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Pomeranz goes for A's in middle tilt with Angels

Jun 10, 2014 - 2:57 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - They say things tend to even out in the end and that has been the case for Oakland starter Drew Pomeranz over his last two starts.

Pomeranz gets the call on Tuesday night for the Athletics, who try to draw even in their three-game series with the rival Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

The left-handed Pomeranz has put together some unexpected results over his last two starts. It began on May 30 in a meeting with the Angels as he won despite giving up five runs on four hits and three walks over 5 1/3 innings. He was given a 7-0 lead to work with after three innings, but gave three runs back in the fourth frame on a solo homer by Mike Trout and a two-run shot off the bat of Howie Kendrick.

However, the A's responded with another two runs in the bottom of the fifth to keep the pressure of Pomeranz, who was making his first career start and third overall appearance against the Angels.

After taking that win, the 25-year-old squared off against the New York Yankees on Thursday and gave up just two runs -- one earned -- on six hits and a walk over seven innings with seven strikeouts. However, Pomeranz lost a tough-luck 2-1 decision.

"He kept his pitch count down and threw strikes. With the lack of bullpen arms we had, we needed him to do that," A's manager Bob Melvin said of Pomeranz, who is 5-3 with a 2.20 earned run average in 15 games (6 starts) this season.

With Tyler Skaggs headed to the disabled list because of a hamstring injury, Hector Santiago will join the club from Triple-A Salt Lake and move back into the rotation.

Santiago has not pitched with the Angels since May 19 and has not started in the majors since May 7. He went 0-6 with a 4.82 ERA in nine games, including seven starts, before getting demoted and his numbers in the minors weren't that impressive.

The 26-year-old lefty has made three starts with Salt Lake and is 1-1 with a 6.43 ERA.

Santiago did put together a solid outing versus the A's on April 14 but did not factor into a 3-2 loss after giving up one run over seven innings. He is 1-2 against them lifetime with a 3.52 ERA in four games and two starts.

The Angels posted their season-high fourth straight victory by taking Monday's opener 4-1. That also moved them to within 3 1/2 games of the A's for first place in the AL West.

Garrett Richards limited Oakland to a run over seven innings, giving up four hits without a walk for his second consecutive win following the shortest outing of his career. After giving up five runs in two-thirds of an inning against Oakland on May 30, Richards has recorded back-to-back wins, allowing a run and eight hits combined over 15 innings of work.

Trout, meanwhile, appeared to have hit his 13th home run of the season in the fifth inning, but umpires determined after a lengthy video review that his ball was interfered with by a fan prior to exiting the ballpark. Trout had to settle for an RBI double, while Angels manager Mike Scioscia was ejected for arguing the ruling.

"That ball was over the yellow line when it hit that (fan's) glove," Scioscia said. "There was no doubt. ... There is no way that that ball was not a home run. No way. So yeah, I was frustrated."

Hank Conger went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI, and Raul Ibanez drove in the other run for the Angels.

Jesse Chavez was charged with three runs -- two earned -- on eight hits over six innings to absorb the loss, just Oakland's third in 10 games.

"We didn't play a clean game tonight and we didn't swing the bats well," said A's manager Bob Melvin. "Chavez pitched well. We just didn't get anything going."

The A's have won five of seven versus the Angels this season, including two of three in Anaheim.