OAKLAND -- Cue the "We control our own destiny" mantra.
This much is true of the A's, who did their part yet again with another rout of the Angels on Thursday to bring their magic number down to five games with nine to play. Oakland's 21-3 series-winning victory at the Coliseum featured a familiar formula, a sneak attack of sorts.
Less than 24 hours after breaking out for six runs in the fourth inning, the A's used a five-run third to break away. That would have been plenty, but they struck for seven more runs -- all with two outs -- in the fourth and, just for fun, five in the sixth.