OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Angels cleared the fences and provided manager Mike Scioscia with some encouraging signs for an offense that has been far from consistent.
Yunel Escobar hit a three-run homer and had four RBI, Albert Pujols and Ben Revere added solo shots and the Angels beat the Oakland Athletics 7-3 on Tuesday night.
Pujols isn't ready to say this game will be some kind of turning point, but it was a good start in the process.
"That was great obviously after a tough loss last night," Pujols said. "We just came back and scored first, then they took the lead but we put some good at-bats. ... We know what kind of team we have. That thing comes and goes. The best thing is everybody goes out and tries to put good quality swings. We can't just go out there and try to hit the ball out of the park."
Yonder Alonso homered twice for Oakland, raising his career-best total to 11 with his second career two-homer game -- four days after his first.
"What are we in, early May? It's been impressive," manager Bob Melvin said. "At this point now you almost expect him to go up there and drive in runs and drive the ball."
Pujols homered in the first only to see Alonso answer with a two-run drive in the bottom half. Then the Angels hit two more in the second as the first seven runs all scored on long balls.
Escobar added an RBI groundout in the fourth and Cliff Pennington singled in a run to back Alex Meyer (1-1), who earned his first career road victory.
The A's didn't have that late-game magic on this night as Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant watched from behind home plate. Oakland had won its previous three games with walkoffs.
Jharel Cotton (3-4) struck out the first two batters of the game before surrendering Pujols' fifth homer on a drive to left-center.
Cotton, who fell to 0-4 in night games while going 3-0 during the day, allowed eight hits, a season-high seven runs and struck out seven with one walk over five innings.
Alonso homered for a second time leading off the sixth.
"He's swinging the bat probably hotter than anybody in the game right now," Scioscia said.
Scioscia's club managed more than enough runs after the Angels were held to just two in Monday's 3-2 defeat for the fifth time in nine games.
Meyer struck out seven but walked five over 5 1/3 innings, allowing three runs and four hits. Bud Norris, the Angels' fourth reliever who entered after Keynan Middleton started the ninth, earned his sixth save after Oakland threatened in the ninth.
"We need to get the offense going," Scioscia said. "We've had a lot of close games. Our pitchers have had their backs against the wall."
The Angels are 6-0 this year playing on Tuesday.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Angels: OF Mike Trout sat out a fourth straight game for the first time as a regular major leaguer and missed his fifth game in six with a tight left hamstring. He planned to hit in the cage Tuesday and said he would test the leg running Wednesday. ... Angels SS Andrelton Simmons returned to the lineup a day after being hit by a pitch in the first inning later leaving with a bruised left hand and right thumb. His left thumb was still bruised but Simmons said he was able to swing without pain and it shouldn't affect him throwing. "It feels good enough to hit, it feels good enough to play," he said.
Athletics: C Josh Phegley (concussion), who played at extended spring training Monday, is tentatively slated to come off the DL when eligible Friday at Texas. ... OF Mark Canha was recalled from Triple-A Nashville and OF Jaff Decker was designated for assignment.
SEVEN YEARS LATER
On the seven-year anniversary of Dallas Braden's perfect game against Tampa Bay on Mother's Day 2010, several familiar faces from that day were still around and playing Tuesday: Angels second baseman Pennington -- then with Oakland -- recorded the final out when he fielded a grounder to shortstop and threw to first; A's center fielder Rajai Davis was in the same spot that day and Oakland shortstop Adam Rosales played second.
Highlights were shown on the scoreboard in the middle of the second.
UP NEXT
RHP Jesse Chavez (2-4) faces his former A's club in the series finale Wednesday afternoon opposite Andrew Triggs (4-3).
---
More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball





Final
Series: Game 2 of 3

Angels 7

(17-18, 7-12 away)

Athletics 3

(15-18, 10-8 home)




