Late Angels Rally Sinks A’s in Extras

The Angels’ Nolan Schanuel, center, celebrates with teammates after his walk-off single gave them a 2-1 victory over the Athletics in the 10th inning on Tuesday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

By Mauricio Segura

The Sacramento Athletics took an early lead and held it until late, but the Los Angeles Angels fought back and snatched a 2-1 walk-off victory in the bottom of the tenth at Angel Stadium on Tuesday night.

The game began quietly, with both sides trading quick outs and strong defensive plays. A’s starter Mitch Spence, making his second start of the season, delivered five scoreless innings, a bright spot for a rotation that has struggled mightily of late. Spence kept the Angels off balance, scattering three hits and a walk while striking out four. The Athletics’ bullpen, which came in with the highest ERA in the majors at 6.03, initially picked up where Spence left off, preserving a slim lead into the late innings.

The A’s offense was kept mostly silent by Angels starter José Soriano through the first five innings, but finally broke through in the top of the sixth. Max Schuemann drew a walk and advanced to third on Brent Rooker’s sharp double down the left field line. Tyler Soderstrom followed with a groundout that scored Schuemann, giving the green and gold a 1-0 lead.

However, the A’s bats were otherwise quiet, recording just six hits all night. Rooker’s double was the only extra-base hit outside of Nick Kurtz’s seventh-inning double, but the rookie was left stranded as the A’s failed to capitalize on a potential insurance run.

The Angels tied it up in the bottom of the eighth with a pinch-hit solo home run from Travis d’Arnaud off T.J. McFarland. That blast was the 103rd home run allowed by A’s pitching this season, a pace that threatens to break the club’s dubious 1964 record of 220.

After a scoreless ninth, the game went to extras with the Athletics placing Luis Urías at second. Reid Detmers retired the side with two strikeouts and a groundout, stranding Urías and keeping the game tied. In the bottom of the tenth, the Angels’ Jo Adell started at second and was pushed to third by a Kevin Newman groundout. With two outs, the A’s intentionally walked Zach Neto, but Nolan Schanuel ended it with a single to center, driving in Adell and handing the Athletics their 43rd loss of the year.

The defeat dropped the A’s to 26-43 and extended their losing streak against the Angels to seven games. They also remained in last place in the American League West, now 12 games behind first-place Houston. The loss wasted a quality start from Spence and underscored the A’s recent struggles to generate offense. While the A’s have been hitting .269 as a team over the past 11 games, fifth in the majors, the bats were mostly missing on Tuesday night.

The bullpen’s woes continued, with McFarland surrendering the game-tying home run and Tyler Ferguson (0-1) taking the loss after giving up the winning run in the 10th. Oakland’s relievers have just two wins in their last 32 games and continue to lead the majors in walks issued, a trend that proved costly once again.

There were a few bright spots for the A’s despite the loss. Lawrence Butler extended his streak of reaching base safely to 21 of his last 23 games, and rookie Max Schuemann scored the Athletics’ lone run, showing his knack for getting on base. But in a game where both teams combined for just one walk each over the first five innings, the difference came down to one clutch hit in extra innings.

The Athletics will try to avoid a sweep when they wrap up the series on Wednesday afternoon. Left-hander JP Sears (5-5, 5.21 ERA) will take the mound against Angels righty Kyle Hendricks (2-6, 5.34 ERA). With the A’s bullpen in need of a reset, another strong start will be crucial if the green and gold hope to snap their current losing skid.

Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.