--DH Frank Thomas was back in the lineup Wednesday after getting a day off. He had singles in each of his first three at-bats and walked in his fourth plate appearance, but he remains in a tie with Willie McCovey and Ted Williams for 17th on the all-time home run list, with 521. He is 3-for-35 with one RBI over his past 11 games.

--OF Carlos Gonzalez, mired in a 2-for-39 skid, was not in the starting lineup Wednesday. The rookie's average has fallen to .240, and he is batting .179 against left-handers. Rajai Davis started in center and singled and scored in each of his first two at-bats.

--OF Rajai Davis had a career-high four hits Wednesday at Anaheim, and he scored twice in Oakland's 6-5 win at Anaheim. Davis was 9-for-21 with five steals on the A's road trip.

--RHP Keith Foulke (right shoulder inflammation) threw a scoreless inning Wednesday during a rehab appearance in a rookie-level Arizona League game. He could return to the A's after rosters expand next week.

BY THE NUMBERS: 721 -- Player games missed this year, through Aug. 24, as the A's had to use the disabled list an Oakland-record 23 times. The team had seven men on the DL through the weekend.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "It's a beautiful thing, ain't it? Kind of an alien invasion." -- A's left-handed reliever Alan Embree on Oakland's all left-handed rotation of Dallas Braden, Gio Gonzalez, Greg Smith, Dan Meyer and Dana Eveland.