Brosius Extends Angels’ Slump

Scott Brosius homered leading off the bottom of the 11th inning Thursday, giving the Oakland Athletics an 8-7 victory over the Angels.

Brosius’ 11th homer of the season came off Rich Monteleone (0-2), who came in to start the 11th.

Bill Taylor (3-1) pitched the final 2 2/3 innings for the victory.

The Angels lost for the ninth time in 12 games.

Jason Giambi had a pair of run-scoring doubles, including one that drove in the tying run in the eighth to help Oakland tie the score, 7-7.

Giambi, who has hit in nine consecutive games, also walked twice. Former Dodger Rafael Bournigal had three hits and three stolen bases for the A’s and scored three times.

Tim Salmon had four hits, scored three times and drove in two runs for the Angels, including a run-scoring single in the Angels’ three-run seventh.

The Angels loaded the bases in the ninth, but Taylor came on to strike out Randy Velarde and got Gary DiSarcina on a grounder to end the threat.

Salmon also singled and scored in the fourth, and scored after doubling in a run in the fifth. Darin Erstad, Garret Anderson and J.T. Snow each had two hits for the Angels.

With two runners on and no outs in the seventh, Salmon singled off A’s reliever Jim Corsi to pull the Angels within 6-5. Mike Mohler then walked Chili Davis and Tim Wallach to force in the tying run, and Velarde hit a sacrifice fly one out later to give the Angels a 7-6 lead.

The A’s scored four in the second. Angel starter Jason Grimsley hit the first two batters, then gave up run-scoring singles by Mike Bordick and Jose Herrera. Giambi had a run-scoring double and Grimsley threw a wild pitch for the fourth run.

The Angels cut the margin in half in the fourth on a run-scoring double by Snow and a run-scoring single by Velarde, who extended his hitting streak to 21 games. The Angels tied the score, 4-4, in the fifth on Salmon’s run-scoring double and a run-scoring single by Davis.

Oakland took a 5-4 lead in the fifth when a run scored on a double play, and Geronimo Berroa singled in a run in the sixth to make the score 6-4.

Grimsley, who has not had a decision in his last four starts, gave up five runs on eight hits in four-plus innings. A’s starter Steve Wojciechowski gave up four runs on nine hits in five innings.

Oakland first baseman Mark McGwire was honored before the game with a short ceremony marking his 303rd homer on Tuesday, which made him the Athletics’ career home run leader. He had been tied with Jimmie Foxx.

Angel catcher Don Slaught was ejected in the second inning by home plate umpire Greg Kosc, the first ejection this season for the Angels.

Troy Percival, the Angels all-star closer, pitched a career-high 2 2/3 innings. Percival, the fifth pitcher used by the Angels, threw 51 pitches.