Athletics rally with 2 homers in 8th to complete comeback in 9-7 win over Angels

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Carlos Cortes and Zack Gelof each hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning as the Athletics rallied past the Los Angeles Angels 9-7 on Tuesday night.

Cortes launched a drive to right-center off Sam Bachman (1-3) to give the A’s a 7-6 lead, and Gelof cemented the comeback from a 6-0 deficit they faced just two innings before.

Cortes came off the bench as a pinch hitter in the seventh and finished 2 for 2 with a run-scoring triple and three RBIs. He also scored twice.

Hogan Harris allowed a run in the ninth but earned his 16th save by striking out pinch-hitter Oswald Peraza with two runners aboard.

Luis Medina (6-3) pitched a scoreless inning for the win as the Athletics clinched the season series with one game remaining between the bottom two teams in the AL West.

Denzer Guzman homered and drove in four early runs for the Angels, including a three-run shot off starter Brady Basso in the third. Guzman has gone deep in four straight games at Sutter Health Park.

Mike Trout and Vaughn Grissom each had three of the Angels' 15 hits. Grissom's second RBI single gave Los Angeles a 6-0 lead in the sixth.

Shea Langeliers and Lawrence Butler each had three of the 14 hits racked up by the A's. Butler began their comeback in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI triple that scored Langeliers, who trimmed it to 6-4 with a run-scoring single in the seventh. Jeff McNeil drew a bases-loaded walk later in the inning to make it 6-5.

Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi allowed two runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Up next

Angels RHP Walbert Urena (9-10, 2.74 ERA) faces Athletics LHP Jeffrey Springs (4-14, 6.18) on Wednesday night.

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