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Grand Slam Snaps Angels' Streak

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The Associated Press

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 9, 2008

OAKLAND, Calif. - Mark Ellis hit a grand slam with two outs in the 12th inning Sunday, giving the Oakland Athletics a 7-3 victory that snapped the Los Angeles Angels' season-best seven-game winning streak.

Ellis hit the first pitch from Chris Bootcheck just inside the left-field foul pole for his second career game-ending homer and his third grand slam.

It was the fifth walk-off grand slam by the A's and first since Mark McGwire did it on June 30, 1995, also against the Angels. Ellis' sixth homer of the year ended a 3-hour, 53-minute game and made sure Oakland avoided a three-game sweep against its AL West rival.

After consecutive one-out singles by Gregorio Petit and Rajai Davis, Bootcheck struck out Emil Brown for the second out before walking Travis Buck to load the bases and bring up Ellis.

The Angels had chances in the ninth against Huston Street, but Vladimir Guerrero's fly ball to right didn't go far enough to score Howie Kendrick from third. Torii Hunter struck out, leaving runners on second and third.

Brad Ziegler pitched 12/3 innings for his first major-league win. Eric Chavez hit a tying RBI double in the seventh off Darren Oliver to make it 3-3.

Each of the first two games of the series were decided by two runs, and the Angels' other five wins during their streak were by one run.

Guerrero hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the fourth and Gary Matthews Jr. added an RBI single in the inning against Rich Harden.

The Angels had their division lead over Oakland cut to 4 1/2 games. Los Angeles still concluded an impressive 5-1 road trip.

Angels starter Ervin Santana struck out the side in order in the sixth and appeared poised for his ninth victory in 13 starts this year. He matched his season high with nine strikeouts while walking three in 61/3 innings.

Chavez's RBI single in the first snapped Santana's streak of 23 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run against the A's. The right-hander yielded seven hits and two runs.

When Carlos Gonzalez hit an RBI single in the fourth to pull Oakland to 3-2, the rookie ended his stretch of seven straight extra-base hits - all doubles - to start his career. Called up on May 30, he became the first major leaguer since Johnny Mize in 1936 to begin his big league career with each of his first seven hits going for extra bases.

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