Athletics rout Angels, end three-game skid

Reporting from OAKLAND â€”  Stephen Piscotty hit a three-run homer and matched his career high with five RBIs, and the Oakland Athletics beat the Angels 10-0 on Wednesday night to end a three-game losing streak.

Oakland moved within four games of first-place Houston in the AL West and stayed 21/2 behind the New York Yankees for the top wild card. The Athletics are 51/2 games ahead of streaking Tampa Bay for the second wild card with 10 to play.

Jed Lowrie and Piscotty each hit a two-run double in a six-run fourth inning to back Brett Anderson (4-5).

Ramon Laureano added an RBI single and a sacrifice fly for the Athletics, who had lost four of five.

Anderson pitched 62/3 scoreless innings, giving up three hits with three strikeouts and no walks. Three relievers finished the four-hitter as Oakland’s 14th shutout of the season took just 2 hours, 23 minutes.

Anderson delivered the longest outing by an Athletics starter in 26 games, becoming the first to go more than six innings during that stretch — which has included manager Bob Melvin starting games with a reliever who works just one inning before giving way to a regular starter. The 25 straight games with a starter going six or fewer innings was the second-longest in franchise history.

The left-hander made his second start since coming off the disabled list and taking the loss last Thursday in Baltimore, where he lasted only 31/3 innings. He has walked one or fewer batters in each of his last 10 starts, with just five free passes over 542/3 innings during that stretch.

Anderson retired his first eight batters and got through the second inning on five pitches.

Angels starter Felix Pena (3-5) was done after the fourth, allowing six runs on six hits with three strikeouts and a walk. The right-hander retired his first nine batters.

Shortstop Sherman Johnson made his major league debut in the sixth for the Angels, who were shut out for the 10th time.