Oakland, CA – Albert Pujols went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored as the LA Angels of Anaheim took an 8-3 win over the Oakland Athletics to open a four-game set.
Mike Trout and Mark Trumbo each drove in two while J.B. Shuck scored three runs for the Angels, who have won their past two. C.J. Wilson (11-6) won his third straight start as he gave up three runs on five hits with three walks and six strikeouts over seven innings.
"We'll take eight runs any way they come," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "If we have one hitter hitting two grand slams and that's the only two hits we get, we'll take it. But I think the depth of our lineup is important. I think we had everybody contributing tonight, and that's nice."
Derek Norris went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and two RBI for the Athletics, who came into the game having won three of four. Dan Straily (6-4) was touched for five runs on seven hits with two walks and five strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.
"I thought I had some pretty good command with the ball tonight," said Straily. "But later in the game they were able to get some good swings on the ball. They're aggressive hitters and they swing at a lot of pitches."
Pujols' RBI single in the third pushed across the first run of the game, but Oakland went on top in the fourth as Yoenis Cespedes scored on a wild pitch and a single from Norris scored Chris Young, who had doubled in the previous at-bat.
The Angels went back on top in the fifth thanks to a four-run frame.
Erick Aybar led off with a walk and Shuck singled. Trout's sac fly scored the first run of the frame, and Pujols followed with a single. Josh Hamilton then plated a run with a single and Trumbo followed with a two-run double for a 5-2 lead.
The Angels padded their lead further in the sixth as a Jesse Chavez wild pitch scored Hank Conger, and Trout and Pujols added RBI singles later in the frame for an 8-2 lead.
Norris' solo homer to left-center in the bottom of the sixth accounted for the final score as the A's managed just one baserunner in the final three innings.
Game Notes
Despite the loss, the A's still lead the season series, 6-4 ... LA batted 6- for-11 with runners in scoring position, while the A's were just 1-for-9 and stranded six ... Straily fell to 1-2 in five games against the Angels ... Wilson has three wins in four starts against the A's this season.
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