Angels 4 - 2 Athletics
Final
  for this game

Weaver continues personal unbeaten streak, shuts down A's

Jul 17, 2011 - 12:02 AM Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - Jered Weaver showed the Oakland Athletics on Saturday why he holds an earned run average under two this season. The right- hander went 6 2/3 solid innings, yielding only a pair of runs to lead the Angels to a 4-2 win over the Athletics in the opener of a doubleheader.

Weaver (12-4) scattered seven hits while fanning three and walking a pair to win his sixth straight decision. Weaver, who is unbeaten in his last 10 starts and hasn't lost since May 18 at Seattle, holds a 1.90 ERA this season. Weaver, the AL starter in the All-Star Game, didn't give up a hit until the fifth inning on Saturday.

Jordan Walden pitched a scoreless ninth to nail down his 21st save of the season.

Erick Aybar belted a solo home run and Bobby Abreu added a pair of RBI singles for the Angels, who have won nine of their past 11 contests.

Jemile Weeks laced an RBI single and Kurt Suzuki added an RBI on a sacrifice fly for the A's, who have dropped five of their last six games.

Trevor Cahill (8-8) worked seven innings in defeat, giving up three runs on five hits while striking out eight and walking five.

Oakland scored twice in the seventh inning and threatened to tie the game, but Scott Downs got out of a jam. David DeJesus doubled and Conor Jackson singled with one out, leading to Suzuki's sacrifice fly to left. Weeks slapped an RBI single to make it a one-run contest. Downs entered the game in relief of Weaver with runners on the corners and two outs. He threw a wild pitch before inducing a groundout from Coco Crisp to end the inning.

The A's put two runners on base in the eighth, but Jackson grounded out to cap the frame.

The Angels added an insurance run in the ninth on a single to right by Abreu.

Los Angeles wasted no time opening the scoring with a run in its initial at- bat. Aybar led off the inning with a sharp single up the middle, advanced to third on a groundout by Torii Hunter, and trotted home on a single to left- center by Abreu. They loaded the bases later in the inning, but Mark Trumbo struck out, as Cahill avoided further damage.

Oakland had a chance to tie the game in the fifth. With one out, DeJesus singled to center, the team's first hit against Weaver, and was waived home on a double by Suzuki. DeJesus was nailed at the plate on a perfect relay throw from Aybar.

The Angels gave themselves a little more breathing room by plating a second run in the sixth. Vernon Wells led off the inning with a single to center and Alberto Callaspo followed with a double to give the Angels runners on second and third with no outs. Howie Kendrick followed with an RBI groundout to push the advantage to 2-0.

The A's threatened in the sixth, putting men on first and second with two down, but Weaver got Hideki Matsui to foul out to end the inning.

Los Angeles extended its lead to 3-0 in the seventh on Aybar's seventh home run of the season.

Game Notes

Saturday's twin-bill is the first doubleheader in Oakland since August 22, 1998 against the Detroit Tigers...Oakland leads the season series with the Angels by 6-5 count...Entering Saturday, the A's had hit only 51 home runs, the fewest total in baseball...The Angels are 33-12 when scoring first this season...Oakland is 14-17 against the AL West, while the Angels hold a 14-12 mark against their own division.






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