OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Angels and Oakland Athletics will attempt to keep beating up upon each other when they square off on the second night of a three-game series Tuesday.
The Angels won at Oakland for the sixth time in seven games this season when they pounded out 14 hits in a 10-7 victory in the series opener Monday.
All nine starting position players got into the hitting act as the Angels moved four games ahead of the A's in the battle for last place in the American League West.
Cole Calhoun homered, C.J. Cron extended his hitting streak to a career-high 12 games and Albert Pujols ran his streak to 11 straight in the win. But it was Mike Trout who once again led the way, recording three singles after he'd been hit by a pitch in the first inning.
Trout has recorded three or more hits in six of his last 11 games, and is hitting .453 (24-for-53) over his last 15 games.
Trout, Jefry Marte and Jeff Bandy all got hit by pitches in a wild -- and testy -- first inning, the first of A's right-hander Raul Alcantara's career.
Pujols had words with A's catcher Bruce Maxwell after almost getting beaned by Alcantara's first pitch after the one that struck Trout on the elbow, and home plate umpire Vic Carapazza got an earful from the Angels bench later in the inning, prompting a meeting between the ump and LA manager Mike Scioscia as his team took the field.
A's manager Bob Melvin felt compelled to share words with Carapazza after Oakland's half of the first inning, trying to get an explanation as to what was angering the Angels.
"He wasn't trying to hit guys, but he hit three of our guys," Scioscia explained. "Of course there's going to be back and forth."
Alcantara lasted only three innings, forcing Melvin to use Tuesday's projected starter, Ross Detwiler, in long relief.
That pushed Zach Neal into Tuesday's start.
Neal has never started against the Angels. Nor has he allowed them any runs over 4 1/3 innings in two relief appearances.
But he'll be facing an Angels team that's homered in 11 straight games, with Kole Calhoun adding to that total on Monday.
The A's countered Calhoun's shot with two of their own Monday, with Khris Davis belting his 35th of the season and Danny Valencia his 16th.
That raised Oakland's total to 19 in 13 games against the Angels this season.
Angels right-hander Ricky Nolasco will seek to end that streak Tuesday. He not only did not allow a homer, but also didn't allow a run in his last start, a 3-0 shutout win over the Cincinnati Reds last Wednesday.
Valencia, Ryon Healy and Max Muncy all homered off Nolasco the last time the A's saw him, on Aug. 4. Oakland scored twice in the 10th against the Angels bullpen to win that one 8-6.
If Tuesday's game comes down to bullpens, the A's will have one of their most trustworthy arms at their disposal.
Left-hander Sean Doolittle made his first appearance since June 25 with a scoreless, two-strikeout inning Monday.
Last place or not, he's excited to be back.
"I did a pretty good job of controlling my energy level, but it was definitely an adrenaline rush," he said of his seventh-inning return. "I really appreciated the ovation from the crowd. That gave me goosebumps for sure."
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