Angels defeat A's in 14-1 blowout

ANAHEIM - The Oakland Athletics’ most effective pitcher against the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night was first baseman Ike Davis.

There was no point in manager Bob Melvin wasting any of his regular relievers in the eighth inning of a sloppy 14-1 loss in which Drew Pomeranz and Fernando Abad surrendered three-run homers to Johnny Giavotella and Kole Calhoun.

So Davis, the son of former Yankees pitcher Ron Davis, volunteered his services.

“We obviously didn’t play a clean game,” Melvin said. “We’ve been on the other side of blowouts this year, and it doesn’t feel that great when you’re on the side we were tonight. It was just a bad game all the way around. At least we got a little levity at the end there with Ike.”

Davis, who had a 2.25 ERA at Arizona State, retired Collin Cowgill, C.J. Cron and Chris Iannetta on groundballs while throwing just nine pitches. It was the first time the A’s had a position player pitch since Frank Menechino on July 18, 2000, against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.

“It was interesting for sure,” Davis said. “I’m just glad I threw strikes and didn’t have to throw too many pitches. I miss that part of the game, and I’ve always wanted to get back up there and see what I could do and if I could get outs. I was a little nervous. I didn’t want to walk the house and look like a clown out there.”

It was anything but comedy relief for the Angels.

“You never like facing a guy like that because it’s a lose-lose situation,” Cron said. “I got a good pitch to hit, but I hit it right into the ground. He got three outs, so he did his job. He pitched in college, so he knows what he’s doing.”

Pomeranz (1-2) was charged with five runs - four earned - and eight hits in five-plus innings. He fanned six.

The left-hander thought he was out of the second inning unscathed, after third baseman Brett Lawrie charged Cron’s slow bouncer up the line and got the force at second on Erick Aybar before Eric Sogard relayed to first. Cron was called out by umpire Mike Muchlinski, but Angels manager Mike Scioscia asked the crew to take a second look and Cron was declared safe.

“We’ve been on the bad side of some replays this year, and it’s seriously affected probably three games up to this point,” Melvin said.

Pomeranz ended up making 25 extra pitches that inning and gave up four runs before getting the third out. Giavotella homered on a full count after a single by Iannetta. Calhoun then singled, Mike Trout walked on four pitches, and Calhoun scored the fourth run when shortstop Marcus Semien misplayed Albert Pujols’ grounder for his fifth error in 15 games.

Billy Butler got the A’s on the board in the third with a two-out homer, their last hit until Mark Canta’s one-out infield single in the eighth. Butler’s home run was Oakland’s first against a lefty in 342 at-bats since Nate Freiman’s two-run shot against Houston’s Dallas Keuchel on Sept. 7, 2014.

But Pomeranz was charged with another run after Cron chased him with a leadoff double during a six-run sixth that included three errors by the A’s, two wild pitches by R.J. Alvarez, and increased the Angels’ lead to 10-1.

“Alvarez’s stuff is good, it’s just the command of it,” Melvin said. “We really needed two innings from him today and didn’t get it out of him.”

Calhoun tied a career-best with four hits and Giavotella had a career-high four RBIs, including a run-scoring single. Giavotella was acquired in a trade from Kansas City in December and won the second base job in spring training after Howie Kendrick was dealt to the Dodgers.

Hector Santiago (2-1) allowed a run and three hits in six innings and struck out eight.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Athletics: 2B-OF Ben Zobrist missed his second straight game because of an injured left knee.

Angels: Scioscia said OF Josh Hamilton (shoulder) is close to beginning an extended spring program in Arizona.

UP NEXT

Athletics: RHP Sonny Gray (1-0) faced the Angels in three of his final eight starts last season, going at least seven innings each time. He is coming off a no-decision at Kansas City in which he gave up four runs and 11 hits over six innings.

Angels: RHP Jered Weaver (0-2) had a 6.61 ERA in his first three outings. The 10-year veteran, who won 18 games last year, has never gone winless in his first four starts of a major league season.