A's Hits, Angels Errors, A's Win Streak: Brought To You By The Number 3

In sum, Tommy Milone wobbled but didn't fall down and then a parade of 5 relievers did the same, while Oakland timed their own hits and Angels' errors to get by.

The A's didn't hit often, gathering just two hits off of C.J. Wilson in his 6 innings, but each drove in a run. In the top of the 2nd, with Seth Smith on 1B after a walk, Kurt Suzuki took a pitch that looked like it caught the inside corner for strike 3, but when given a reprieve by the Human Rain Delay, Tim McClellan, Suzuki responded with an RBI double.

The A's put a 3-spot on the board in the 4th -- or should I say the Angels did? Wilson walked back-to-back hitters to open the inning, and Seth Smith was asked to bunt the runners over. After watching Smith take one stab that even O.J. Simpson would criticize, Bob Melvin said "Never mind" and let Smith swing away. Smith dribbled one back to the mound, Wilson's only play was to 1B, and in a "Freaky Friday" moment Wilson changed bodies with Coco Crisp, lobbing an eephus-y one hopper past Albert Pujols as both runners scored. Kila Ka'aihue's solid single to CF, the only other hit off of Wilson, plated Smith to give the A's a 4-0 lead.

Milone cruised through the first 3 innngs but then faltered in the 4th. Some pitchers -- like Fautino De Los Santos, for example -- struggle by suddenly not being able to find the plate. When Milone struggles it's because he finds the middle of the plate. He could easily have given up 3 HRs in the inning but escaped with a Pujols double off the very top of the wall, a Mark Trumbo single off the wall, and just 2 runs. Milone went 5 innings to get the win, charged with 2 runs on 7 hits, with 1 BB and 3 Ks.

Then De Los Santos issued a walk and single to start the 6th, 1B and 3B nobody out: Enter Jordan Norberto, exit rally. A bouncer to 3B, a K, and a bouncer to SS, threat subdued. Milone gets the win, Ryan Cook and Brian Fuentes props for handling the 7th and 8th, and Grant Balfour gets the save, but make no mistake about it: The pitching hero tonight was Norberto.

And so, on 3 hits, behind a slew of pitchers who wobbled but never fell down, the A's bring a 3-game winning streak and a .500 record back to Oakland to take on the Indians tomorrow night. Oh, and beat C.J. Wilson, which is always fun. The verdict is in: "Lawyerball" is acquitted tonight and you can't blame the mound. Just youself, C.J., just yourself.