(Sports Network) - The road has been kind to the Oakland Athletics of late and
they will shoot for an 11th straight victory as the guest in the continuation
of a four-game series Tuesday against the LA Angels of Anaheim.
Oakland registered its 10th win in a row on the road with Monday's series-
opening 3-1 victory behind a strong pitching performance from Jarrod Parker
and the bullpen. Parker held the red-hot Angels to a run and three hits in
seven innings, while Ryan Cook and Grant Balfour each tossed a scoreless
inning of relief. Balfour notched his 17th save.
"Jarrod was aggressive. He wasn't afraid to pitch inside," A's manager Bob
Melvin said. "This was a big win for us."
The wild card-leading Athletics, who have won four straight overall, pulled
within three games of AL West-leading Texas and are on their longest road
winning streak since Aug. 19-28, 2002. The last time Oakland posted 11
consecutive wins as the visitor was April 9-26, 1981.
The A's are 13-3 since Aug. 24 and got home runs from Brandon Moss and Cliff
Pennington in last night's win. Oakland has hit an MLB-best 81 homers since
the All-Star break.
While Brandon McCarthy recovers from surgery due to a fractured skull, Daniel
Straily draws the start for the A's tonight. Straily was called up from the
minors to take a rotation spot and is 1-0 with a 3.18 earned run average in
three starts at the majors.
He threw 6 1/3 scoreless innings in a 3-0 win at Kansas City back on Aug. 16
and did not record a decision in a 9-8 win over the Angels on Aug. 8. The
Angels tagged the right-handed Straily for five runs in 4 2/3 innings.
The Angels had won six in a row and 15 of 18 games until Monday's loss. Dan
Haren was tagged with the defeat for permitting three runs in 6 1/3 innings of
work.
"They came out aggressive," Haren said. "You have to tip your hat."
Torii Hunter drove in the lone run and finished with one of Anaheim's four
hits on the evening. The Angels are now 1 1/2 games off one of the final two
wild card spots in the American League and 3-1 on a seven-game homestand.
The Angels, who are 6 1/2 games in back of Texas for the AL West's top spot,
received good news on Monday pertaining to ace Jered Weaver. Weaver has been
bothered by right biceps tendinitis and is expected to return to the rotation
Thursday in the finale of this series with Oakland.
Weaver is 16-4 with a 2.86 ERA in 25 starts this season, but only 1-3 in his
past four decisions (5 starts).
Jerome Williams will make a spot start Tuesday in place of Weaver and is 6-7
with a 4.59 ERA in 27 games, 14 of which have been starts. In seven career
meetings (6 starts) with the Athletics, Williams is 3-2 with a 3.38 ERA. The
righty has lost five straight decisions.
The Angels just swept the Athletics in three games last week at the Coliseum
and have won six of the past nine matchups between the clubs. The season
series, however, is even at eight wins apiece.
The Sports Network