A's sweep Halos in tight series that could have gone either way...

GAME 1 - 8/16 - Network Assoc Coliseum
David Frost vs Tim Hudson
A's 5, Angels 2

Tim Hudson was on his "A" game going 7 innings and giving up just 1 run on 4 hits.  The A's pen gave up just 1 run over the final 2 innings, which facilitated a call to closer Jason Isringhausen to finish out the 9th.  "Izzy" gave up 1 hit and allowed an inherited runner to score, then clamped down to get the Halos out to give the hometown fans a nice feeling with an opening day win.  Oakland scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 3rd, then solo runs in the next 2 innings to make Hudson's life a bit easier.  Angels starter Dave Frost walked 7, which turned out to be his downfall.  Terrence Long hit a solo shot in the 5th for the team in green, while going 2 for 3 with 2 runs scored.

GAME 2 - 8/17
Nolan Ryan vs Mark Mulder
A's 2, Angels 1
Neither starter escaped the 5th inning.  Both were doing fantastic, but Mulder exceeded the dreaded 100 pitch plateau, while "the Express" rubbed up a blister and had to leave prematurely.  California drew first blood when Bobby Grich singled home Jim Anderson with 2 out in the top of the 4th.  Anderson got on base thanks to Jason Giambi's fielding error, which led to the only run (unearned) that Mulder would yield.  Oakland would tie the game up via a passed ball charged to catcher Brian Downing, which allowed Migued Tejada to move into scoring position for Jeremy Giambi, who singled him home.  The game remained tied until the bottom of the 8th when the A's got the go-ahead run off of reliever Mark Clear, who walked Jeremy G with the bases loaded to score big bro Jason.  Izzy came on to pitch a perfect 9th to record his 2nd save in as many days.

GAME 3 - 8/18 - Anaheim Stadium
Barry Zito vs Frank Tanana
A's 3, Angels 2 (10 inn)

Frank Tanana was flat out dominant in a losing effort.  He struck out 8 and gave up just 2 hits in 8 innings. The one run that he gave up, a solo run in the 5th, was unearned.  He handed the ball off to his manager Douglas Zaner, who entrusted the lead to reliever Mark Clear.  It looked like "clear sailing" in the 9th as Tejada popped out to short and Jason Giambi lined out to second.  Clear pained the corner for two quick strikes to Eric Chavez, then threw a ball that was just off the outside corner.  The 1-2 offering that he threw caught too much plate and Chavez hit a high arching shot 368 feet to right center to tie the game up a 1 all.  You could hear a pin drop at the Big "A".  Two outs and two strikes and Chavez ties up the game with a solo blast.  Clear started the top of the 10th and got Dye to ground out to sencond, then got Hernandez to fly out weakly to right.  Frankie Menechino hit a hot smash to short that the usually reliable Bert Campaneris booted.  Frankie then pilfered second and scored on a slicing single to left by Johnny Damon to put the A's up 2-1.  Jim Mecir started the bottom of the 10th for Oakland and fanned the hard to strike out Rod Carew.  Izzy was called on to get two run of the mill guys named Grich and Baylor.  Izzy jammed Grich and got him to pop to short and did the same to Baylor to get the 1979 AL MVP to bounce out to third to end the game.  Izzy now had his 3rd save in as many days.

GAME 4 - 8/19
Cory Lidle vs Jim Barr
A's 3, Angels 1 (10 inn)

4 saves in consecutive games

For the second straight night in a row the Angels got a virtuoso performance from one of their starters (Jim Barr) and walked out of the ball yard with nothing but an agonizing loss to show for it.  Jim Barr went 8 1/3 innings and gave up just a solo run in the 7th.  That solo run came on one of the wildest plays of the series.  Miguel Tejada walked with 1 out and Eric Chavez hit a bomb off the centerfield wall, for what should have been a certain triple.  Tejada had absolutely no problem scoring from first to tie the game, but Chavez, who in his haste to turn on the jets while rounding first fell flat on his face.  While Tejada was motoring, Chavez had to struggle to his feet and crawl and stumble his way back to first for what might be the longest recorded single in KOD history.  That bumbling and stumbling play cost the A's a chance to score what would certainly have been the go ahead run since Giambi singled to center in the next AB.  Starters Cory Lidle (6.2 / 1 ER) and Jim Barr (8.1 / 1 ER) left the game  and earned no-decisions.  The game headed into extra innings after Chad Bradford pitched out of difficulty in the bottom of the 9th.  Dyar Miller took the hill in the top of the 10th for the Halos and plunked Jeremy Giambi, who was immediately lifted for a pinch runner (F.P. Santangelo).  After Olmedo Saenz struck out on 3 straight pitches Hernandez walked and Menechino lined out to left for out #2.  Miller got Damon into an 0-2 hole then lost him by served up a frustrating infield single.  Terrance Long came up with the bases loaded and also wound up in an 0-2 hole.  Long shortened his stroke and lined one up the middle to score both Santangelo and Hernandez to put Oakland up 3-1.  For the bottom of the 10th, Izzy took the hill looking for his 4th save in his 4th consecutive day of action.  After Brian Downing grounded a single to the opposite field, Grich struck out.  Baylor lined a single up the middle to put the go ahead run at the plate in the form of Willie Aikens, who grounded to short for what should have been the second out of the inning.  Miguel Tejada thinking double play all the way tried to throw the ball before he got a handle on it and all hands were safe.  Dan Ford came to the plate with 1 out and the bases loaded.  A single ties it up and an extra base hit would have won it.  With an 0-1 count Izzy, who was definitely tired after 4 straight days of work, put one right down the middle.  Ford hit a 1 hop bullet to Tejada at short.  Unlike the previous play, Tejada got it cleanly and tossed it to Menechino for one and over to Giambi for a game ending double play.  Oakland gains the improbable sweep in a series that could have gone either way.  Jason Isringhausen has to be the series MVP notching 4 saves in 4 straight games.