Oakland Athletics vs Los Angeles Angels Box Score on Sep 18, 2021

James Kaprielian allowed two hits over six shutout innings to lead the Oakland A's to a 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night in Anaheim, Calif.

Kaprielian had been bumped from the start in favor of Daulton Jefferies, an effort by A's manager Bob Melvin to get a "fresh arm" on the mound in place of a struggling Kaprielian.

Jefferies, however, was placed on the injured list before the game with nerve irritation in his elbow, allowing Kaprielian a chance to get on the mound. And he made the most of it.

He retired the first six batters of the game until Jose Rojas singled to lead off the third. But Kaprielian responded by retiring the next 10 Angels hitters in a row until Jack Mayfield doubled with one out in the sixth.

Kaprielian (8-5) got out of the inning and was finished after six, having made 90 pitches, striking out five and walking nobody.

The Angels (72-76) threatened after Kaprielian was gone, putting together a rally against A's reliever Deolis Guerra in the seventh.

It appeared Guerra got out of the inning when Luis Rengifo grounded into a double play, Guerra covering first to get out of the inning. However, the play was overturned when the umpires ruled the ball popped out of Guerra's glove, giving the Angels runners on first and third with two out. Melvin was tossed for arguing and the Angels immediately took advantage when Rojas singled to drive in Shohei Ohtani from third. Guerra, though, escaped when he struck out Max Stassi.

Andrew Chafin pitched the ninth for Oakland and earned his fifth save, getting out of a bases-loaded jam when second baseman Josh Harrison made a leaping catch of Stassi's line drive to end the game.

The win moved the A's (81-67) to within two games of Toronto for the second wild-card spot in the American League.

Angels starter Jose Suarez (7-8) got the first two outs in the first inning before yielding a home run to Matt Olson. After a walk by Mark Canha, Chad Pinder doubled in one run and Matt Chapman followed with another RBI double for a 3-0 Oakland lead.

Suarez, though, settled in from there and didn't give up another run before leaving with two out in the sixth. In all, he gave up three runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings, striking out three and walking two.

--Field Level Media