Stingy A's Claim Series Opener Over Fallen Angels

The Oakland Athletics drew first blood in a pivotal series against the Los Angeles Angels with a 3-1 victory on Monday as two of the hottest teams in baseball resumed their battle for a playoff berth.

Jarrod Parker silenced the Los Angeles offense in front of their home crowd, allowing just one run and three hits over seven innings as the Athletics snapped the Angels' six-game winning streak.

Oakland (80-60) won their 13th game in the last 16 outings, with the only three losses coming when they were swept at home by the Angels last week.

However, they gained some revenge by winning the opener of the four-game series between the teams, stretching their lead in the American League wild card race to two games.

Brandon Moss broke a 1-1 tie for the Athletics with a solo home run in the fifth inning, while Cliff Pennington added another in the sixth against losing starter and former Oakland ace Dan Haren to sink to the home team.

Los Angeles (77-64) now trail Baltimore by 1 1/2 games for the league's second wild card spot.