ANAHEIM, Calif. — Rookie Trevor Cahill and two relievers combined on a three-hitter and Ryan Sweeney came within a double of hitting for the cycle, leading the Oakland Athletics to a 2-0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday night.
The opener of this four-game series had been rescheduled from April 9, when Angels rookie Nick Adenhart was killed along with two friends in an early morning car crash caused by a drunken driver just hours after he pitched six scoreless innings in a no-decision against the Athletics. Monday would have been Adenhart's 23rd birthday.
Sweeney, who came in 4 for 9 lifetime against Angels starter Ervin Santana, homered, singled and tripled in his three at-bats against the right-hander to help the A's recover from a three-game sweep at Seattle.
Cahill (7-12) held the AL West leaders to a two-out single by Vladimir Guerrero in the fourth inning and a leadoff double by Jeff Mathis in the sixth. The Angels came in leading the majors with a .290 team batting average and a .305 mark with runners in scoring position.
Los Angeles got one baserunner as far as third base against the 21-year-old right-hander.
Cahill was 0-10 in 18 previous starts this season in which he received three runs of support or less while he was in the game. Cahill, who already has set an Oakland rookie record by allowing 25 home runs, hasn't given one up in 27 innings over his last four starts.
Michael Wuertz pitched a perfect eighth, and Andrew Bailey gave up a two-out bunt single by Torii Hunter in the ninth before retiring Guerrero on a groundout for his 19th save.
Santana (7-7) allowed two runs and eight hits over six innings and struck out six, after winning each of his previous four starts. Sweeney hit his sixth homer with one out in the second and Daric Barton had a one-out RBI single in sixth. He came in 10-1 lifetime against Oakland.
NOTES: The Angels lead the majors with 32 bunt hits. ... The Angels inducted LHP Chuck Finley and C-OF Brian Downing into their Hall of Fame, increasing the total membership to eight. ... The Angels' uniformed personnel and front office staff assembled in center field before batting practice for the 2009 team photo, but RHP Jered Weaver missed because he was home with the flu. So PR guy Eric Kay stood in wearing Weaver's No. 36 jersey, and the pitcher's head will be superimposed when it is printed.