Jared Walsh, bullpen carry Angels to series split with A's

Jared Walsh triggered a four-run second with a home run and four relievers combined to shut out the Oakland Athletics over the final six innings Sunday afternoon, allowing the visiting Los Angeles Angels to salvage a split in their four-game series with a 4-2 victory. Raisel Iglesias pitched out of jams in the eighth and ninth innings to save the win, completing a day in which he, Jose Suarez, Steve Cishek and Mike Mayers combined to allow just two hits and one walk in six innings while protecting a two-run lead. The foursome combined to strike out eight. Iglesias, who stranded a runner at second to end the eighth, allowed a leadoff single to Mitch Moreland in the ninth before retiring three straight batters, all representing the potential tying run, to record his ninth save. The Angels gave their bullpen a chance to shine by taking an early 4-0 lead, with all four runs off A's starter Cole Irvin coming in the second inning. Walsh got things going with a leadoff homer, his 12th of the season. Singles by Kurt Suzuki and Taylor Ward set up a two-run double by David Fletcher and an RBI single by Phil Gosselin to make it 4-0. The A's got to Angels starter Jose Quintana for two runs in the third on a bases-loaded walk and a sacrifice fly by Sean Murphy. But Quintana struck out Moreland with the tying runs aboard to preserve the lead, and the bullpen took it from there. Suarez (2-0), who pitched a perfect fourth, fifth and sixth innings, was credited with the win. Both runs off Quintana were unearned in his three innings. He allowed two hits and four walks, while striking out five. Irvin (3-7) was pulled after six innings, charged with four runs on six hits. He struck out three and did not walk a batter. Fletcher and Ward had two hits apiece for the Angels, who managed the split despite having to delay ace Shohei Ohtani a day because of traffic, then losing 3-1 when he was rescheduled on Friday. The A's totaled just four hits, including doubles by Jed Lowrie, Stephen Piscotty and Chad Pinder. --Field Level Media