A’s Toss Monkey Off Back

The Angels have made a cottage industry of their ultra-marketable Rally Monkey, crediting the jumping simian with their ability to come from behind to win 42 games this season.

So what happens when fans of opposing teams do bad things to said monkey? Apparently, the Angels come from ahead to lose.

After Oakland fans paraded around the pregame grounds of the Network Associates Coliseum toting monkeys hanging in effigy, the Angels blew a three-run first-inning lead and fell to the Athletics, 4-3, Monday night, dropping back into a first-place tie in the American League West with Oakland at 94-56.

The Angels’ six-game winning streak, which began last Tuesday against Oakland, came to an end when Miguel Tejada singled off Angel reliever Al Levine (4-4) in the ninth inning to score Ray Durham.

Oakland closer Billy Koch (10-3) got the win having pitching a perfect ninth inning.

Tejada’s walk-off heroics were set up by consecutive one-out singles by Durham and pinch-hitter David Justice.

With the crowd of 22,326 chanting “MVP, MVP,” Tejada singled up the middle and a sliding Durham easily beat Angel center fielder Darin Erstad’s throw. It was the third time in the past month that Tejada has had a walk-off game-winning hit.

After a big first inning, the Angel offense was silent. But apparently, it doesn’t matter where Troy Glaus bats in the Angel lineup these days.

A day after hitting three home runs in three consecutive at-bats while hitting in the No. 2 spot, Glaus went deep in his first at-bat while batting cleanup.

Glaus’ first-inning home run, a three-run shot to right field off Oakland starter Cory Lidle, equaled the major league mark of four home runs in four consecutive at-bats, a record achieved numerous times. Three other players have accomplished the feat this season--Seattle’s Mike Cameron (May 2), the Dodgers’ Shawn Green (over June 14 and 15) and Atlanta’s Andruw Jones (over Sept. 7 and 10).

Erstad and Scott Spiezio got on base through a fielder’s choice and a single to right, respectively, to precede Glaus’ team-leading 28th home run, which came on an 0-and-1 pitch.

Glaus, though, struck out looking in his next at-bat, in the fourth inning, and Lidle would end up baffling the Angels, giving up only two hits after the first inning. The right-hander struck out three batters and walked two, one intentionally, in seven innings.

“He settled down and pitched a terrific ballgame,” Angel Manager Mike Scioscia said of Lidle. “After Glaus’ home run, he put up a lot of zeros and got them back in the game.

“We just couldn’t pressure them enough offensively to let our guys relax at the plate.”

And with starter John Lackey struggling with his control, things didn’t bode well for the Angels.

Lackey only gave up two runs, one earned, and four hits, but he threw 101 pitches in five innings. The right-handed rookie also walked five, a season high for him, and struck out four.

“My control wasn’t how it’s been,” Lackey said. “There were a couple of situations where a walk was better than a pitch down the middle.

“But then again, I helped them out quite a bit. They’re a good club and when I made a bad pitch, they made me pay for it.... I just didn’t have the command that I usually have.”

Oakland got its first run in the second inning when Jermaine Dye crushed a 1-and-2 pitch for a solo home run, Dye’s 20th homer of the season.

With Lackey laboring in the fifth, the Athletics scored another.

Oakland benefited from a blown double-play attempt in the inning in which second baseman Adam Kennedy had trouble getting the ball out of his glove and shortstop David Eckstein misplayed his throw, putting runners at first and second with none out.

After Lackey walked Scott Hatteberg to load the bases and struck out Tejada for the inning’s first out, Eric Chavez drove a Lackey pitch into the right-center gap. But Erstad raced over and, in mid-jump, caught the ball as he met the wall, Ramon Hernandez scoring on Chavez’s sacrifice fly.

Oakland tied it, 3-3, in the seventh when switch-hitting leadoff batter Ray Durham hit his 14th home run.