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Saunders stays undefeated as Angels down Athletics

Apr 30, 2008 - 5:29 AM ANAHEIM, California (Ticker) -- One day after getting routed by the surprising Oakland Athletics, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim kept their American League West Division rivals in check.

Joe Saunders notched his fifth win of the season, leading the Angels to a 2-0 victory over the Athletics on Tuesday.

Oakland (17-11) entered the game with the American League's best record in a season in which it was supposed to be starting a lengthy rebuilding process. The surprising start by the A's was even more pronounced after they pounded the Angels, 14-2, in the opener of their four-game series on Monday.

However, Anaheim (17-11) matched its division rival's start on Tuesday by turning to Saunders (5-0), who won for the fifth time in six starts by allowing just four hits and walking one with five strikeouts in eight scoreless frames.

With the win, the lefthander joined Chien-Ming Wang of the New York Yankees for the AL lead.

"It feels great to get off to such a great start," Saunders said. "I just hope I can carry it over to my next start and the next month."

The Angels gave Saunders all the support he needed when they scored twice in the bottom of the third. With one out in a scoreless game, Brandon Wood drew a walk and moved to third on a double from Chone Figgins.

On his first pitch to Gary Matthews Jr., Oakland rookie Greg Smith (2-1) unleashed a wild pitch that plated Wood and moved Figgins to third. Two pitches later, Matthews pushed across Figgins with a groundout.

"We were fortunate enough to scratch together two runs," Saunders said. "It was the fourth or fifth inning when I knew I had to shut them down with the way the game was going."

"Those are the type of situations that any team has to capitalize on and tonight we had that opportunity," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.

Closer Francisco Rodriguez took over for Saunders and worked around a pair of walks in the ninth to nail down his 11th save in 12 chances.

In his fifth career start, Smith turned in his first complete game, allowing two runs, three hits and three walks with five strikeouts.

"Greg Smith pitched excellent but Saunders pitched a bit better," A's manager Bob Geren said. "Smith just ran into some tough luck in the third inning."

"The bottom line is that we lost the game," Smith said. "I feel like I didn't get the job done but I felt like I pitched good."