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		Angels Battle to Win Series, Beat A’s, 7-4 By George Devine, Sr. July 2, 2008
	Oakland Athletics center fielder Rajai Davis drops the ball between his legs as he attempts to pick up a double by Los Angeles Angels' Howie Kendrick during the second inning of the baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Wednesday July 2, 2008. The Angels won 7-4. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)
	It was a newsworthy day for the Athletics in a number of ways. For one thing, they proudly announced the signing of 16-year-old phenom Michael Inoa, a right-handed pitcher from the Dominican Republic. For another, they put Gold Glove third baseman and sometime DH Eric Chavez on the disabled list and gave Wes Bankston (a right-handed hitter) his major league debut at first base, coming up from AAA Sacramento (he went 0 for 4). But most important of all in terms of the present season, they lost the game, 7-4, and the series to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and are now 5.5 games behind in the AL West. Also of significance is that Bobby Crosby was taken out of the game in the top of the eighth inning legging out a single, and his left knee is being looked at carefully. For someone who has been an everyday player in the Oakland lineup, this is cause for concern. A’s starter Dana Eveland’s wild pitch allowed Erick Aybar (who soloed off Oakland reliever Santiago Casilla in the seventh for the last run of the game) to score in the first. In the next inning an RBI groundout made it 2-0 Angels. But in the fourth, Oakland came back when Bobby Crosby singled, advanced on Emil Brown’s seeing-eye double to right and scored on a throwing error by Gary Matthews, Jr. In the sixth the A’s added two more runs to take the lead for a while, when Donnie Murphy (playing third base) was walked by Angels’ starter Joe Saunders, center fielder Rajai Davis doubled and Mark Ellis hit a two-run single. In the bottom of the frame, Casey Kotchman doubled to break the tie and Juan Rivera’s two-run homer gave the Halos a lead they would never surrender. The win goes to Saunders (12-4, 6.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 3.04 ERA) and the loss to A’s reliever Keith Foulke (0-3, 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 HR, 3.81 ERA); Francisco Rodriguez (1 IP, 1 K) picked up his 34th save. The A’s next travel to Chicago to face the White Sox at 5:10 p.m. PDT on Thursday, July 3. Justin Duchscherer (8-5) and Javier Vasquez (7-6) are the probable starters.