A's explode for 21 runs in rout of Angels

OAKLAND - With a postseason berth within their sights, the Athletics are leaving nothing to chance.

Marcus Semien had three hits and a career-high five RBIs, Stephen Piscotty homered and drove in four runs and Oakland hammered the Los Angeles Angels 21-3 on Thursday.

The Athletics reduced their magic number for clinching a playoff berth to four. Since ?June 15, Oakland is a major league-best 58-25.

Oakland trails Houston by 3½ games in the AL West, leads Tampa Bay by 6½ games for the second wild-card spot, and is 1½ games behind the New York Yankees for the first wild card.

Catcher Francisco Arcia pitched the last two innings for the Angels, who were outscored 31-2 in the past two games of the series. He also homered in the ninth, becoming the first player in Major League history to catch, pitch and hit a home run in the same game, according to the Angels.

“Honestly, when I saw the score up there on the board, it looked like a football score,” Piscotty said. “It doesn’t happen all that often, but it’s a crazy game when you have position guys throwing.”

The A’s tied an Oakland record for runs scored first set on June 18, 2000, against Kansas City.

Piscotty was 2 for 3 with a three-run homer. He’s 4 for 6 with two home runs and nine RBIs in his last two games and has seven home runs and 22 RBI this month.