Wednesday, July 24, 2002
Athletics 2, Angels 1
The Associated Press
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Miguel Tejada provided the offense for the Oakland Athletics and made the game's biggest defensive play. It almost went for naught when he dropped a simple popup.
But with the help of some questionable baserunning by Anaheim's Adam Kennedy, closer Billy Koch managed to bail Tejeda out as the A's beat the Angels 2-1 Tuesday night, giving Barry Zito his AL-leading 14th win.
“Yeah, I told him I've got his back,” Koch said when asked if he said anything to Tejada after the Oakland shortstop dropped pinch-hitter Kennedy's popup to begin the ninth. “That's a tough play, I don't care who you are. That's probably the highest popup I've ever given up.”
Even so, Kennedy was only at first base when the play ended.
“I'm just glad he was dogging it,” Koch said. “He probably should have been on third. Thank you very much.”
Kennedy was sacrificed to second before Darin Erstad lined to left and Tim Salmon grounded to first, ending the game and giving Koch, Oakland's fifth pitcher, his 25th save in 30 chances.
“I don't have excuses, I just dropped it,” Tejada said. “We're playing in the big leagues, we've got to catch the ball.”
Tejada also expressed surprise that Kennedy wasn't on second base.
Angels manager Mike Scioscia said it appeared Kennedy couldn't see the ball when it left his bat “so I think that cost him a base.”
Said Kennedy: “I didn't break out of the box hard, that's all. That's not an easy play, it was a pretty high popup.”
The A's might not have been leading at that point had Tejada not made a diving catch of Erstad's two-out, bases-loaded liner in the fifth.
The win was Oakland's 10th in 13 games, including a 2-0 victory over Anaheim last Thursday night when Zito pitched into the eighth inning.
The win moved the A's within percentage points of the Angels for second place in the AL West. Both teams trail Seattle by two games.
Zito (14-3), who has won four straight starts and 13 of his last 14 decisions, allowed one run and five hits in 6 1-3 innings. He walked four to equal a season high and struck out five, throwing 112 pitches.
Zito was relieved by Chad Bradford with one out and one on in the seventh and the A's leading 2-0. Bradford got David Eckstein to ground into a force play before Erstad hit an RBI triple. Bradford then threw a called third strike past Salmon to end the inning.
Jim Mecir fanned Scott Spiezio and retired pinch-hitter Orlando Palmeiro on a grounder with two runners aboard to end the eighth.
The Angels, coming off a big three-game sweep of the Mariners, lost for just the second time in seven games and had their six-game home winning streak snapped.
Tejada hit his 21st homer off Kevin Appier (8-8) following a one-out walk to Scott Hatteberg in the sixth to snap a scoreless tie.
Shawn Wooten and Spiezio opened the fifth with singles for the Angels' first hits. Zito fanned Jose Molina and Benji Gil before hitting Eckstein with a pitch to load the bases. Tejada then dove to his right to catch Erstad's liner.
“That was big,” Zito said. “Miggy's been great for us. It was an amazing play. Then he comes up the next inning and hits a two-run homer. It's amazing what he's doing right now.”
Appier allowed two runs and four hits in eight innings — his longest outing of the season.
Notes: The A's recalled RHP Jeff Tam from Triple-A Sacramento and optioned rookie RHP Aaron Harang to Sacramento. ... Angels closer Troy Percival, on the 15-day disabled list with an infection near his left Achilles' tendon, said he's ready to pitch. Percival, 3-1 with 22 saves in 24 chances, is eligible to be activated Saturday. He sustained a cut during the All-Star break while boating with his family. ... The A's are 7-3 against the Angels this season and have won 17 of the last 20 meetings. ... Eckstein, hit by 21 pitches to lead the AL last season, has been hit a major league-leading 17 times this year. ... Oakland's Mark Ellis singled to open the sixth, but was picked off first by Angels catcher Molina. Hatteberg then walked and Tejada homered. ... Tejada has hit safely in 12 straight games. ... Wooten had three hits — all singles.
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Athletics 2, Angels 1 
