OAKLAND (AP) — Tommy Milone scattered five hits over seven innings and Kila Ka'aihue drove in the go-ahead run, leading the pesky Oakland Athletics past the Los Angeles Angels 2-1 on Monday night.
Milone (6-3) struck out three, walked one and never allowed the anemic Angels offense to get going. The lefty's only blemish was an RBI double by Mike Trout in the fifth that landed between two Oakland players.
Kurt Suzuki drove in a run on a double-play groundout in the second and Ka'aihue's RBI single in the third snapped Jerome Williams' four-game winning streak. Williams (4-2) hadn't lost since his first start of the season, April 15 at the New York Yankees.
Los Angeles has lost three straight and four of five.
Ryan Cook pitched a perfect eighth to extend his scoreless streak to 21 2-3 innings to start the season. Brian Fuentes tossed a perfect ninth for his fourth save in five chances.
Another bad day for the Angels ended even worse.
The team learned in the afternoon that Vernon Wells tore a ligament in his right thumb stealing second base in Sunday's 3-2 loss at San Diego. The outfielder will have surgery Tuesday in Los Angeles and be out for at least eight to 10 weeks.
The Angels, with Albert Pujols and the fourth-highest opening day payroll at $155 million, watched Oakland and its league-low $53 million payroll grind out another victory against its AL West rival. The A's (22-21) are 5-2 against the Angels (18-25) this season.
All the latest took was two bases-loaded jams to send Los Angeles to another loss.
After Seth Smith singled to lead off the second, Josh Donaldson doubled to right and Daric Barton walked. Williams got Suzuki to ground into a double play and Cliff Pennington to ground out, escaping the inning with Oakland ahead 1-0.
Ka'aihue's single scored Coco Crisp — activated off the disabled list earlier Monday after a bout with an inner-ear infection — from second to give the A's a 2-0 lead in the third.
Williams walked Smith to load the bases again before Donaldson lined out to shortstop Howie Kendrick, whose off-balance throw caught Josh Reddick leaning off second for an inning-ending double play.
Oakland's only mistakes came on defense.
Trout popped up down the line and first baseman Barton and second baseman Jemile Weeks gave chase. Both almost collided as the ball bounced off Barton's glove for a double, scoring Kendrick from second to make it 2-1.
Notes: The A's optioned INF Eric Sogard to Triple-A Sacramento to make room for Crisp. ... A's slugger Manny Ramirez went 2 for 2 with a walk in Sacramento's 6-5 loss at Round Rock. He's eligible to return to the majors from a second positive drug test May 30, his 40th birthday. ... Oakland slugger Yoenis Cespedes won't come off the DL when he's eligible Tuesday. The Cuban defector, wearing a brace around his strained left wrist, said he hopes to take batting practice at some point this week.
