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Power surge lifts Angels past Athletics

May 2, 2013 - 2:06 AM Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - C.J. Wilson tossed 6 1/3 solid innings and received support from a trio of home runs that helped the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim to a 5-4 victory over Oakland that prevented the Athletics from a three-game series sweep.

The Angels grabbed a 4-2 lead on sixth-inning homers by Mike Trout and Mark Trumbo, with Howie Kendrick clubbing a solo shot of his own earlier in the game as part of a 3-for-4 day. Trout added a triple while scoring twice as Anaheim halted a four-game losing streak.

"Whoever we're playing, we need wins," said Angels manager Mike Scioscia. "We have to focus on what the process is to get there."

Wilson (3-0) survived five walks to limit the A's to a pair of runs on six hits over his stint, while Ernesto Frieri snuffed out a late Oakland comeback effort in registering the final five outs for his fourth save of the year.

"We have to stay hungry because we have a long road to get to where we want to go," said Wilson.

All three Anaheim homers came against Tommy Milone (3-3), who was dealt the loss despite matching a career high with 10 strikeouts over seven innings of work. The left-hander was reached for four runs on seven hits.

Adam Rosales went 3-for-4 with an RBI single to pace Oakland offensively in the setback, the A's first in six meetings with the Halos this year.

The Angels had managed only one hit -- Kendrick's solo homer in the second -- against Milone through the game's first four innings, and trailed 2-1 before their bats began to come around in the fifth.

Consecutive singles from Josh Hamilton and Kendrick started the frame, and J.B. Shuck later came through with a clutch two-out hit that brought home Hamilton with the tying run.

Trout sent Anaheim ahead with a long home run to left to open the sixth. Two batters later, Trumbo lofted a deep fly that bounced off the top of the scoreboard and back in play as he safely ran to second, with a subsequent video review determining the ball had cleared the home-run line for a 4-2 lead.

Trout's second triple in as many games came against Pat Neshek in the top of the eighth, with the 2012 AL Rookie of the Year crossing the plate on Albert Pujols' sac fly for what turned out to be a very important run.

Anaheim reliever Michael Kohn hit Nate Freiman with a pitch to open Oakland's half of the eighth, with Luke Montz smoking an RBI double off Scott Downs one out later to cut the deficit to two. Rosales then singled up the middle to bring in Montz to pull the A's within 5-4, and the tying run reached second after Frieri walked John Jaso before preventing further damage with an inning- ending strikeout of Seth Smith.

Frieri overcame a bout of wildness in the ninth to nail down the win. He hit leadoff hitter Yoenis Cespedes and later issued two walks, but Cespedes was caught trying to steal and Frieri got Eric Sogard to foul out and end the game with the tying run at second.

While Milone was otherwise efficient despite being plagued by the three gopher balls, Wilson worked in and out of trouble for a good portion of his stint. He escaped unscathed from a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the first, then stranded Rosales at third in the fourth after the Oakland infielder smacked a leadoff double and advanced a base on a bunt.

The A's threatened again in the bottom of the sixth, when walks to Josh Reddick and Jed Lowrie around a one-out single by Rosales loaded the bases with one out. Wilson again came through, however, inducing a double-play grounder from Derek Norris to end the inning.

"We don't need to go out and put anymore pressure on ourselves to win in New York and Cleveland to try and better that record," stated A's shortstop Jed Lowrie. "We're out here to win and we're going to do everything we can to win every game."

Oakland's only runs came via back-to-back RBI doubles from Josh Donaldson and Freiman in the third, with Freiman's hit putting the A's on top by a 2-1 count.

Game Notes

The Athletics left 13 men on base for the game ... Montz was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento prior to the contest after Oakland placed outfielder Coco Crisp and pitcher Brett Anderson on the disabled list, and made his first appearance in the majors since Sept. 28, 2008 (with Washington) ... Milone struck out 10 batters twice as a rookie last season ... The Angels recalled pitcher Ryan Brasier from Triple-A Salt Lake on Wednesday, while optioning lefty reliever Nick Maronde to the minors.