Davis' 3-run shot, stellar D lift A's over Halos

ANAHEIM -- Khris Davis' three-run homer in the eighth inning powered the Athletics to a 7-4 victory over the Angels on Friday night at Angel Stadium.
Trailing 4-2 in the fifth inning, the Athletics rattled off five unanswered runs, culminating when Davis took a Fernando Salas fastball and drove it a Statcast-projected 402 feet over the center-field wall for a three-run homer.
"He was trying to get it up and out on the corner of the plate, but didn't get enough of either," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of the pitch.
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"I kind of felt like they were elevating on me, so I was looking for [a fastball up in the zone]," said Davis, who leads Oakland with 18 homers. "In that situation I just had enough [savvy] to know that they were trying to climb the ladder and he didn't climb it high enough."
It's the seventh time in nine chances this season the Angels have lost when tied after seven innings, and the team's fifth loss in a row.
Oakland's offensive surge picked up starter Eric Surkamp, who surrendered a first-inning home run to Albert Pujols and was pulled after 3 2/3 innings. He was responsible for four runs (two earned).The bullpen provided 5 1/3 shutout innings.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Homer happy: The A's have four home runs in this series, including two from Davis. Stephen Vogt went deep off Jered Weaver with two outs in the first inning for his first homer since June 10 and sixth of the season. Vogt started the winning rally in the eighth with a leadoff single and Danny Valencia followed with a double to set the stage for Davis' three-run shot.

An all-timer: Pujols continued to elevate his place in baseball history, launching a two-run home run to left in the first inning off Surkamp. It was the 573rd home run of his career, tying him with Harmon Killebrew for 11th on the all-time list. The shot, which went a Statcast-projected 443 feet, was his second-longest of the season and his first home run since June 5. More >
Defensive gems: The A's had a trio of defensive gems that kept them in the game. In only his 10th appearance in the outfield, Max Muncy recorded his first career outfield assist when he threw out Johnny Giavotella trying to go first to third on Mike Trout's RBI single in the fourth inning. Davis made a diving catch in left field to take a hit away from Jett Bandy in the sixth. And shortstop Marcus Semien made a leaping grab on a liner by Trout in the seventh.

A missed opportunity: The Angels managed to add to their 3-2 lead in the fourth inning, as Mike Trout singled up the middle to bring home Shane Robinson and make it 4-2. They missed out on a chance for more, however, when Muncy threw out Giavotella trying to get to third base. Had Giavotella been safe, the Angels would have had a pair of runners in scoring position (Trout advanced to second on the throw) with two out for Pujols. Oakland scored twice in the next half-inning, tying the game.

QUOTABLE
"When things are going tough like they're going right now, it's tough to see the forest through the trees. Especially when you look at our pitching staff, pitching some good games, we could go on a good run." -- Scioscia, on the team's recent stretch and being in last in the American League WestMore >

"He's a strong, strong human being. It's a lot of fun to watch him hit the ball a long ways." -- Vogt on Davis
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Davis has 38 home runs since last Aug. 6, tied with Toronto slugger Edwin Encarnacion for the most in baseball. More >

UNDER FURTHER REVIEW
Vogt got the Athletics' offense going early in the first, taking a fastball from Weaver a Statcast-projected 413 feet to center field. After Angels center fielder Trout protested, the umpires decided to review the homer to see if there was fan interference. The call on the field stood following the crew-chief review.
Oakland shortstop Marcus Semien was thrown out while retreating to first base on a single in the eighth inning. Athletics challenged the ruling that C.J. Cron made the tag in time, but the play stood for the second out of the inning.

WHAT'S NEXT
A's: Left-handed prospect Dillon Overton will be promoted from Triple-A Nashville to start on Saturday in his Major League debut. Overton will be the third starting pitcher to debut for the A's this year and the 11th starter used by the club. He was 7-0 with a 1.40 ERA over his last seven starts with Nashville. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. PT.
Angels: Right-hander Jhoulys Chacin will look to turn things around after struggling in each of his last three starts. He's given up four or more runs each time, moving him to 2-3 with a 5.56 ERA since being traded to the Angels. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. PT.
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