Fri May 2 01:52:34 2008

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Oakland pounds out 20 hits in victory over Angels

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Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - Jack Cust homered to highlight his 4-for-4 night and scored three times, and Oakland had a season-high 20 hits in a 15-8 rout of the Angels.

Kurt Suzuki, Daric Barton, Frank Thomas, Bobby Crosby and Ryan Sweeney each had two RBI for the A's, who split the four-game series and did it with incredible firepower in the opening and closing contests. They won the first game, 14-2, and then proceeded to score a total of one run in losing the next two before piling it on their AL West rival in Thursday's game.

Emil Brown tied his career-high with four hits, drove in a run and scored twice in the victory.

Oakland sent nine men to the plate in the second inning and batted around while scoring eight times in the fifth to take the lead for good.

"Cust getting four hits with the homer and two walks was something," A's manager Bob Geren said. "We could see this coming for some time now."

Justin Duchscherer (2-1) was charged with six hits and six runs -- one earned -- over five innings to get the win for the A's. He's 6-0 lifetime against the Angels.

The trio of Nick Adenhart, Dustin Moseley and Darren O'Day were shelled for the Angels. Adenhart, making his first major league appearance, walked five batters, including four in a row during the second inning, and was lifted after allowing three hits and five runs in two-plus frames. Moseley (1-3) was pounded for seven hits and five runs in two frames, and O'Day was drilled for four hits and four runs while recording just two outs in the fifth.

Before the game, the Angels placed infielder Maicer Izturis on the 15-day disabled list due to a strained lower back. The team also selected the contract of Adenhart from Triple-A Salt Lake. The highly-regarded 21-year-old earned a promotion after amassing 4-0 record and a microscopic 0.87 earned run average in five starts for Salt Lake.

"Nick tried to do too much," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He was out of sync. He's a good pitcher. He just didn't have good enough command to give himself a chance."

Erick Aybar clubbed a three-run homer for Los Angeles, and Mike Napoli added a solo shot.

With the game tied 6-6, the A's sent 13 men to the plate in the fifth and Cust led off with a homer to right-center field. Crosby singled, Jack Hannahan doubled and Sweeney's base hit made it 8-6.

O'Day then came in from the bullpen and promptly got two outs, but Barton stroked an RBI double to right and Thomas singled to left to drive in two more. A base hit by Brown and a walk to Cust loaded the bases for Crosby, who singled to center to drive in two runs for a 13-6 margin.

Chris Bootcheck then came on in relief, but uncorked a wild pitch, leading to another run.

Brown singled in Barton in the sixth to account for the 15th run.

Matt Brown doubled in two runs for his first major league hit in the bottom of the ninth.

After an easy first frame, Adenhart got his first taste of big-league self- destruction in the second. Brown singled with one out before Adenhart lost complete command of the strike zone. He walked Cust, Crosby, Hannahan and Sweeney in succession along with a wild pitch, accounting for Brown and Cust crossing the plate. Suzuki's single plated two more runs for a 4-0 edge.

The Angels didn't go quietly into the night, rallying for five runs in the home half -- all with two outs. It started with Garret Anderson reaching on a two-base error before Robb Quinlan's single. Napoli followed with a run- scoring hit and Aybar then hit a line drive over the wall in right-center.

Chone Figgins played small ball for the lead. He bunted for a base hit, stole second and scored on a Gary Matthews, Jr. single to the opposite field.

Hannahan's sacrifice fly tied the game in the third, and Oakland went ahead 6-5 in the fourth on a Barton RBI single. The Angels tied it again in the bottom half thanks to Napoli's homer to left.

Game Notes

Oakland hosts Texas for three games this weekend, while the Angels are at home versus Baltimore for three...The A's went 9-for-18 with runners in scoring position, but left 13 men on base.