Zach Neto’s three-run double highlighted a five-run sixth inning, propelling the Los Angeles Angels to a 5-2 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday afternoon in Anaheim, Calif., completing a three-game sweep.
A’s starting pitcher Joey Estes stifled the Angels’ bats for five innings, with Oakland taking a 1-0 lead into the sixth before the Angels rallied.
The Angels had two on with two outs when A’s manager Mark Kotsay removed Estes in favor of reliever Austin Adams. Angels manager Ron Washington countered by sending up Luis Guillorme to pinch hit for Kevin Pillar.
Guillorme walked to load the bases and Adams hit Mickey Moniak on a 1-2 pitch to force home a run and tie the score at 1-1. It was the ninth batter Adams has hit this season, the most in the American League.
That brought Neto to the plate, and the Angels shortstop hit a liner into the left field corner to drive in all three baserunners for a 4-1 Angels lead. Matt Thaiss followed with an RBI double to make it 5-1.
Estes (2-3) allowed two runs on three hits and two walks in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out eight and made 87 pitches.
The Angels went with a bullpen game to fill the spot of Patrick Sandoval, who was lost for the season with a major elbow injury. Five Angels pitchers combined to give up two runs on seven hits and five walks. Mike Moore (4-2) got the win with one scoreless inning.
Oakland took a 1-0 lead against Angels opener Roansy Contreras in the second inning, but a baserunning blunder cost them an additional run and potentially more.
The A’s had runners on first and second with two outs when Max Schuemann hit a drive that one-hopped the wall in left-center field. Armando Alvarez scored easily from second base, and Kyle McCann appeared to score from first without a throw.
McCann, though, stumbled as he approached the plate and missed it completely. Alvarez, who was standing about 10 feet behind the plate, pushed McCann back toward the plate.
McCann touched the plate, but instead was ruled out because of runner’s interference, as Alvarez was not allowed to make contact with McCann. Instead of a 2-0 lead with a runner on second base and two outs, the A’s had a 1-0 lead and the inning was over.
The A’s scored their second run of the game in the ninth inning on a sacrifice fly by Schuemann.
–Field Level Media
