(SportsNetwork.com) – The Oakland Athletics will try to conclude a 10-game
road trip with a series win over the LA Angels of Anaheim Thursday night.
The Athletics have taken two of three against the Angels, including
Wednesday’s 9-2 pounding of their AL West rivals.
Billy Butler smacked a two-rum homer as part of a five-run seventh inning and
Sam Fuld posted two hits and scored three runs. Stephen Vogt tallied a pair of
hits, two RBI and scored a run, while Ike Davis recorded three hits with an
RBI and a run scored for the A’s, who had an 18-4 advantage in hits and are
5-4 on the trek.
A’s starter Sonny Gray struck out seven and surrendered a run on just two hits
and a pair of walks over seven innings for the win.
“He was great,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “He’s basically pitched, for the
most part, the same game every time this year. Gets a strikeout when he needs
a strikeout, gets a ball on the ground when he needs a ball on the ground. His
competitiveness shows up every night. Had a pretty significant headache, too.”
Oakland, which has alternated results over the past six games and will start a
six-game homestand this weekend versus Houston and Anaheim, will hand the ball
to Jesse Chavez on Thursday. Chavez has made four relief appearances this
season and is taking the rotation spot of Jesse Hahn (blister).
Chavez is 1-3 with a 3.99 earned run average in 13 career games (2 starts)
against the Angels.
The Angels have dropped four of five games and fell to 1-5 at home.
David Freese doubled twice and scored a run for the Halos, and both Kole
Calhoun and Mike Trout finished 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout. Angels
starter Jered Weaver had his six-inning showing go to waste because of the
bullpen and permitted just a run with three K’s and no walks.
“It’s not my decision,” Weaver said of Angels manager Mike Scioscia taking him
out. “It’s (Scioscia’s) decision. He knows where I’m at and how I’m feeling
mechanically and body-wise. It’s going to take a little bit of time to get
that trust back and prove to him that I can be the guy that goes out there and
throws 100, 115 pitches. That’s what I was used to a couple years ago.”
Fernando Salas gave up two runs during a five-run seventh inning to absorb the
loss.
Anaheim will host the Texas Rangers for three games this weekend.
Taking the mound for Scioscia’s club Thursday will be right-hander Nick
Tropeano. Tropeano was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake when Matt Shoemaker
was placed on the bereavement list and will face Oakland for the first time.
Tropeano was 1-3 with a 4.57 ERA in four starts with Houston last season.
The Angels took the 2014 series with the A’s by a 10-9 count.
