Cespedes</span> -- hit a single to drive in Crisp and Reddick and extend the Oakland lead to 5-2.</p>
<p>The Angels would get a run back in the bottom of the ninth on a solo Wells homer, but <span>Grant Balfour</span> was able to retire the side to secure his fourth save of the season and the Oakland win. The A's are now 5-7 and stay a half-game ahead of the Angels.</p>
<p>Reddick was 3-for-4 in the game and Cespedes was 2-for-4. <span>Tyson Ross</span> did well in his season debut, allowing two earned runs on seven hits and no walks over six innings.</p>
<p><i>For all news and information regarding the Oakland A's, please visit <a target="_blank" href="http://www.athleticsnation.com/">Athletics Nation</a>. For updates and perspective on the Los Angeles Angels, head on over to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.halosheaven.com/">Halos Heaven</a> or check out <a target="_blank" href="http://losangeles.sbnation.com/">SB Nation Los Angeles</a>. </i></p>
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https://bayarea.sbnation.com/oakland-athletics/2012/4/17/2956725/athletics-vs-angels-final-score-recap-yoenis-cespedes-daric-bartonBill Hanstock2012-04-16T21:56:14-07:002012-04-16T21:56:14-07:00Athletics Vs. Angels Final Score: Jered Weaver Shuts Out Oakland, 6-0
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.athleticsnation.com/">Oakland Athletics</a> visited the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.halosheaven.com/">Los Angeles Angels</a> on Monday night to kick off a four-game series. The A's were hoping to take advantage of the Angels' struggles to begin the 2012 season, but unfortunately ran into <span>Jered Weaver</span> at the top of his game.</p>
<p>The Angels started off the scoring right away in the bottom of the first inning, as <span>Kendrys Morales</span> hit his first home run of the year, a three-run blast that would provide all the offense the Angels would need.</p>
<p>The score would remain 3-0 until the bottom of the eighth inning, when back-to-back doubles by <span>Albert Pujols</span> and Morales to start the frame brought an Angels run home. The Angels added added another as Andrew Carignan walked in a run with the bases loaded. On the next batter, Carignan threw a wild pitch to plate yet another run.</p>
<p>The A's threatened to rally in the top of the ninth, as reliever <span>LaTroy Hawkins</span> gave up a couple of infield hits and a two-out walk to load the bases. <span>Jemile Weeks</span> battled, but struck out swinging to end the game.</p>
<p>Weaver pitched 6.2 innings, giving up just five hits and one walk along with six strikeouts, one of which was the 1,000th strikeout of his career. A's starter <span>Brandon McCarthy</span> went seven innings, allowing five earned runs on 11 hits.</p>
<p><i>For all news and information regarding the Oakland A's, please visit <a target="_blank" href="http://www.athleticsnation.com/">Athletics Nation</a>. For updates and perspective on the Los Angeles Angels, head on over to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.halosheaven.com/">Halos Heaven</a> or check out <a target="_blank" href="http://losangeles.sbnation.com/">SB Nation Los Angeles</a>. </i></p>
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https://bayarea.sbnation.com/oakland-athletics/2012/4/16/2954009/athletics-vs-angels-final-score-recap-jered-weaverBill Hanstock2012-04-16T06:01:05-07:002012-04-16T06:01:05-07:00Athletics Vs. Angels Series Preview: Oakland Heads South In Search Of A Winning Series
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<p>The Oakland Athletics will head south on Monday to kick off a four-game series with the Los Angeles Angels. The A's will be trying to stay in front of the Angels in the AL West.</p> <p>The Oakland Athletics are still licking their wounds from a losing series against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lookoutlanding.com/">Seattle Mariners</a>, but will head to Southern California on Monday to continue their road trip against the Los Angeles Angels.</p>
<p>The Angels are currently 3-6 and in last place in the American League West. The A's will attempt to keep them there over the course of the four-game series.</p>
<p>On Monday, the two teams' aces will face off in a strong matchup. Brandon McCarthy, still in search of his first win, will take the hill for the A's in his third start of the season. He'll go up against Jered Weaver, who is 1-0 with a 3.21 ERA. That game will begin at 7:05 p.m. PT and will be televised on CSN+2. You can listen to the radio broadcast on 95.7 FM The Game.</p>
<p>Tuesday's game will feature <span>Tyson Ross</span> making his season debut for the A's. He'll go up against <span>Dan Haren</span>, who has had a rough start with an 0-1 record and 6.97 ERA. The game will begin at 7:05 p.m. PT and will be televised on CSN-California. You can listen to the radio broadcast on 95.7 FM The Game.</p>
<p><span>Bartolo Colon</span> will get the start for Oakland on Wednesday. He's been the A's most consistent pitcher thus far, with a 2-1 record and 3.72 ERA. He'll go up against <span>Ervin Santana</span>, who has struggled mightily and holds a 7.71 ERA to go along with his 0-2 record. The game will begin at 7:05 p.m. PT and will be televised on CSN-California. You can listen to the radio broadcast on 95.7 FM The Game.</p>
<p>The series finale will come on Thursday. Lefty phenom <span>Tom Milone</span> will try to improve on his 1-1 record and 2.57 ERA. The A's will have to contend with the Angels' new lefty star <span>C.J. Wilson</span>, who holds a sparkling 2-0 record with a 1.38 ERA. Thursday's game will begin at 7:05 p.m. PT and will be televised on CSN+ and MLB Network. You can listen to the radio broadcast on 95.7 FM The Game.</p>
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<p class="game-info"><span>Monday, Apr 16, 2012, 7:05 PM PDT</span><br> Angel Stadium of Anaheim</p>
<p class="pitchers"><span>Brandon McCarthy</span> vs <span>Jered Weaver</span></p>
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<p><i>For all news and information regarding the Oakland A's, please visit <a target="_blank" href="http://www.athleticsnation.com/">Athletics Nation</a>. For updates and perspective on the Los Angeles Angels, head on over to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.halosheaven.com/">Halos Heaven</a> or check out <a target="_blank" href="http://losangeles.sbnation.com">SB Nation Los Angeles</a>. </i></p>
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https://bayarea.sbnation.com/oakland-athletics/2012/4/16/2951547/athletics-vs-angels-series-preview-tv-time-schedule-probablesBill Hanstock