OAKLAND (AP) — Danny Espinosa hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning to rally the Los Angeles Angels past the Oakland Athletics 7-6 on Tuesday.
The late comeback came on a night when Angels pitcher Matt Shoemaker made his first appearance since being struck in the head by a line drive off Kyle Seager’s bat in Seattle last September. Shoemaker returned seven months to the day after an injury that forced him to have surgery to stop bleeding in his brain.
Shoemaker allowed solo home runs to Jed Lowrie and Ryon Healy in five innings of four-hit ball.
Espinosa sent an 0-2 slider from reliever Ryan Dull (0-1) over the fence in right-center.
Jefry Marte’s infield single got the Angels going in the ninth. Cameron Maybin followed with a single and Andrelton Simmons reached on a fielder’s choice that sent Marte to third.
Andrew Bailey (1-0) pitched a scoreless eighth for the win. Cam Bedrosian closed for his second career save and first this season.
Lowrie was 3 for 4 with a home run and a double — and nearly hit for the cycle. Right fielder Kole Calhoun’s diving catch in the eighth robbed Lowrie of extra bases, and likely the triple he needed.
Rajai Davis had two hits, including a two-run triple.
Davis, the speeder in his second stint with Oakland, poked a shot down the first base line off reliever Bud Norris that glanced off Marte’s outstretched glove. Davis came around to score on second baseman Espinosa’s errant throw to third on a ball that barely reached the outfield grass.
The Angels homered against Oakland for the 17th time in 18 games and have won 31 of the last 48 meetings between the teams.

TRAINER’S ROOM
Angels: RHP Huston Street, out since March 4 with lat strain, began his throwing program from 60 feet on flat ground.
Athletics: RHP Sonny Gray threw 25 pitches in his first bullpen session since sustaining a lat strain on March 7, manager Bob Melvin said. Gray used all his pitches and threw at full strength. He’ll have at least one more bullpen before a rehab assignment. . RHP Chris Bassitt will face hitters Wednesday for the first time since undergoing reconstructive elbow surgery last May.

UP NEXT
Athletics: Rookie RHP Jharel Cotton pitches Wednesday night against the Angels. He held opponents to a .208 batting average in six starts last season.
Angels: RHP Garrett Richards will make his first start since May 1, 2016. He underwent stem cell treatment in lieu of Tommy John surgery for a partially torn ligament in his right elbow.