MATT SHOEMAKER got the victory in the Angels’ 5-4 win Tuesday over the A’s (Flickr/Keith Allison photo).

By Pete Zarustica

It wasn’t easy, but it was kind of important. The Los Angeles Angels rallied and held off a rally to post a 5-4 win over the Oakland A’s Tuesday night in Anaheim. The win lifted the Halos (48-58) into fourth place alone in the American League West, dropping the visitors (47-59) into fifth and last place in the division.

Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the fifth, the Angels tied it with a pair of runs on Jeff Bandy’s fifth home run of the season. They went ahead 5-2 in the sixth off Jefry Marte’s three-run home run, his seventh round-tripper of the year. The A’s made it close in the eighth on Yonder Alonso’s two-run homer, but that was all that Oakland could muster on the scoreboard.

Matt Shoemaker (6-11) got the win, pitching seven innings and giving up six hits and two home runs. He struck out four batters and walked three. Marte was the top hitter for the Angels with two hits and three RBIs. Mike Trout, as usual, lived on the bases, with one hit, two walks and one run scored.

The series with the Athletics will continue Wednesday.