The Los Angeles Angels are brimming with confidence as they prepare for Friday’s opener of a three-game set against the Athletics in West Sacramento, Calif.
The bravado isn’t solely limited to smacking 13 homers while being 7-0 against the A’s this season.
The Angels are coming off a three-game sweep of the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers in the Freeway Series to finish off a clean 6-0 sweep of the season series.
Suddenly, the Angels are just three games below .500 and are creeping into the American League wild-card race. They stood five games behind the New York Yankees for the third and final wild card entering Thursday’s play.
“I hope this is a good wake-up call for all of us that whatever we do, however we prepare and get ready to play a world champ like that and we swept them, that’s the same mentality, the same energy, same motivation we’ve got to have the rest of the way,” Angels closer Kenley Jansen said. “It’s great to sweep them, but I want to get to the postseason.”
Logan O’Hoppe delivered the decisive two-run single in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Angels a 6-5 victory over the Dodgers on Wednesday night.
It was a feel-good moment for the catcher, who had 14 homers at the conclusion of May and just four since.
“It’s one I’ve wanted for a while,” O’Hoppe said of the winning hit. “Obviously, the past couple months haven’t felt right. … I got a pitch to hit and I’m happy I got it.”
O’Hoppe was one of the Angels who terrorized the A’s in a four-game sweep in West Sacramento in May. He was 8-for-18 with four homers and six RBIs.
Taylor Ward was 9-of-18 with two homers and nine RBIs in that series. He homered in each of the final two games against the Dodgers and has team-leading marks of 29 homers and 90 RBIs.
The Athletics have won 12 of their past 19 games, but lost two of three to the visiting Tampa Bay Rays this week.
Slugger Nick Kurtz was held out Wednesday before the off-day to give him two complete days of rest. Kurtz is homerless in 15 games since his epic four-homer game against the Houston Astros on July 25.
All-Star shortstop Jacob Wilson (broken left forearm) remains out of the lineup but has begun light hitting and the club hopes he’ll return near the end of the month. According to MLB.com, he’s set to begin a rehab assignment Saturday with Triple-A Las Vegas.
Darell Hernaiz is filling in and went 0-for-11 over the last four games. He is batting .217 in 46 at-bats.
Still, Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said Hernaiz is an improved player over the guy who batted .192 in 120 at-bats in 2024.
“Defensively, it’s night and day different,” Kotsay told reporters. “From the offensive side, the power is showing up. He battles with the two strikes. He’s changed that approach a little bit, which I love. This is a great opportunity for Darell. He’s leaving a great impression.”
The A’s will send rookie right-hander Jack Perkins (1-2, 4.08 ERA) to the mound against Los Angeles left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (6-7, 3.37) in the opening game.
Perkins, 25, earned his first big league victory with six strong innings against the Baltimore Orioles last Saturday. He gave up three runs and three hits.
Kikuchi, 34, has won two straight starts. He beat the Detroit Tigers on Saturday, allowing four runs and eight hits over five innings.
He excelled against the Athletics on June 9 when he allowed one hit over 7 1/3 shutout innings. The Angels eventually won 7-4.
Kikuchi is 3-3 with a 3.06 ERA in 64 2/3 innings over 12 career starts against the A’s.
–Field Level Media
