OAKLAND, Calif. _ The A's 6-4 win on Sunday afternoon hinged on relief appearance.
Yusmeiro Petit, the A's iron man out of the bullpen, took over for starter Mike Fiers in the fifth inning with runners on the corners, no outs, a one-run lead, and the best hitter in baseball up to bat.
Mike Trout had already knocked a three-run home run in his previous at bat, shaving too close the A's 5-run lead collected all in the first inning. Petit threw him four cutters and into a 2-2 count, and Trout hit a deep sac fly. Petit mowed through Tommy La Stella and struck out Justin Upton with a curveball to preserve the slim lead.
"That's the biggest momentum change of the game," manager Bob Melvin said. "To come out of it with only one run. Whether you pitch (Petit) in the fourth or seventh, he always gets the tough role and he did today. It was a game saver."
Liam Hendriks recorded a four-out save to complete the A's 6-4 win over the Angels on Sunday afternoon.
Here are some takeaways.
