Win is out of ordinary for Angels

Since when did Earl Weaver start managing the Angels?

For one night -- OK, one inning -- Mike Scioscia ditched his normal little-ball approach for the style preferred by the former Baltimore Orioles manager, who often described his philosophy as “Pitching, defense and the three-run homer.”

Instead of asking Orlando Cabrera to bunt with two on and none out in the seventh inning of a one-run game, a strategy that would have resulted in an intentional walk to Vladimir Guerrero and Oakland left-hander Jay Marshall coming on to face Garret Anderson, Cabrera swung away and produced a lazy fly ball to right.

But that kept the bat in Guerrero’s hands, and the Angels slugger didn’t waste the opportunity, crushing a Jay Witasick pitch far over the left-center field wall for a three-run home run that was the difference in the Angels’ 5-2 victory over the Athletics Friday night in Angel Stadium.

“You definitely give it consideration,” Scioscia said, when asked how close he came to having Cabrera bunt. “But the matchups we saw are the ones that happened. Marshall is tough on left-handers. We have confidence in Garret ... but tonight it made more sense to have Vlad swing the bat.”

Guerrero’s third homer in five games gave the Angels a 5-1 lead and provided a nice cushion for relievers Justin Speier, Scot Shields and Francisco Rodriguez, who almost needed it.

Speier, who escaped a runner-on-second, none-out jam in the top of the seventh to preserve a 2-1 lead, walked two in the eighth, and one of those runners scored on a wild pitch.

Rodriguez gave up a one-out single to Todd Walker and a double to Travis Buck in the ninth, but the closer retired Marco Scutaro on a fly to right and struck out pinch-hitter Bobby Kielty on three nasty sliders for his third save.

That preserved the win for right-hander Dustin Moseley, who masterfully mixed his 90-mph fastball, curve and changeup while giving up one run and five hits in six innings, striking out four and walking none.

“Though the velocity of his fastball is not off the charts, it’s sneaky because of the way he changes speeds and mixes his breaking ball in,” Scioscia said. “He did a great job of keeping a good offensive club off-balance.”

Moseley was backed by four outstanding defensive plays, two by second baseman Howie Kendrick, who also lined a solo homer to left-center in the fourth to give the Angels a 2-0 lead.

Kendrick came to the big leagues with a reputation as a pure hitter whose glove hadn’t quite caught up with his bat, but the 23-year-old showed Friday that his leather isn’t far behind his lumber.

With a runner on first in the second inning, Kendrick made a lunging, backhand stop of Walker’s one-hop smash and flipped to Cabrera to start a double play.

With two out in the third, Shannon Stewart’s grounder caromed off the glove of diving first baseman Casey Kotchman, but Kendrick adjusted to the deflection, scooped the ball up and fired to Moseley covering first for the out.

One inning later, Kendrick was on the receiving end of a web gem, as Anderson ranged into the left-field corner for Mike Piazza’s hit, spun and fired a three-hop throw to Kendrick at second, preventing Piazza from stretching it to a double. In the sixth, Kotchman made a difficult catch of Bobby Crosby’s pop in shallow right.

“That double play was the biggest play of the night,” Moseley said of Kendrick’s effort. “If that ball goes through, they have guys on first and third with no outs. When I’m throwing, the defense has to be ready.”

Kendrick should know. He played much of last season with Moseley at triple-A Salt Lake, “and he works fast,” Kendrick said. “Playing defense behind him, you have to be on your toes.”

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mike.digiovanna@latimes.com