Los Angeles Angels Oswald Peraza (2) feels like he’s number one after hitting a RBI single in the top of the eighth inning against the Sacramento A’s at Angels Stadium in Anaheim on Sat Jun 27, 2026 (AP News photo)

Heim’s Blast Wasn’t Enough as Angels Tie The Series; Halos score late for 5-2 win

By Mauricio Segura

The Los Angeles Angels scored once in the seventh and twice in the eighth enough to get by the Sacramento A’s 5-2 at the Big A in Anaheim on Satuday night.

Runs were difficult to come by early as both starting pitchers settled into an impressive rhythm very quickly. Sacramento managed just one hit through the first three innings, but that hit traveled a long way. Jonah Heim opened the second inning by launching a solo home run to straightaway center field, giving the Green and Gold an early 1-0 advantage.

It was the only damage against Angels left-hander Reid Detmers through the opening frames as he piled up strikeouts and kept Sacramento’s lineup from putting together sustained rallies.

Jack Perkins matched him pitch for pitch for much of the early evening. The right-hander retired six straight batters after allowing a first-inning single and received some defensive help in the third when Colby Thomas made a diving catch in left field to rob Denzer Guzman of extra bases.

Perkins also showed off the new Automated Ball-Strike challenge system, successfully overturning a ball call into a strikeout against Wade Meckler in the fourth inning.

The Angels finally cracked the scoreboard later that same inning. Nolan Schanuel drew a walk before Jorge Soler lined a single into left. With one out, Jo Adell ripped a ground ball into the left-field corner that rolled all the way to the wall for a two-run triple, scoring both runners and putting Los Angeles in front 2-1.

Sacramento answered in the sixth after Nick Kurtz lined a single to right. A wild pitch moved him into scoring position before Lawrence Butler worked a walk. Following another out, Thomas delivered again, lining a sharp single into left to score Kurtz and knot the game at 2-2.

The Athletics appeared ready for a bigger inning after another wild pitch advanced both runners, but Chase Silseth entered from the bullpen and struck out Max Muncy to leave the go-ahead runs stranded.

The missed opportunity quickly became costly. Justin Sterner escaped trouble in the bottom of the sixth by stranding Jo Adell at third base, but the Angels reclaimed the lead an inning later. Josh Lowe singled, stole second, moved to third on a groundout and raced home when Guzman’s two-out single glanced off Muncy’s glove at third base and rolled into left field.

Sacramento’s best chance to swing the game back came in the eighth. Shea Langeliers singled, Butler walked and Heim drew another free pass to load the bases with one out. The rally ended there, however, as pinch hitter Carlos Cortes struck out and Muncy lined out to center, allowing reliever Sam Bachman to preserve the one-run lead.

The Angels made certain the missed chance would loom even larger. Soler singled to begin the bottom of the eighth, and after Adell was hit by a pitch, pinch-runner Vaughn Grissom scored on Oswald Peraza’s sharp single to center. Logan O’Hoppe followed with another RBI single, extending the lead to 5-2 before Sacramento turned an inning-ending double play.

Kirby Yates handled the ninth without allowing a baserunner, retiring Jeff McNeil, Joey Meneses and Henry Bolte to close the game. Bolte endured a difficult afternoon, finishing hitless while striking out three times. Heim supplied Sacramento’s biggest offensive spark, reaching base three times with his home run and a walk, while Thomas contributed an RBI single and highlighted the defense with his diving grab in left.

Perkins deserved a better outcome after limiting the damage over his outing, but Sacramento’s offense managed only five hits and went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position. The Athletics also left the bases loaded in the eighth, a missed opportunity that proved to be the turning point as the Angels scored twice in the bottom half to put the game away.

The rubber match offers Sacramento an opportunity to leave Southern California with another series victory. Aaron Civale (5-4, 4.88 ERA, 46 strikeouts) is scheduled to start for the Athletics against Angels left-hander Sam Aldegheri (2-3, 5.47 ERA, 16 strikeouts), with first pitch set for 12:15 p.m. Pacific.

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.

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