Ross sharp, snaps his skid

ANAHEIM – Tyson Ross allowed five hits in six strong innings to snap a three-start skid, Josh Reddick homered, and Seth Smith hit a two-run double in the A's 5-0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night.

Smith also doubled and scored on Josh Donaldson's sacrifice fly for the A's, who have won five of their last six road games and four straight at Angel Stadium.

Kurt Suzuki drove in another run in Oakland's eighth win in 12 games overall as the A's moved four games ahead of big-budget Los Angeles in the American League West.

Dan Haren (1-4) yielded six hits and four runs during another poor start for the Angels, who were shut out for the eighth time in 31 games. Los Angeles' offense wasn't helped when outfielder Torii Hunter went on the restricted list before the game to deal with his teenage son's arrest.

Albert Pujols went 1 for 4 with an eighth-inning single, following up his 5-for-26 trip by drawing scattered boos as his batting average improved to .197. The $240 million man hit his only homer of the season in the Angels' previous home game May 6.

Ross (2-3) yielded 25 hits and 19 runs over 13 innings in his past three starts, but he carved up the struggling Angels before three relievers contributed one scoreless inning apiece. Ross, a former Cal pitcher and an East Bay native, struck out two and allowed a runner to reach third base only in the fifth inning.

For all of the Angels' offensive problems, their No. 2 starter's struggles might be even more worrisome.

Haren didn't make it out of the fourth inning of his last start when his back tightened up, resulting in the three-time All-Star's shortest start in seven years. He was no better against the A's, his former team, allowing a baserunner in each of his first five innings and finishing his six innings with four walks.

Reddick hit his ninth homer in the first inning, a no-doubt blast into the elevated stands in right. Smith hustled for a double in the fourth, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on Donaldson's lineout.

Oakland loaded the bases with nobody out in the fifth, and Smith stroked a one-out double over Pujols' head before Haren escaped the jam.

The Angels trail the Texas Rangers by eight games in the A.L. West, their largest deficit on May 14 since 2001 – and Los Angeles' disappointing season keeps getting uglier.

Hunter left the team after his 17-year-old son, Darius, was arrested in Texas during an investigation of sexual assault of a child, a second-degree felony.

• Read more articles by Greg Beacham

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