ANAHEIM – The A’s welcomed Eric Chavez and Ryan Sweeney back to their lineup Monday night against the Los Angeles Angels.
Two other crucial players, Frank Thomas and Mike Sweeney, showed up in the clubhouse but remain on the disabled list.
A case could be made that the man who took the mound and pitched the A’s to a 6-1 victory is just as key to the team’s fortunes over the second half.
Rookie left-hander Greg Smith wiped away memories of a frustrating month and held the Angels to four hits in recording the second complete game of his brief major league career.
Thus, the A’s landed the first punch in this three-game series pitting the American League West’s top teams. Oakland shaved the home team’s lead in the standings to 3 1/2 games.
The A’s and Angels have gotten the job done the same way this season, riding standout pitching with runs often tough to come by, although the A’s did produce 13 hits Monday.
And unless Oakland acquires a power hitter in a trade, or Thomas and Mike Sweeney get healthy and help carry the offense, the A’s are likely to go as far as their starting pitching takes them. That’s where Smith and his whopping 16 games of big league experience will play a pivotal role.
“Any time a guy throws a complete game it’s something special,” A’s Manager Bob Geren said. “You don’t see that a lot in this era of baseball. He did an outstanding job. They’re an aggressive team with the bats and he got a lot of early outs.”
Smith (5-6) also threw his first complete game at Angel Stadium on April 29 in just his fifth appearance, though he lost a 2-0 decision.
He posted a 2.73 ERA for April and a 2.97 ERA in May. But his first five June outings resulted in a 1-2 record and 5.67 ERA. That included 15 walks over those five starts, after he allowed just 23 free passes over his first 10 starts.
Smith said he has watched a lot of video to try to turn things around. Not footage of himself, but some of the top left-handers in the major leagues.
“Guys like Andy Pettitte, Cliff Lee, Kenny Rogers,” Smith said. “Their demeanor on the mound, what their pitches look like from behind the mound where you can see the game, how guys manage the game.”
Mike Napoli crushed a fifth-inning home run to spoil Smith’s shutout bid.
When the ninth inning rolled around, Smith was hoping Geren wouldn’t approach with a pat on the back to tell him his night was done.
“He just asked me how I felt, and to go out there and attack them like I did the first eight innings,” Smith said.
He struck out three and walked two in his 101-pitch effort.
Nineteen of the 27 outs Smith recorded were on flyballs, with 10 of those going to right field.
Chavez, out the previous three games because of soreness in his right shoulder, served as Oakland’s designated hitter and delivered a two-run single in the seventh to extend the A’s lead to 4-1.
Chavez is likely to return to third base tonight.
Ryan Sweeney, who missed three games because of a sprained left ankle, hit leadoff and went 2 for 5 with an RBI double and a run.