Seven-run inning boosts Athletics past Angels

Jeff McNeil and Henry Bolte each had two-run singles to highlight a seven-run fifth inning and help lead the Athletics to a 9-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels in the opener of a three-game series on Friday night in Anaheim, Calif.

Nick Kurtz went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored, and Shea Langeliers had two hits and an RBI and a stolen base. Max Muncy also had two hits and a run scored for the Athletics, who won their second straight game.

J.T. Ginn (6-4) picked up the win, allowing three runs on eight hits over six innings. He walked one and struck out five.

Jo Adell homered and Denzer Guzman and Josh Lowe each had two hits for Los Angeles. Walbert Urena (5-6), who started the game by throwing four perfect innings, allowed seven runs on six hits over 4 1/3 innings. The right-hander walked two and struck out five.

Los Angeles took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning when Wade Meckler blooped a double into left field and scored one out later on a single by Donovan Walton.

The Athletics then sent 11 men to the plate in the fifth en route to seven runs on six hits -- all singles -- and a pair of walks.

Tyler Soderstrom opened the inning with a walk to break up Urena's perfect game, and Jonah Heim followed with a fielder's choice. After Lawrence Butler walked, the A's strung together six consecutive singles. McNeil started the streak with a two-run single to right, Akita Williams bounced a run-scoring single to center and Bolte followed with another two-run single to left to make it 5-1.

Kurtz and Langeliers then connected for RBI singles to end the scoring in the top of the inning.

The Angels cut the lead to 7-3 in the bottom of the fifth on Adell's 11th home run, a 379-foot shot just over the wall in right that also drove in Lowe, who had singled.

The Athletics extended the lead to 9-3 in the seventh on an RBI single by Kurtz, driving in Bolte, who had reached base on catcher's interference and stole second. One out later, Heim drove in Kurtz with a ground-rule double over the fence in left-center.

--Field Level Media