In a lineup that includes Frank Thomas and Mike Sweeney, Emil Brown has emerged as the big run producer.
Brown, signed to a one-year deal in the off-season, is second in the American League in RBIs with 25, and he entered Monday's game with a .476 average with runners in scoring position, third best in the league. He's been asked why he's so good with men in scoring position, and Brown, who is batting .293 overall, said he's not sure, except he knows he wants to be up in those situations. He said he's got the right mentality -- he wants to get the runners home any way possible.
That's part of the fun, Brown said Tuesday: There are so many possible ways to collect RBIs, from sacrifice flies to little grounders to homers. He just tries to get the job done and he doesn't care how it happens or what it looks like.
Manager Bob Geren said that, along with having the right mental approach, Brown also tries to stay in the big part of the park, which is conducive to driving in runs. He'll put balls in gaps and he'll find holes because he's not trying to pull everything.
A'S 14, ANGELS 2: Frank Thomas hit his first triple since 2002 and finished a homer short of the cycle when he was lifted for a pinch runner after doubling in the seventh inning. The homers came from elsewhere: a three-run shot by Daric Barton in the third, a solo shot by Jack Hannahan in the sixth and a two-run drive by Emil Brown in the A's eight-run seventh inning.
The A's came into the game with only 12 homers, tied with Kansas City for the fewest in the majors. The A's have hit nine in the past 10 games, however, after homering just once in the previous 11.
