Jaso's Pinch Homer Rallies A's Over Angels
ANAHEIM (CBS / AP) -- Pinch-hitter John Jaso had a go-ahead, three-run homer in the seventh inning, and the Oakland Athletics blew a four-run lead before rallying to beat the Los Angeles Angels 9-5 Tuesday night in the majors' final home opener.
Brandon Moss had three hits and drove in four runs, delivering an early two-run single before adding a two-run homer after Jaso's shot. Coco Crisp also hit his fourth homer for the A's, who have won six straight after an 0-2 start.
Josh Hamilton went 0 for 4 with a sacrifice fly in his home debut for the big-budget Angels, who dropped to 2-5.
Howie Kendrick had three hits and capped Los Angeles' three-run rally in the sixth with a tiebreaking triple off Ryan Cook (1-0).
After the A's put two runners on in the seventh against Kevin Jepsen (0-1), Jaso's two-out drive landed on top of the chest-high fence down the right-field line, skipping into the seats for his first homer. Two batters later, Jepsen yielded Moss' first homer.
Albert Pujols reached base four times for the Angels, whose first homestand already was off to a rocky start before C.J. Wilson's mediocre start and the bullpen's struggles: Staff ace Jered Weaver was ruled out for at least a month with a broken left (non-throwing) elbow Tuesday morning.
Hamilton was greeted in right field by fans holding up "Hamiltown" signs for his first game at Angel Stadium since he left the Texas Rangers last winter to sign with their AL West rivals.
The $125 million slugger struck out on three pitches with the bases loaded in his first plate appearance and grounded weakly back to the mound with the bases loaded again in the fourth. But Hamilton also made a diving catch in right field in the fifth inning before tying the game with his sacrifice fly in the sixth.
Mark Trumbo had an early RBI single in his third straight multihit game, but he also struggled with runners in scoring position for the Angels, who had 13 hits and stranded 13 runners. The designated hitter grounded into a bases-loaded double play in the first inning and grounded out with the bases loaded again in the fourth.
Angels shortstop Erick Aybar had two singles before leaving in the third inning with a bruised left heel after stretching to reach first base while beating out an infield single.
Josh Reddick sat out for the A's after spraining his right wrist while crashing into a wall in Houston last weekend. Second baseman Scott Sizemore then left in the fourth after spraining his left knee while chasing Mike Trout's short outfield fly.
Jarrod Parker had his second straight rough start for the A's, yielding nine hits and three walks while failing to get out of the fourth inning.
Wilson allowed six hits and four runs over six innings for the Angels, getting through a 43-pitch first inning before leaving with a lead.
Trout hit a leadoff triple in the sixth and scored when Chris Young dropped Brendan Harris' drive to right field. After Harris scored on Hamilton's sacrifice fly, Trumbo scored from first base when Young took a terrible angle on Kendrick's sinking liner, allowing it to get past him for a triple.
NOTES: Oakland made three errors in its first seven games before committing two more in the sixth inning. ... Los Angeles promoted RHP Garrett Richards to the rotation to replace Weaver. The hard-throwing 24-year-old is likely to get his first start of the season Saturday against Houston. ... Los Angeles' third-inning rally could have been even bigger, but Pujols made a huge baserunning blunder on Hamilton's flyout to center, running several steps past second base and failing to get back to first before Oakland easily doubled him off. ... The Angels recalled RHP Dane De La Rosa to take Weaver's roster spot, and he made his Angels debut with a scoreless ninth inning.
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