Athletics 0 - 4 Angels
Final
  for this game

A's send Lester to mound against Angels

Aug 29, 2014 - 2:37 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Oakland Athletics acquired Jon Lester for games like this. Lester will try to help the A's cut into the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim's American League West lead on Friday in the second of four games between the foes at Angel Stadium.

Lester is 3-1 with a 2.60 ERA in five starts since being acquired from Boston at the non-waiver trade deadline. However, he didn't get a decision versus the Angels on Saturday, through no fault of his own, though, as he allowed just one run and struck out seven over seven innings of his team's 2-1 win.

"No matter what the expectations are that people put on me, they are not going to be as high as the expectations I have for myself," said Lester, who is 13-8 overall on the year with a 2.53 ERA. "I expect myself every time out to throw nine shutout innings, whether it's April or October."

Lester is 4-2 in nine starts against the Angels with a 4.04 ERA.

Los Angeles will counter with an ace of its own in righty Jered Weaver, who defeated the A's on Sunday. Weaver gave up three runs and eight hits in 6 2/3 innings of that one. He also struck out eight without walking a batter to run his record to 14-7 to go along with a 3.72 ERA.

Weaver has faced the A's 29 times and is 12-9 against them with a 2.58 ERA.

Los Angeles moved two games up on the A's in Thursday's opener, as Howie Kendrick's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th lifted the Angels to a 4-3 win.

Ryan Cook (1-2), who recorded the final out in the ninth, stayed on to pitch the 10th for Oakland. Albert Pujols walked, moved to third on Josh Hamilton's single to right-center field and scored on Kendrick's sac fly to right.

"He left one up and I was able to drive it to right," Kendrick said.

Fernando Salas (5-0) tossed a scoreless top of the 10th to pick up the win for the Angels, who have won three in a row.

These teams met last weekend in Oakland with the A's taking two of three. In fact, Oakland has won eight of the 13 matchups between the two this season.






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