10:05PM,EDT,May 9,2017
Oakland Coliseum, Oakland,California 

123456789 R H E
LAA 140200000 7 8 0
OAK 200001000 3 7 0
W: A. Meyer (1-1)
L: J. Cotton (3-4)
S: B. Norris (6)




View: Play-By-Play | Pitch-By-PitchInning: All | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
Los Angeles - Top of 1stSCORE
Jharel Cotton pitching for OaklandLAAOAK
Escobar struck out swinging.00
Calhoun struck out swinging.00
Pujols homered to left (423 feet).10
Valbuena struck out swinging.10
1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Oakland - Bottom of 1stSCORE
Alex Meyer pitching for Los AngelesLAAOAK
R. Davis walked.10
R. Davis stole second.10
R. Davis stole third.10
Lowrie struck out swinging.10
K. Davis lined out to third.10
Alonso homered to left center (393 feet), R. Davis scored.12
Healy struck out swinging.12
2 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Los Angeles - Top of 2ndSCORE
Jharel Cotton pitching for OaklandLAAOAK
Simmons struck out swinging.12
Maybin grounded out to first.12
Revere homered to right (366 feet).22
Pennington singled to left.22
Maldonado singled to center, Pennington to second.22
Escobar homered to left center (394 feet), Pennington and Maldonado scored.52
Calhoun struck out swinging.52
4 Runs, 4 Hits, 0 Errors
Oakland - Bottom of 2ndSCORE
Alex Meyer pitching for Los AngelesLAAOAK
Joyce struck out looking.52
Plouffe walked.52
Maxwell grounded into double play, shortstop to first, Plouffe out at second.52
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Los Angeles - Top of 3rdSCORE
Jharel Cotton pitching for OaklandLAAOAK
Pujols flied out to right.52
Valbuena struck out swinging.52
Simmons struck out swinging.52
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Oakland - Bottom of 3rdSCORE
Alex Meyer pitching for Los AngelesLAAOAK
Rosales doubled to right center.52
R. Davis grounded out to shortstop, Rosales to third.52
Lowrie struck out swinging.52
K. Davis walked.52
Alonso walked, K. Davis to second.52
Healy flied out to left.52
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Los Angeles - Top of 4thSCORE
Jharel Cotton pitching for OaklandLAAOAK
Maybin doubled to deep center.52
Revere singled to left, Maybin to third.52
Pennington singled to center, Maybin scored, Revere to second.62
Maldonado sacrificed to third, Revere to third, Pennington to second.62
Escobar grounded out to shortstop, Revere scored.72
Calhoun flied out to right.72
2 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors
Oakland - Bottom of 4thSCORE
Alex Meyer pitching for Los AngelesLAAOAK
Joyce flied out to center.72
Plouffe doubled to deep center.72
Maxwell struck out swinging.72
Rosales struck out looking.72
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Los Angeles - Top of 5thSCORE
Jharel Cotton pitching for OaklandLAAOAK
Pujols grounded out to shortstop.72
Valbuena walked.72
Simmons grounded into fielder's choice to second, Valbuena out at second.72
Maybin grounded into fielder's choice to shortstop, Simmons out at second.72
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Oakland - Bottom of 5thSCORE
Alex Meyer pitching for Los AngelesLAAOAK
R. Davis flied out to center.72
Lowrie flied out to center.72
K. Davis lined out to shortstop.72
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Los Angeles - Top of 6thSCORE
Josh Smith pitching for OaklandLAAOAK
Smith relieved Cotton.72
Revere grounded out to shortstop.72
Pennington flied out to right.72
Maldonado popped out to first.72
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Oakland - Bottom of 6thSCORE
Alex Meyer pitching for Los AngelesLAAOAK
Alonso homered to center (410 feet).73
Healy struck out swinging.73
Joyce walked.73
Parker relieved Meyer.73
Plouffe struck out swinging.73
Maxwell singled to left, Joyce to second.73
Rosales grounded into fielder's choice to third, Maxwell out at second.73
1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors
Los Angeles - Top of 7thSCORE
Josh Smith pitching for OaklandLAAOAK
Escobar grounded out to third.73
Calhoun lined out to left.73
Pujols grounded out to shortstop.73
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Oakland - Bottom of 7thSCORE
Blake Parker pitching for Los AngelesLAAOAK
R. Davis grounded out to second.73
Lowrie grounded out to second.73
K. Davis struck out swinging.73
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Los Angeles - Top of 8thSCORE
Josh Smith pitching for OaklandLAAOAK
Valbuena walked.73
Valbuena caught stealing second, catcher to shortstop.73
Simmons struck out swinging.73
Maybin grounded out to shortstop.73
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Oakland - Bottom of 8thSCORE
Jose Alvarez pitching for Los AngelesLAAOAK
Álvarez relieved Parker.73
Alonso lined out to center.73
Healy singled to left.73
Canha hit for Joyce.73
Canha flied out to right.73
Plouffe singled to center, Healy to third.73
Pinder hit for Maxwell.73
Pinder struck out swinging.73
0 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors
Los Angeles - Top of 9thSCORE
Daniel Coulombe pitching for OaklandLAAOAK
Canha in right field.73
Vogt catching.73
Coulombe relieved Smith.73
Revere struck out swinging.73
Pennington grounded out to shortstop.73
Maldonado hit by pitch.73
Escobar grounded into fielder's choice to shortstop, Maldonado out at second.73
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Oakland - Bottom of 9thSCORE
Keynan Middleton pitching for Los AngelesLAAOAK
Middleton relieved Álvarez.73
Rosales walked.73
R. Davis walked, Rosales to second.73
Norris relieved Middleton.73
Lowrie lined into double play, second to shortstop, Rosales doubled off second.73
R. Davis to second on fielder's indifference.73
K. Davis grounded out to shortstop.73
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors



 Los Angeles Angels

HittersABRHRBIBBSO#PAVGOBPSLG
Escobar 3B51140119.264.312.410
Calhoun RF40000211.239.306.366
Pujols DH41110012.246.286.391
Valbuena 1B20002219.286.400.429
Simmons SS40000318.246.321.336
Maybin CF41100018.202.299.277
Revere LF42210113.239.250.373
Pennington 2B41210016.219.316.219
Maldonado C2110008.262.340.345
Totals3378729134   
BATTING
2B: Maybin (4, Cotton)
HR: Pujols (5, 1st inning off Cotton 0 on, 2 Out); Revere (1, 2nd inning off Cotton 0 on, 2 Out); Escobar (5, 2nd inning off Cotton 2 on, 2 Out)
RBI: Pujols (25), Revere (2), Escobar 4 (16), Pennington (4)
S: Maldonado
2-out RBI: Pujols, Revere, Escobar 3
Angels RISP: 3-5 (Calhoun 0-1, Escobar 1-2, Revere 1-1, Pennington 1-1)
Team LOB: 3
BASERUNNING
CS: Valbuena (1, 2nd base by Smith/Maxwell)
FIELDING
DP: 2 (Simmons-Valbuena, Pennington-Simmons).

Game Information

StadiumOakland Coliseum, Oakland, CA
Attendance11,383 (32.5% full) - % is based on regular season capacity
Game Time3:07
Weather63 degrees, clear
Wind13 mph
UmpiresHome Plate - Chris Conroy, First Base - Jerry Meals, Second Base - Ron Kulpa, Third Base - Ed Hickox