Angels power past Oakland Athletics in 9-4 victory

KEY MOMENT: Oakland’s Scott Kazmir breezed through a first inning in which he made just six pitches. But his former teammates roughed him up in their next two at-bats with Josh Hamilton scoring twice and driving in two runs and Erick Aybar doubling in two more, giving the Angels a 5-0 lead after three innings. They were never challenged after that.

AT THE PLATE: Aybar ran his hitting streak to nine games with a single and double. He is hitting .441 with six runs scored during the streak. Three other Angels — Hamilton, Mike Trout and Albert Pujols — had two hits each while leadoff hitter Kole Calhoun had three. Trout’s sixth-inning homer was his 29th of the season and sixth in his last seven games in Oakland. Former Angel Alberto Callaspo was three for four with a double and a home run for the A’s. He is batting .400 in his last nine games.

ON THE MOUND: Jered Weaver (14-7) was masterful through six innings, shutting the A’s out on four hits while striking out eight to earn his 14th win. He tired in the seventh, giving up two homers, but he had a 9-0 lead by that time. The Angels have won 11 of his last 13 starts. Kazmir, meanwhile, matched season highs for runs (seven) and hits (10) given up, losing for the sixth time in 20 decisions.

EXTRA BASES: In addition to the loss on the field, the A’s sustained another setback that could affect the pennant race when they lost closer Sean Doolittle to the disabled list because of a strained rib muscle. Doolittle, who saved the first two games of the series to give him 20 for the season, has the lowest opponents’ on-base percentage (.190) in the league.

UP NEXT: Left-hander Wade LeBlanc (0-0, 7.36 earned-run average) makes his first start as an Angel in the opener of a three-game series with the Miami Marlins. LeBlanc, who appeared in one game in relief for the Angels this year, is taking the place of 13-game winner Garrett Richards, who underwent season-ending knee surgery last week. LeBlanc, who also made one appearance for the Yankees this season, was 10-3 in 21 starts at triple-A Salt Lake. The Marlins will counter with right-hander Jarred Cosart (10-8, 4.14 with Houston and Miami), who has made three starts since coming over from the Astros. In his last two outings combined, Cosart gave up nine hits and one run in 13 innings. On the air: TV: FSW. Radio: 830, 1330.