Thomas' Walkoff HR Lifts A's Over Angels

OAKLAND, Calif. - Frank Thomas hit a walkoff two-run homer for the seventh home run of the game, lifting the Oakland Athletics to a 7-5 victory Thursday night and snapping the Los Angeles Angels' season-best five-game winning streak.

The Big Hurt sent a 3-0 pitch from Scot Shields (4-6) over the wall in left-center for his 19th home run of the year. It was his fourth career walkoff homer and first since Aug. 16, 2003, also against the Angels while with the Chicago White Sox.

Thomas' two RBIs gave him 1,509 for his career, tying him with Mickey Mantle for 43rd place on the all-time list.

Huston Street (2-3) recorded the final out in the top of the ninth for the win as the first-place A's took the opener of this important four-game series between the two teams usually fighting to win the AL West in September. The Angels are the two-time defending division champions, having clinched in Oakland's ballpark both times.

All-Star Vladimir Guerrero homered, drove in the tying run with a seventh-inning double and reached base five times for the Angels, who were coming off a sweep of the Seattle Mariners. Juan Rivera hit a pair of solo home runs and Mike Napoli also had a solo shot for Los Angeles.

Rivera had his second multihomer game this season after also hitting two on Tuesday at Seattle and the fifth of his career. He homered in back-to-back at-bats Thursday.

He homered to center in the second, raising his right fist in the air in celebration after rounding first. That drew boos from the crowd. Guerrero hit a towering shot to left leading off the fourth to tie the game at 2, then Rivera homered for the 10th time this season three batters later and celebrated the same way.

Thomas threw his right hand in the air after his game-winning homer - No. 467 of his career.

Nick Swisher hit a two-run homer in the fourth and scored three times for the A's after missing two games with food poisoning and Dan Johnson also homered. Swisher, who walked in his first two plate appearances, hit an 0-2 pitch from Kelvim Escobar over the left-field fence for his 20th home run of the year.

Johnson hit a solo shot leading off the fourth for his first home run since June 11, a span of 19 games, and Jay Payton added a two-run single for Oakland.

Escobar, who ended a seven-game losing streak spanning eight starts when he beat the Dodgers on July 1, allowed three earned runs and six hits in six innings, struck out three and walked four.

The teams faced off for the first time since May 2, when A's catcher Jason Kendall charged pitcher John Lackey after Lackey threw inside and yelled at him. Both players were ejected and Kendall was suspended four games.

Esteban Loaiza allowed four home runs to match his career high. It was the third time he's allowed four homers and first since April 13, 2004, against Kansas City while with the Chicago White Sox.

Notes:@ Orlando Cabrera reached base safely in his 63rd straight game for the Angels when he singled in the fifth. ... 3B Eric Chavez also was back in the lineup for Oakland after resting his sore forearms Wednesday in the series finale against Detroit. ... Of Payton's 18 RBIs since June 13, 13 of those have either tied the game or put the A's ahead - nine to go ahead.