Oakland Athletics vs Los Angeles Angels Match Player Stats On Aug 29, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Aug 30, 2017

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- C.J. Cron homered twice, including a three-run blast that capped a five-run first inning and propelled the Los Angeles Angels to an 8-2 win over the Oakland A's on Tuesday night at Angel Stadium.

Cron's first homer followed an RBI single by Ben Revere and a sacrifice fly by Andrelton Simmons off Oakland starter Chris Smith, the 36-year-old journeyman looking for his first win since 2008.

That victory for Smith nine years ago while he was with the Boston Red Sox also is his only career major league win, and he will have to wait even longer for No. 2.

Smith (0-4) gave up seven runs (six earned) on five hits and two walks in 3 2/3 innings, lasting longer than his counterpart. Angels starter Troy Scribner went 2 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on solo homers by Matt Joyce and Matt Olson in the second inning.

While Scribner failed to give the Angels what they were looking for on the mound, Jesse Chavez (7-10) made up for it. Chavez, relegated to the bullpen after making 21 starts this season, yielded just one hit and two walks in four scoreless innings, striking out five.

The win allowed the Angels (68-65) to keep pace with Minnesota in the race for the second American League wild card. With the Twins also winning Tuesday, the Angels remain one game back.

Ahead 5-2, the Angels added two runs in the fourth inning, one on a home run by Martin Maldonado and the other on an RBI single by Revere. Cron homered in the eighth, his 10th since the All-Star break and 12th of the season.

Cameron Maybin led off the first inning with a double and scored on Revere's single. After Simmons drove in the second run with a sacrifice fly, Cron followed two batters later with his 11th homer of the season.

The A's got two back in the second inning against Scribner on the solo homers, and when Oakland loaded the bases with two out in the third inning, Angels manager Mike Scioscia lifted Scribner. Jose Alvarez entered and got Joyce on a foul popup to the catcher, ending the threat.

Smith was able to get through the second and third innings, but the Angels knocked him out in the fourth. Maldonado hit his 12th home run with one out, and after Maybin reached on a throwing error by the third baseman Olson, A's manager Bob Melvin went to the bullpen for Simon Castro.

NOTES: Angels CF Mike Trout did not play for the second game in a row, still bothered by a sore neck that resulted from running into the outfield wall on Sunday. Trout said he feels his neck is improving and expects to return to the lineup on Wednesday. ... The Angels called up OF Eric Young Jr. from Triple-A Salt Lake. Young took the roster spot of RHP Bud Norris, who was placed on the 10-day disabled list due to an inflamed right knee. ... A's RHP Paul Blackburn, hit on the right hand by a comebacker on Aug. 22 while pitching against the Orioles, is expected to miss several starts even though a CT scan on his hand was negative. Blackburn is 3-1 with a 3.22 ERA in 10 starts.