A's Rally With 4-Run 8th To Beat Angels 5-3
ANAHEIM (AP) — Daric Barton ended a career-worst homerless drought of 76 games with a solo shot against Dan Haren and Coco Crisp drove in the go-ahead run with an eighth-inning single, triggering a four-run rally that carried the Oakland Athletics to a 5-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night.
The Athletics got a one-out single from Cuban rookie Yoenis Cespedes and a two-out bunt hit from Kurt Suzuki in the seventh before manager Mike Scioscia brought in left-hander Scott Downs to face the left-swinging Barton — leaving Haren with a bewildered look on his face.
The move turned out perfectly, as Barton took a called third strike at the knees. But Kevin Jepsen (0-1) gave up a pair of one-out walks, Crisp's clutch single and a run-scoring ground-rule double by Josh Reddick that put Oakland ahead 3-2. Cespedes greeted David Carpenter with a two-run single to cap the rally.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.