ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Johnny Giavotella said the Los Angeles Angels "shot themselves in the foot" Wednesday night against the Oakland A's.

Trouble with that is, the way the Angels played defense in the game, they probably would have missed.

The Angels committed four errors that led to seven unearned runs, allowing Oakland to leave town with an 8-7 win, ending the Angels' winning streak at seven and putting a crimp into the Angels' postseason hopes.

Giavotella, the Angels second baseman, made one of the errors himself. Though he later gave the Angels a 4-3 lead with a two-run homer, the errors couldn't be overlooked.

"It was a big loss today all the way around," Giavotella said. "We had too many errors. I had an error that cost us three runs, it's inexcusable; we're a better team than that."

Because the Rangers won, the Angels fell three games behind Texas in the American League West race. The Houston Astros moved a half-game in front of the Angels in the battle for the second AL wild card.

Thanks to solo homers by center fielder Mike Trout, third baseman David Freese, Giavotella's two-run homer and an RBI double by right fielder Kole Calhoun, the Angels took a 5-3 lead into the seventh inning.

The Angels bullpen and the defense, though, could not hold the lead, denying Richards his 16th win. Richards gave up three unearned runs on two hits and four walks in six innings. He struck out seven.

Angels second baseman Taylor Featherston entered the game in the seventh for defensive purposes, but he booted Sogard's grounder leading off the inning, and the A's ultimately batted around, scoring four runs and taking a 7-5 lead.

Sogard also was in the middle of things earlier in the game, hitting a two-out, three-run, double off Richards on an 0-2 pitch in the fourth inning. All three runs were unearned because of Giavotella's error earlier in the inning.

"That's a huge hit in the game," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "Not only does it drive in our first three runs but Richards is a guy where once somebody gets a hit off him and you score some runs, now everybody feels like maybe they can do that too. Because we weren't getting too many good swings off him, let alone hits."

Despite making things difficult for themselves, the Angels made things interesting in the ninth.

Calhoun, who made a spectacular diving catch in the top of the ninth, homered off lefty Sean Doolittle leading off the ninth to bring the Angels to within one run.

Trout walked, but designated hitter Albert Pujols popped out and first baseman C.J. Cron lined out. Freese sent Trout to third with a single to center, but pinch hitter Collin Cowgill grounded out to end it.

"It was uncharacteristic of us," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of the defensive miscues. "We've given up the fewest unearned runs in our league. And it seems like we gave them all back this afternoon."

A's starter Barry Zito, making the final start of his 15-year major league career, gave up two runs on four hits and four walks in four innings. The runs scored on solo homers by Trout (No. 41) and Freese (No. 14).

"It was neat," Sogard said of playing behind Zito in his final start. "Going up against a team like the Angels, with Trout and Pujols, it was neat to see him go hard against them and pitch well like that, and put us in a position to win that game."

Perez had three hits for the Angels, including a solo home run in the eighth inning.

The Angels and A's combined to use 14 pitchers in the game. A's reliever Ryan Dull (1-1) got the win over Angels reliever Mike Morin (3-2). Doolittle pitched the final 1 2/3 innings for the A's to earn his third save.

NOTES: The Angels added LHP Jo-Jo Reyes to the major league roster before the game for depth in the bullpen. Reyes, who last pitched in the majors in 2011, began the season with Campeche in the Mexican League before joining the Angels' organization and pitching for Triple-A Salt Lake the last half of the year, going 4-5 with a 4.76 ERA in 15 games (11 starts). ... To make room for Reyes on the 40-man roster, INF/OF Grant Green was designated for assignment. Green hit .190 in 21 games for the Angels this season, spending most of his time at Salt Lake. ... The A's have used 30 pitchers this season, the most in franchise history, including time in Kansas City (1955-67) and Philadelphia (1901-54). ... No matter what happens in their remaining games, the A's will finish with the worst record in the American League for the third time in Oakland history (1993, '97).