Angels break out late to top Athletics

The win allowed the Angels to even the American League West series at a game
apiece after Oakland had returned from a winless trip to Japan with a 4-0 win
in its California opener on Thursday.

After starters Marco Estrada of Oakland and Matt Harvey of Los Angeles had
left a pitchers' duel that had the A's winning 2-0 through seven innings, the
Angels jumped on the third Oakland pitcher, right-hander Joakim Soria (0-1),
for singles by Jonathan Lucroy and Brian Goodwin, and an RBI double by Kole
Calhoun to cut their deficit in half with nobody out in the eighth.

After Mike Trout was walked intentionally to load the bases, left-hander Ryan
Buchter walked Justin Bour to force in the tying run.

Right-hander Liam Hendriks then replaced Buchter and served up Simmons'
tie-breaking hit to center field.

Right-hander Hansel Robles (1-0), who replaced Harvey after six effective
innings, was credited with the win after pitching a scoreless seventh.

Ty Buttrey kept the 4-2 lead despite allowing two hits in the Oakland eighth,
before Trout busted the game open with a two-run double off Fernando Rodney in
the top of the ninth.

The hit scored Goodwin and Calhoun, both of whom had collected two-out
singles.

New Angels closer Cody Allen pitched around a one-out walk in the ninth to
give Los Angeles its first win.

Harvey was pulled after six innings, having allowed a two-run homer to A's
designated hitter Khris Davis that opened the game's scoring in the bottom of
the sixth.

Making his Angels debut, the right-hander allowed four hits and two runs in
his six innings. He walked three and struck out one.

In his first home start for Oakland after having allowed three runs in five
innings against Seattle in his A's debut last week in Japan, Estrada limited
the Angels to two singles and two walks in six shutout innings. He struck out
three.

The A's finally broke through for their new guy in the bottom of the sixth
when Matt Chapman doubled with one out and Davis followed two batters later
with his third homer of the season, his second in two days.

Simmons, Goodwin, Calhoun and Trout had two hits apiece for the Angels, who
out-hit the A's 10-7.

Chapman and Davis had two hits each for the A's.

--Field Level Media