ANAHEIM, California – Lawrence Butler and Brent Rooker hit their ninth homers of July, and the Oakland Athletics continued their surge in momentum with a 6-5 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday night.
Daz Cameron put Oakland in the lead with a two-run shot in the fourth inning by Angels starter Kenny Rosenberg (0-1). The Athletics have hit 21 home runs in their last eight games and their 135 on the season rank fourth in the majors.
Butler and Rooker’s nine homers in July are tied for third most in the major leagues.
“Overall, this group has been swinging the sticks really well and that showed tonight,” said coach Mark Kotsay. “We went down, managed to come back and maintain the lead.”
Luis Rengifo hit a two-run double during a five-run second inning for the Angels, who have won four straight.
Oakland’s Ross Stripling (2-9), activated before the game after missing two months with a right elbow strain, snapped a four-game losing streak. The right-hander went 5 2/3 innings and allowed five runs on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
Rookie Tyler Ferguson retired the Angels in the ninth for his first major league save.
Butler leads the majors with 26 RBIs in July and is second with a .412 batting average. He started the game with a double, stole third and scored when Angels catcher Logan O’Hoppe’s throw went wide of the bag.
The right fielder then hit a Rosenberg cutter over the wall in center for two runs to put the Athletics up 5-4 in the second inning.
“They had a great entry. (Max) Schuemann did well as always and I was just trying to continue the team. Turns out I hit a two-run home run to put us back in the game,” Butler said.
Rooker is batting .403 this month, third-best in the majors. He extended Oakland’s lead to 2-0 in the first inning with a solo shot past the bullpens in left field.
The Angels sent nine to the plate and took a 5-2 lead into the second inning. Rengifo’s two-run double gave the Halos a three-run lead. In the top of the inning, O’Hoppe and Zach Neto had RBI base hits and Mickey Moniak added a sacrifice fly.
Rosenberg allowed six runs on six hits in 3 1/3 innings in his first start of the season.
“The problem is when we make mistakes at the wrong part of the plate with pitches that they didn’t miss,” manager Ron Washington said. “We put five on the board if we could get a shutout, but they got two. Then in the fourth they got two more and that was the game.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Athletics: RHP Mason Miller was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to Tuesday. All-Star closer broke the little finger on his non-throwing hand when he banged the table in frustration after being reminded he needed to do weight lifting after Monday night’s game against Houston.
Angels: OF Mike Trout (left knee) went to the doctor Thursday after his rehab stint in Salt Lake City was cut short. Trout left Tuesday’s game in the second inning due to knee pain.
NEXT
Athletics RHP Paul Blackburn (3-2, 4.11 ERA) is expected to be activated from the injured list after missing the last two months with a right foot injury. RHP Carson Fulmer (0-2, 3.66 ERA) will start for the Angels.
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