Triggs gets win for 4game split

OAKLAND — Andrew Triggs had trouble spotting his fastball early. He felt better after escaping a jam — and early burst by his Oakland teammates helped, too.

Triggs pitched into the sixth inning for his second major league win, Ryon Healy homered and the Athletics beat the Los Angeles Angels 5-1 Thursday for an opening four-game split.

“When he’s throwing the ball over the plate ... it’s got so much movement on it, he’s just a tough guy to get a good swing on,” Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. “As the game went along it seems like his stuff got a little better, then (he) got a lead and got some confidence behind it.”

Triggs (1-0), who won at St. Louis on Aug. 28, allowed an unearned run, four hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings. The 28year-old right-hander gave up Albert Pujols’ RBI groundout in the third and left after consecutive singles in the sixth.

“It was about getting my fastball command a little bit more honed in as things got along there,” Triggs said. “That inning by us was absolutely huge with Healy really breaking it open.”

Healy homered during a fourrun third.

Liam Hendricks, Santiago Casilla and Sean Doolittle combined for hitless relief.

Tyler Skaggs (0-1) had gotten a victory in his first start each season from 2013-16 but that streak came to an end as he gave up five runs, five hits and three walks in 5 1-3 innings.

“I was rushing out of the stretch and I let some pitches get away from me,” Skaggs said. “The one to Healy ... I wanted the pitch outside and it was right down the middle. I have to pitch to my strengths and not their strengths.”