Photo credit: @Athletics

By Matthew Harrington

The Oakland A’s bullpen surrendered eight runs, turning a 6-1 lead into a 13-9 loss Friday night to the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium The A’s mashed five homers, but Daniel Gossett couldn’t escape the fourth inning after allowing five runs. A’s manager Bob Melvin’s bullpen struggled to close out the contest over their 4 2/3 innings. Shohei Ohtani hit his third homer of the season and Justin Upton launched a three-run shot for the Halos. Los Angeles starter Parker Bridwell didn’t escape the second inning.

Oakland carried a 9-7 lead heading into the seventh inning, but the Angels scored five to take the lead. Andrelton Simmons singled and Jefry Marte doubled off reliever Ryan Buchter to put two runners in scoring position with no out. Ohtani grounded out without plating a run, then Matt Chapman made a sensational snare of a Martin Maldonado liner to the third baseman’s right to keep both runners from advancing.

Melvin went to his bullpen, calling on closer Blake Treinen and his blazing fastball to close out the Angels’ threat. The new school method of bringing your closer in at a moment of high leverage, despite the inning blew up in the A’s face when Matt Champman’s throw on a Zack Cozart grounder went errant, allowing Simmons and Marte to score and tie the game. Treinen issued a free pass to perennial threat Mike Trout to put runners on first and second, but Justin Upton golfed a 96 mph 3-2 sinker to deep center field for a three-run jack and a 12-9 Angels lead.

Treinen (0-1, 0.00 ERA) would be tagged with the loss, but all runs in the seventh were unearned, thanks to the Chapman error. Santiago Casilla would allow another run in the bottom of the eighth on a wild pitch.

Parker Bridwell was on his way to a lopsided loss before the rally. Jed Lowrie hit a solo homer in the top of the first for a 1-0 edge. Matt Chapman scored on a wild pitch in the second, then Stephen Piscotty scored on a sacrifice fly. Matt Joyce hit a two-run homer, while Marcus Semien went back-to-back for the 6-0 lead.

The Angels got a run back in the bottom of the second, thanks to their two-way phenom Ohtani. The DH took a fastball from Gossett deep for his third homer of the season. Ohtani will also pitch on Sunday.

The Angels rallied for four more runs off Gossett in the bottom of the fourth on RBI hits by Simmons, Valbuena and Maldonado. Matt Chapman took Cam Bedrosian deep in the top of the fifth inning with Matt Olson on base to give Oakland back an 8-5 lead, but Simmons would knock in another run off Yusmeiro Petit in the bottom of the fifth and Liam Hendriks would walk Ohtani with the bases loaded for a 8-7 A’s lead.

Matt Olson took former A’s closer Jim Johnson deep in the top of the fateful seventh inning, hitting his second homer of the season to give the A’s the 9-7 edge before the collapse by the pen in the bottom of the inning. Johnson (1-0, 1.42) vultured the win by pitching in the inning before the breakout.

Game Notes: The A’s get some reinforcements Saturday, with recent waiver claim Trayce Thompson, brother of hoopster Klay, expected to join the team.

Gossett is expected to be sent down in a corresponding move with the A’s not needing a fifth starter in the rotation due to three off days in two upcoming weeks.

They’ll send Andrew Triggs to the mound for Saturday night’s tilt in Southern California. The right-hander is 0-0 with a 1.80 ERA and 7 K’s from his April 2nd start against Texas. The A’s won that game 3-1.

The Angels send JC Ramirez and his seven-plus ERA to the hill.

Up Next: The A’s and Angels meet again Saturday night at 6:07 pm PT.