“I’ve had so many at-bats in that situation where, maybe earlier in my career, you try to do too much”. The Halos and A’s are sitting in fourth and fifth in the AL West and are well back of the Rangers, Astros, and Mariners so we can safely assume they won’t be present for October baseball but that doesn’t mean that won’t be playing to the best of their abilities in a series against each other with divisional bragging rights on the line.
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After Khris Davis and Coco Crisp hit solo home runs off Matt Shoemaker (6-11), the Angels tied it on Jett Bandy’s two-run homer against Sean Manaea (3-6) in the fifth and then took the lead for good on a three-run homer from Jefry Marte in the sixth.
The game’s torrid early offensive pace calmed after the A’s tied it up at 5-all with three runs in the fourth.
“And that shows some fight”, A’s manager Bob Melvin said of his club, which completed its three-city road trip 3-6. Bedrosian put the first five batters of the inning on base before being removed in favor of Morin. Marcus Semien followed with an RBI single.
The A’s would go on to score two more runs to tie the game.
Bedrosian said the outing reminded him just how short his memory has to be as a closer. “It was costing us for a second there”. The error gnawed and gnawed at Alonso, whose pride in his defense isn’t to be minimized. “I was hoping I’d get an opportunity to redeem myself and help my team win”.
“It seems like he’s more and more confident up there as the season goes on”, Melvin said. “Fighting back shows a lot of good signs”.
Morin got Valencia to ground into a 1-2-3 double play. Five times in those 18 games they’ve gone deep three times, and six of those 15 homers belong to Davis, who has matched his career best with 27. Alonso hit a ball in the gap in right center, his second double of the game. Trout dived head-first to the bag and got under the tag of the first baseman Alonso. “It’s awesome to get the first one out of the way”.
Just over 34 years after 1987 NL Cy Young Award victor Steve Bedrosian earned his first career save, his son closed out his first game Tuesday night in the Los Angeles Angels’ 5-4 victory over the Oakland Athletics. Neither starting pitcher was sharp, as the two teams combined for five home runs. Shoemaker hadn’t allowed more than two walks in a game since April, so the A’s patience was good. “Didn’t have my best stuff, walks, so. They weren’t very forgiving when he got the ball up”. Khris Davis hit his 27th, matching his career best of a year ago, leading off the second inning, and Coco Crisp hit his 10th with two out in the fifth. Los Angeles Angels’ Andrelton Simmons, left, is tagged out by Oakland Athletics second baseman Max Muncy at second while trying to stretch a single into a double during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Thursday, Aug. 4, .
Stephen Vogt tied it 6-all with an RBI single in the top of the ninth, but Mike Morin (2-1) relieved Cam Bedrosian and got pinch-hitter Danny Valencia to bounce into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded. Scioscia then sent up Mike Trout to pinch-hit for Cliff Pennington. Although he didn’t make it to the big leagues until the fourth week of the season, he’s tied for second on the team in homers allowed.
Besides Bedrosian, whose 0.90 ERA coming in to the game was evidence of his dominance, the Angels have a cast of middle relievers looking to fill late-inning jobs.
Ryan Madson (4-4) then came in for Axford and retired Yunel Escobar and Kole Calhoun, and pitched a scoreless ninth.
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– Second baseman Eric Sogard, who has yet to play in a game this season after left knee surgery, could progress to some soft toss after taking some dry swings over the course of the last week or so. Trout, who has been feeling sick the past couple of days, did not start July 5 but entered that game as a pinch-runner. Shane Robinson played took his place in center field. A’s RHP Andrew Triggs was optioned to Triple-A Nashville to make room on the roster for RHP Jesse Hahn, who was called up to start the game. A’s 2B Jed Lowrie was not in the starting lineup, still bothered by a bunion on his left foot. Alvarez, who is cleared to start a conditioning program, had shoulder surgery last July and isn’t likely to pitch for Oakland this season.
