OAKLAND – With all of their walk-off wins and dramatic finishes this season, the A's have created a mentality of knowing they can pick each other up just about any time it's needed.
In Wednesday's 9-8 victory over the Los Angeles Angels, it was Oakland's offense that took the lead role to deliver an important series win against its American League West rival.
The win was significant in an immediate sense considering it kept the A's (60-51) ahead of the Angels (59-53) in the standings and helped Oakland finish a 10-game homestand 5-5.
But in the larger scheme, it was just another example of the fighter's mentality adopted by the team.
"It's chemistry, man," said closer Ryan Cook.
A two-run homer by Kendrys Morales put Los Angeles up 5-4 in the fifth inning.
Coco Crisp tied the score with an RBI double in the sixth inning, then Yoenis Cespedes put the A's in front with a two-out single that scored Crisp and Josh Reddick. Chris Carter hit a homer that scored Cespedes.
The A's needed every bit of that lead. Cook, who has struggled with four blown saves in his previous six appearances, made things interesting in the ninth inning when Howard Kendrick cut the Angels' deficit to one with a two-run, two-out single.
Cook rebounded to earn the save, getting Erick Aybar to ground out to shortstop to end the game.
"The velocity was there," manager Bob Melvin said of Cook. "It looked like the tenacity was back."
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