A's @ Angels series

[Fullabull]

Friday, April 12 @ 7:05 PM PT
Game #1
Hudson
1-0, 1.46
@
Ortiz
1-0, 2.57



Oakland dominated the season series with Anaheim last year, winning 14 of the 20 games. In fact, the Athletics posted a 7-3 record versus the Angels both at home and on the road. Considering that Anaheim was a combined 13-12 against Oakland in 1999 and 2000, the dominance last season can be seen as a bit unexpected.
Tim Hudson hopes to continue his strong play, as he is making his third start for Oakland. The 26-year-old right-hander is 1-0 thus far with a 1.46 ERA. He has struck out 11 batters in his 12 1/3 innings while walking five. Hudson, who posted 20 wins in 2000 and finished second in the American League Cy Young voting, is coming off a 2001 campaign in which he notched 18 victories. In his 10 career games against Anaheim, Hudson has posted a spectacular 8-1 record with a 3.16 ERA. In those appearances, he has struck out 58 batters and issued only 20 walks.

Taking the ball for Anaheim will be Ramon Ortiz. In his only other start of this young season, Ortiz allowed only two earned runs and five hits in seven innings to pick up a victory over Texas. He had an up-and-down season a year ago, finishing with a 13-11 mark and a 4.36 ERA. In 208 innings of work, he surrendered 223 hits.

[Baseball Guru]

By KEN PETERS
AP Sports Writer

April 13, 2002, 1:23 AM EDT


ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Tim Hudson shut down the Anaheim Angels again, and Miguel Tejada hit a two-run homer to lead the Oakland Athletics to a 5-1 victory Friday night.

Hudson (2-0) held the Angels to one run in seven innings, sending them to their fifth straight defeat. He allowed nine hits, one walk and struck out five to improve to 9-1 career against Anaheim, with his only loss coming on Sept. 26, 2000.

Helped by three double plays, Hudson stranded six runners.

After falling behind 1-0, Oakland scored three times in the seventh against Ramon Ortiz (1-1).

Ortiz walked Eric Chavez to start the inning, and Tejada singled. Terrence Long followed with an opposite-field single, scoring Chavez. Tejada also came home when Garret Anderson's throw bounced past third baseman Troy Glaus, with Anderson charged with an error.

Long advanced to third on the error, then scored on Ramon Hernandez's single for a three-run cushion.

Oakland stretched the lead to 5-1 on Tejada's second homer, off Ben Weber in the eighth.

Ortiz, 0-3 in four career appearances against Oakland, gave up three runs on seven hits. He walked three and struck out four.

Tejada finished 3-for-4.

Hudson, who escaped early trouble by getting double plays, gave up a run in the fifth.

The lapse could have been worse for Hudson, who almost got out of the jam again, this time after the Angels loaded the bases with one out. Hudson struck out David Eckstein for the second out, but finally allowed a run when Darin Erstad's liner up the middle bounced off the pitcher's glove and dribbled behind second for a single.

Hudson then got Anderson to ground out to end the inning.

Hudson had near-misses in each of the first three innings, giving up five hits but emerging unscathed with the help of the three inning-ending double plays.

Notes:@ Oakland manager Art Howe hopes LHP Mark Mulder, who left Thursday afternoon's game against Texas after his left forearm tightened up in the fourth inning, is ready to start again by Saturday of next week. Mulder was 21-8 last year. "He's going to see the doctor on Sunday, and we'll see what the doctor says," Howe said. "We'll keep our fingers crossed." ... Anaheim closer Troy Percival, on the DL with a muscle strain in his right side, is making progress and is on schedule to be back in the bullpen when he's eligible to come off the DL on April 18. ... Jeremey Giambi, who singled to lead off the game, is the only Oakland player to reach base in all 11 games. Chavez had his 57-game streak of reaching base snapped Thursday in Texas. ... The Angels have hit only three homers this season, all by Glaus.

[Fullabull]

Game #2 saturday
Oak - Hiljus (0-1, 7.50) Ana - Washburn (0-1, 4.35)


The Oakland Athletics seek their ninth consecutive victory over the Anaheim Angels Saturday night in the second game of a three-game series at Edison Field.

[Fullabull]

Game 2 results; A's 7-2 over Angels

Chavez and Scott Hatteberg each hit two-run shots Saturday night as the Athletics beat Anaheim 7-2 for their ninth straight victory over the Angels. Frank Menechino had a three-run double for the A's, who improved to 8-4 to match their win total from last April.
Garret Anderson ended an 0 for 20 slump hitting a 2 run blast in the first inning.

Game notes
The victory put Howe a game over .500 for his career (897-896). ... The Angels had been outhomered 10-0 at home until Anderson hit the first by any Angels player other than Troy Glaus, who has three. ... Washburn threw 74 of his 95 pitches in the first three innings. ... The Athletics are one of three teams in the majors that have not drawn an intentional walk, along with the White Sox and Orioles. Oakland led the AL last season with 57 -- including 24 to slugger Jason Giambi, who left to sign with the Yankees. ... The Angels, whose six-game losing streak is one shy of matching their longest of last season, are off to their worst home start ever at 1-8. ... DH Brad Fullmer, who hit a career-high 32 homers two seasons ago with Toronto, is still looking for his first with the Angels after 34 at-bats.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/boxscore?gameId=220413103

[Fullabull]

Game #3
Sunday, April 14 @ 1:05 PM PT

Zito
0-0, 2.13
@
Appier
0-1, 3.00

Barry Zito looks for his first victory for the Oakland Athletics on Sunday afternoon when they look to complete a three-game sweep of the Anaheim Angels.

Zito (0-0, 2.13 ERA) has pitched well for Oakland in a pair of starts against Texas, allowing just three runs and nine hits in 12 2/3 innings. He has had some control problems, walking seven while striking out 14 batters.

The lefthander is 5-2 lifetime against Anaheim with a 4.26 ERA. He is 1-1 with a 4.35 ERA in a pair of starts at Edison Field.

[Fullabull]

Game 3 results; http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/boxscore?gameId=220414103

Garret Anderson homered in his second straight game and David Eckstein went 3-for-4 with an RBI double as the Anaheim Angels snapped a six-game losing streak with a 4-1 Sunday victory over the Oakland Athletics.

Kevin Appier (1-1) allowed one run and four hits over seven innings in his third start with the Angels. Eric Chavez, who homered for Oakland, was one of only two runners to get past first base against Appier.

Dennis Cook pitched the eighth inning, allowing a pair of one-out walks. He got out of it when center fielder Darin Erstad caught Chavez's bid for a game-tying three-run homer against the fence. Al Levine got three outs for his third save.

The victory ended Anaheim's nine-game losing streak against Oakland. The Angels had lost 19 of 21 games at Edison Field, dating to last season.