ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Justin Upton hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the eighth inning, and the Los Angeles Angels avoided a sweep by topping the Oakland Athletics 6-5 on Sunday.
Los Angeles won for just the second time in seven games since three-time AL MVP Mike Trout went on the injured list with a calf strain. It trailed 4-1 after five innings.
Jared Walsh homered for the Angels, and Shohei Ohtani tied the game with a pinch-hit sacrifice fly in the seventh. Raisel Iglesias (3-2) pitched 1 1/3 innings for the win.
“I know from the outside it doesn’t look the greatest but these guys are fighting every single day,” said Upton, who was in the leadoff spot for the first time in his career. “We feel that we have put ourselves in position for a win and it just hasn’t worked out for us. … Hopefully this will spark the club.”
After giving up six homers in the first two games of the series, five Angels relievers held the A’s to a lone unearned run over the final 6 2/3 innings.
“Dylan did not have his typical day so here comes the bullpen, much maligned, and these guys did a great job,” Angels manager Joe Maddon said. “All we need to do with this group is to get their confidence going. They’re very talented, we just don’t have that mojo, that confidence.”
Matt Olson and Seth Brown homered for AL West-leading Oakland, which had won four of six. Sean Murphy had a run-scoring infield single in the eighth.
A’s starter Sean Manaea permitted one run and four hits in five innings. He struck out six and walked two.
Deolis Guerra (1-1) was charged with the loss, yielding one run in one inning.
Angels starter Dylan Bundy lasted just 2 1/3 innings. He was charged with four runs and five hits.
Walsh’s 10th homer trimmed Oakland’s…
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