EditorsNote: update 2: fixes "for the two" in fifth graf
Albert Pujols' fifth-inning sacrifice fly snapped a tie and helped lift the Los Angeles Angels to a 3-2 win over the Oakland A's on Tuesday night in Anaheim, Calif.
Angels left-hander Dillon Peters (4-3) went five innings to get the win, getting help from four relievers who combined to shut out the A's over the final four innings. Hansel Robles pitched the ninth for his 23rd save.
David Fletcher had three hits to lead the Los Angeles offense.
Oakland has now lost two in a row, something that hadn't happened since they lost consecutive games to the New York Yankees on Aug. 31-Sept. 1. They haven't lost three in a row since July 24-26.
Their lead in the three-team race for the two American League wild cards was reduced to just a half-game over the Tampa Bay Rays and one game over the Cleveland Indians.
Khris Davis' two-run home run in the fourth inning off Peters gave Oakland a 2-0 lead, but the Angels rallied for three runs in the fifth off A's starter Homer Bailey (13-9).
Bailey shut out the Angels for the first four innings, but in the fifth, Taylor Ward led off with a single and went to second on a single by Matt Thaiss. One out later, Fletcher singled home Ward, and Brian Goodwin tied the game at 2-2 with a double that scored Thaiss.
Pujols put the Angels on top at 3-2 with a sacrifice fly that drove in Fletcher from third. It was Pujols' 93rd RBI of the season, second on the team only to Mike Trout (104).
Peters was replaced to start the sixth inning, having given up two runs and five hits, striking out three and walking one.
Noe Ramirez (1 2/3 innings), Adalberto Mejia (one-third of an inning), and Ty Buttrey (one inning) got the Angels to the ninth inning before handing the ball over to Robles.
Bailey yielded three runs on eight hits and no walks with three strikeouts in five innings.
--Field Level Media
