Pujols hits 573rd career homer, but Angels fall to A's
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Not even Albert Pujols' milestone homer could stop the Los Angeles Angels' losing streak.
Khris Davis hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the eighth inning and the Oakland Athletics beat the Angels 7-4 on Friday night.
Pujols hit 573rd career homer, tying Harmon Killebrew for 11th on baseball's career list. It was his 13th of the season - first since June 5.
However, the Angels still lost their fifth straight to fall a season-worst 12 games below .500 (31-43) as they got another short start on the mound and another rough night from the bullpen.
Jered Weaver, who threw a three-hit shutout against Oakland last weekend, was chased from the game with two outs in the fifth inning after giving up four earned runs and eight hits.
It was the second straight night the Angels had to go to the bullpen early. Angels manager Mike Scioscia was hoping to get more innings out of Weaver with a few key bullpen arms unavailable.
"At times, when stuff is going in the wrong direction - like it is right now - it's tough to see the forest through the trees," Scioscia said. "It just seemed like he wasn't going to make that pitch like he did last weekend up in Oakland. Those guys put together some good at-bats and good innings."
With a personal cheering section of about 50 friends and family members, Davis, the former Cal State Fullerton outfielder connected off of Fernando Salas (3-4) for his second home run of the series and his 18th of the season.
"I was thinking I got the job done and it was in the gap," Davis said. "I thought it was a double, and then it just went over."
Salas pitched well in the seventh inning but fell apart in the eighth. He had Davis on 0-2 count but left a fastball over the middle of the plate.
"He's down two strikes in the count. That looks like a double off the bat, and it ends up carrying out of the ballpark," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "A lot of (his homers) have been big. He's getting a lot of big hits for us."
Ryan Dull (2-2) pitched one inning for the win. Ryan Madson earned his 14th save in 17 chances by getting Albert Pujols on a ground out with two runners on.
Stephen Vogt drove in two runs with a solo homer in the first and an RBI single in the fifth that drove in Yonder Alonso to tie the score at 4-4.
Eric Surkamp's night ended even earlier as he gave up four runs, two earned, and five hits in 3 2/3 innings. He is still looking for his first major league win.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Athletics: LHP Rich Hill threw 35 pitches off the mound on Friday and will start a rehab assignment on Monday with Class-A Stockton. Hill went on the 15-day disabled list June 9 (retroactive to May 30) with a left groin strain.
Angels: RHP Nick Tropeano was reinstated from the 15-day DL and optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake on Friday. Tropeano had been sidelined since June 4 with right shoulder tightness and made a rehab start with Class-A Inland Empire on Thursday. Angels manager Mike Scioscia declined to say why Tropeano was optioned.
UP NEXT
Athletics: LHP Dillon Overton (0-0) will make his major league debut on Saturday. Overton was the A's second round draft pick in 2013 but immediately underwent Tommy John surgery. In 14 appearances - including 13 starts - with Triple-A Nashville this season, Overton was 8-4 with a 3.01 ERA.
Angels: RHP Jhoulys Chacin (2-3) is making his ninth start with the Angels since being acquired from the Atlanta Braves on May 11. Chacin is coming off of a loss in his last start on Monday at Houston and has pitched only once against Oakland, giving up two earned runs and five hits in a no-decision last Aug. 29.