Athletics Extend Wild Card Lead With 6-5 Win

The Oakland Athletics extended their lead in the American League Wild Card race with a 6-5 win against the Los Angeles Angels Tuesday night.

Dan Straily got the win for Oakland after he allowed three runs over 6.2 innings. Straily walked only one and struck out eight, earning his second career Major League win. Yoenis Cespedes put the Athletics on the board first with a solo home run in the top of the second inning.

The Angels took the lead in the bottom of the second inning on a two-run home run by Vernon Wells, but Oakland came back with three runs in the fourth to take the lead for good, although with a big scare in the bottom of the ninth. Brandon Moss hit a two-run home run while Stephen Drew drove in another with a sacrifice fly.

Torii Hunter hit a solo home run in the seventh inning, but Coco Crisp gave the Athletics some breathing room with an RBI triple in the top of the ninth, reaching home on a fielding error to give the Athletics a three-run lead. Grant Balfour started the ninth inning for the Athletics but immediately got into trouble, giving up two runs and leaving with no outs and runners at the corners. Jerry Blevins came in and somehow got the Athletics out of the tight spot.

Blevins struck out Kendrys Morales for the first out of the inning, then got Howie Kendrick to ground into a double play to end the game and give Oakland the win. It was Blevins' first save this season.