Alonso has RBI single in 10th to help A's beat Angels 8-6

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) Yonder Alonso thought he cost the Oakland Athletics a game with his glove but then made up for it with his bat.

Alonso hit a tiebreaking RBI double in the 10th inning to lead the A's to an 8-6 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday night, helping Oakland avoid a three-game sweep and snap a five-game losing streak.

Mike Morin (2-2) got the first two outs of the 10th inning before the A's scored twice. Danny Valencia and Tyler Ladendorf singled before Alonso's double to center scored Valencia with the go-ahead run. Marcus Semien followed with an RBI single.

''I prayed to every God there is I would get another opportunity to help my team,'' Alsono said.

Ryan Dull pitched a scoreless 10th to get his second save.

Alonso's clutch hitting came after an error in the eighth that allowed the Angels to tie it at 6-all.

''He's swinging the bat really good right now,'' A's manager Bob Melvin said. ''I think when something transpires like that, you can't wait to get in a position where you can go help your team and he definitely did that.''

Jefry Marte and Jett Bandy hit back-to-back singles off John Axford to start the eighth and pinch-hitter Mike Trout drew a walk to load the bases. Johnny Giavotella sent a grounder to first base that Alonso bobbled, allowing Giavotella to reach safely and Marte to beat the throw home and tie the game.

''It's a hard-hit ball from a righty. You don't see many balls as first baseman hit down there like that,'' Melvin said. ''It spun in weird and came out of his glove but (Marte) got a good break from third and just barely beat the tag.''

Ryan Madson (4-4) then came in for Axford and retired Yunel Escobar and Kole Calhoun.

Melvin was particularly happy with how Zach Neal, Dull and Madson performed out of the bullpen, saying he hadn't planned on using Madson in a situation like that or using Dull at all after he had pitched in Wednesday's game.

''(Dull) always makes himself available, but I hadn't planned on using him,'' Melvin said. ''Zach Neal was huge for us today. We don't get in the position we were in later in the game if not for Zach, and then Ryan Madson coming into a situation he's not used to coming into. In a tie game like that, leaving a guy on third with less than two outs, so there were a lot of guys who contributed. This was a total team win.''

Valencia, Max Muncy and Ryon Healy all homered for Oakland.

Tied at 5-all in the top of the seventh, Jhoulys Chacin walked Jake Smolinski and Bruce Maxwell to start the inning. Coco Crisp's one-out double off the wall in right-center drove in Smolinksi to put the A's ahead.

With his family visiting from South Korean, Ji-Man Choi homered twice off of Jesse Hahn, belting a solo home run in the second inning and a three-run shot that curled around the right-field foul pole in the third inning that gave the Angels a 5-2 lead. He nearly had a third home run in the fifth inning but Crisp reached into the left field stands to make the catch.

It was not only Choi's first multi-homer game of his major league career, but it was also his first multi-hit game.

''I really wanted a multi-hit game because I had never had one,'' Choi said through an interpreter. ''This was my first major league multi-hit game, so it's very crazy to do it in front of my family.''

The A's tied the score in the fourth with three runs off Ricky Nolasco.

In his first start since being traded from the Minnesota Twins on Monday, Nolasco, who grew up 50 miles away from Angel Stadium in Rialto, gave up five earned runs and six hits, including the three solo home runs.

After being recalled earlier in the day to make the start, Hahn gave up five earned on seven hits in four innings for Oakland.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Athletics: RHP Henderson Alvarez was checked for thoracic outlet syndrome this week but a specialist, Dr. Greg Pearl, found no evidence of the condition. Alvarez, who is cleared to start a conditioning program, had shoulder surgery last July and isn't likely to pitch for Oakland this season.

Angels: CF Trout wasn't in the starting lineup after battling what was described as a mild cold. Angels manager Mike Scioscia said Trout had been feeling under the weather all week. Shane Robinson played took his place in center field.

UP NEXT

Athletics: LHP Dillon Overton (1-2, 9.33 ERA) will face the Chicago White Sox at home in his second start since being recalled from Triple-A Nashville on Saturday..

Angels: RHP Tim Lincecum (2-5, 8.49 ERA) will make his ninth start of the season for the Angels when they open a series in Seattle. Lincecum, who grew up 12 miles away from Safeco Field in Bellevue, Wash., is 1-1 with a 5.91 ERA in two starts against the Mariners.