ANAHEIM, Calif. _ One night after six runs proved insufficient, five became more than enough for the Oakland A's on Saturday night.
Paul Blackburn pitched 6 2/3 shutout innings in a 5-0 win over the Los Angeles Angels in front of 39,180 at Angel Stadium.
Blackburn (3-1), a former Heritage High star from Brentwood, generated 10 groundouts, issued no walks for the first time in his brief major-league career, conceded five hits and recorded one strikeout while throwing a season-high 112 pitches. The right-hander retired nine successive Angels between the third and sixth innings, and 15 of the final 18 he faced.
Offensively, Rajai Davis stole three bases to give himself 23 this season, and Dustin Garneau hit a two-run single in his first appearance for the A's since being claimed off waivers Friday. The A's scored their other three runs on a wild pitch, an error and a steal of home.
The A's took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning against left-hander Tyler Skaggs, who was making his first start since April 28, when a strained right oblique muscle put him on the disabled list for nearly 3{ months.
Davis hit the game's first pitch into center field for a single. Davis then stole second and third base before Jed Lowrie walked, and scored the game's first run on a wild pitch.
The Angels put the potential tying run at third base with two out in the second. Andrelton Simmons reached base on a fielder's choice and moved to third when Ben Revere dumped a single to left field. But Blackburn kept the Angels scoreless by getting Martin Maldonado to ground out.
The A's expanded the margin to 3-0 in the fourth on Garneau's two-run single, then added two unearned runs in the sixth.
With Matt Chapman at second base and Mark Canha on first, Davis hit a ground ball to third baseman Yunel Escobar, who tried to force Canha out at second. But Escobar's wild throw allowed Chapman to score and Canha to take third. The A's then executed a double steal, with Canha stealing home.
