by Jerry Feitelberg

The A’s squared off against the LA Angels Thursday afternoon in the rubber match of the three-game series.  The A’s Jesse Chavez was making his second start of the year and he was opposed by the Angels’ Garrett Richards who was coming back from a knee injury that put him on the DL for the last two months of 2014. It looked like it was going to be an easy win for the Angels as they were ahead 6-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh. The A’s scored twice in the seventh and three more times in the ninth and only a sensational catch in center field by Mike Trout prevented the A’s from a walk-off win and the Angels held on to win 6-5.

Chavez went five innings allowing four runs and seven hits and he was charged with the loss. The A’s bullpen problems continued. Eric O’Flaherty gave up a run in the sixth and Ryan Cook did the same in the seventh. Garrett Richards pitched extremely well going six-plus innings and allowing just four hits. Angels’manager, Mike Scioscia, took him out of the game after he gave up a hit to Josh Reddick to start the seventh inning. Garrett was replaced by Mike Morin who gave up a home run to Mark Canha that put the A’s on the board.

Joe Smith set the A’s down 1-2-3 in the eighth. The A’s, however, did not quit and they sent nine men to the plate in the ninth and had the bases loaded with two but Angels closer, Huston Street, who did not have his best stuff going for him Thursday, got Ike Davis to fly out to deep centerfield to end the game. The game summary follows below.

The Angels put a run on the board in the top of the third. Angel catcher Drew Butera singled to lead off the frame. Third base man, Taylor Featherston, put down a sacrifice bunt that moved Butera to second.

The next batter, Erick Aybar, ground out to the right side to advance Butera to third and Butera scored on a single off the bat of Angel second baseman, Johnny Gaviotella.

The Angels added three more runs in the top of the fifth. Taylor Featherston singled to leadoff the inning. It was Featherston’s first Major League hit. Aybar singled to put two men on. After a sacrifice bunt that advanced the runners. the A’s elected to walk Mike Trout to load the bases and create the opportunity for a double play to end the inning. Kole Calhoun foiled the strategy with a single to drive in two runs.

Trout made it to  third on the play. David Freese hit a slow grounder to second. The A’s tried for the double play but Freese beat the throw and that allowed Trout to score the third run of the inning. Angels pitcher Garrett Richards kept the A’s off the board in their half of the fifth. 4-0 after five.

Bob Melvin ended Jesse Chavez’ day when he brought in Eric O’Flaherty in to start the sixth. The left-handed O’Flaherty retired the first two Angel hitters that he faced. He then walked Featherston and was tagged for a double by Erick Aybar that drove in Featherston to give the Angels a 5-0 lead. Melvin brought in Dan Otero to close out the inning. Ryan Cook came in to pitch the seventh and he gave up a double to Trout and a single to Freese to make it 6-0. The A’s got on the board in the bottom of the seventh when Mark Canha Sent a Mike Morin pitch into the seats in left field to make it a 6-2 game.

The A’s refused to quit and they came roaring back in the ninth. Billy Butler, mired in a one-for-twenty slump, walked after Angels’ first baseman, C.J.Cron failed to catch a popup in foul territory. Josh Reddick singled sending Butler to third and driving Angels reliever Vinnie Pestno to the showers. The Angels brought their closer, former Athletic Huston Street, in to finish off the A’s. Brett Lawrie greeted him with a single driving in Butler with the A’s third run of the game. Matk Canha singled to drive in Reddick. The Angels walked Stephen Vogt, who was pinch-hitting for Eric Sogard, to load the bases. Max Muncy, pinch-hitting for Josh Phegley, popped up to short. Sam singled to center driving in Lawrie with the fifth run of the game. Mike Trout made a terrific throw to third base that prevented Canha from scoring. The A’s still had two outs left but they could not get the key hit that would have won the game for them. Final score Angels win 6-5

Game Notes- Jesse Chavez took the loss and his record is now 0-2. The A’s record for the year is 9-14and they lost five of the games played on the homestand. Sam Fuld was o-for-18 before his single in the ninth inning. Mark Canha was the hitting star for the A’s witha home run and three RBI. The Angels’ Garrett Richard won his econd game of the year and the Angels improved to 11-11. Erick Aybar, Mike Trout, David Freese were the hitting stars for the Angels.

After the game, A’s manager Bob Melvin commented that the A’s had an “awful homestand’ and that we “have to do better than that.” and , while the team rallied late in the game, “it was still not a win.”

The A’s travel to Texas to start the second 10 game road trip of the young season. They play the Rangers for three this weekend then fly of to Minnesota for four with the Twins then off to Seattle for three with the Mariners before returning home. Scott Kazmir, Drew Pomeranz and Sonny Gray will

face the Rangers and they will be opposed by Colby Lewis, Nick Martinez and Yovani Gallardo.