Tag: Los Angeles Angels

The Oakland A’s Conner Capel swings for a first inning single to score Tony Kemp at Anaheim Stadium against the Los Angeles Angeles on Wed Sep 28, 2022 (AP News photo)

A’s Drop Game Two To Angels 4-1

By Barbara Mason

After losing a close game to the Los Angeles Angels (69-86) Tuesday night, the Oakland A’s (56-99) were looking to even the series Wednesday night. The A’s were tied with the Angels into the eighth inning Tuesday night but Los Angeles scored a single run in the eighth and that was the ball game 4-3.

Oakland scored in tonights game in the first inning taking a 1-0 lead. Connor Capel singled driving in Tony Kemp for the early lead.

The Angels started hitting in the fourth inning. After a quiet Tuesday night, Mike Trout, who is always a threat, hit a homer to center to tie up the game 1-1. Matt Thaiss would follow with a single and Shohei Otani scored to give Los Angeles the lead 2-1. They would extend that lead when Matt Duffy grounded into a fielder’s choice to shortstop and Taylor Ward scored.

Taylor Ward would strike again in the eighth inning knocking one out of Angel Stadium giving Los Angeles a 4-1 lead. That would be the final. Oakland’s starting pitcher Adrian Martinez only lasted 4.2 innings allowing five hits and three runs. He had four strikeouts.

The A’s relief pitching only allowed two hits through the remainder of the game sending in five pitchers, Sam Selman, Norge Ruiz, Kirby Snead, Austin Pruitt and Domingo Acevedo.

The Angels starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen went five innings and allowed three hits and one run with eight strikeouts.

In Game Three of this series we will get to see Shohei Ohtani on the mound for Los Angeles currently with a 2.47 ERA and a 14-8 win /loss record. This could possibly be Ohtani’s last start this season. Cole Irvin will start for the A’s. He has a 4.05 ERA and a 9-12 win/lloss record. First pitch is scheduled for 6:38 PM PT.

Matt Duffy scored on a Jo Adell eighth inning single for a game winning walk off as the Los Angeles Angels edge the Oakland A’s 4-3 on Tue Sep 27, 2022 at the Big A in Anaheim (AP News photo)

A’s Drop Game One To Angels 4-3

By Barbara Mason

Tuesday evening the Oakland A’s (56-98) traveled down to Angel Stadium to take on Los Angeles (68-86). There will be no post-season for either of these teams after a disappointing season for both.

Oakland had a great second inning scoring three runs. Christian Pache hit a single and Chad Pinder scored for the early 1-0 lead. In the same inning Nick Allen doubled to deep left, Jordan Diaz and Shea Langeliers both score to extend their lead 3-0.

Just when it looked like Oakland really had something going, the Angels had an equally successful second inning. Matt Thaiss singled driving Mike Ford home. Livan Soto hit a sacrifice fly and Matt Duffy scored for the Angels. Los Angels would tie this game up when Luis Rengifo singled and Thaiss scored and we had a new ball game 3-3.

After a rough start in the second inning for Angel’s pitcher Paul Sandoval, he kept the A’s off the scoreboard going into the fifth inning. Despite that he was pulled and relief pitcher Andrew Wantz would take over on the mound.

The Angels threatened in the sixth inning when Soto hit his first career triple. Oakland pitcher James Kaprielian got a huge out dismissing Rengifo who struck out swinging to end the inning.

This game remained tied going into the eighth inning. Los Angeles would break the tie when Jo Adell singled and Matt Duffy scored giving the Angels a 4-3 lead going into the ninth inning.

It was quick work for Los Angeles in the ninth inning. Sean Murphy grounded out, Dermis Garcia struck out, Jonah Bride flied out and that was the ball game.

The A’s stubbornly hung onto this game into the eighth inning but the Angels prevailed in the end with more offensive fire power. Los Angeles had 12 hits in the game and Oakland had 9 hits. Oakland came up just short in this one.

Tomorrow the A’s will try to even the score. Adrian Martinez will take the mound for Oakland with a 4-5 win loss record. Michael Lorenzen will start for the Angels. He has a 7-6 win loss record. First pitch will be at 6:38 PM PT.

Instead of getting the big fly the Los Angeles Angels Shohei Ohtani flies out against the Minnesota Twins on Sep 24, 2022 at Target Field in Minneapolis. The Oakland A’s open a three game series at the Big A in Anaheim Tue Sep 27, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The A’s have nine games left to play in 2022. Oakland has won 56 and lost 97. The team is hoping not to lose 100 games, but they would have to win seven of the last nine to avoid that fate. Their record would indicate that they would win three and lose six.

They will play the Los Angeles Angels six times, three at Anaheim and the last three at home. The A’s will travel to Seattle for three with the Mariners. Those games will occur after the A’s finish with the Angels on Thursday.

The Angels had high hopes for the 2022 season. The team played well early in the year. Their season derailed when they had a fourteen-game losing streak. The Angels fired their manager, Joe Maddon, in midseason. Maddon had great success managing the Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago Cubs.

Maddon was the skipper of the Cubs when Chicago won its first World Series Crown in 2016. The Cubs ended 108 years of futility. The Angels, like many other teams, lost key players to injury. The Angels’ starting rotation did not live up to expectations.

The bullpen was a problem, too. Their three-time MVP Mike Trout spent time on the IL with a back injury. Their other MVP, Shohei Ohtani, continued to wow the baseball world with his exploits. As a pitcher, Ohtani is 14-8 and has an ERA of 2.47.

Ohtani probably is in the race for the AL Cy Young Award. As the Angels’ DH, Ohtani is hitting .271 with 34 home runs, 93 RBIs, 87 runs scored, and an OPS of .887. The AL 2022 MVP will be Ohtani or the New York Yankees’ slugger Aaron Judge. Judge may win baseball’s Triple Crown. He currently leads the league in hitting, home runs, and RBIs.

The Angels have other players that love to beat the A’s. Their second baseman Luis Rengifo had had key hits against the A’s. First baseman Jared Walsh and outfielder Taylor Ward can give the A’s headaches.

The A’s dismal season is coming to an end. The team has used 63 players. The A’s have made so many transactions in the last month. It’s a case of here today and gone tomorrow. The team will look at many new players to see if they fit into the A’s future next year.

The A’s will send James Kaprielian to the hill Tuesday night. Kap is 4-9, and his ERA is 4.43. Kaprielian had his best outing of the year last week when he went seven innings and allowed two hits. Kaprielian had made 34 prior starts without going past the sixth inning. The big righty would love to finish the season pitching well. Lefty Patrick Sandoval will go for the Angels. Sandoval is 6-9 with an era of 3.01.

Adrian Martinez pitches for Oakland on Wednesday. Martinez came to Oakland from the San Diego Padres in the trade for Seam Manaea. The 25-year-old righty from Mexicali, Mexico, is 4-5 with a high ERA of 6.10. The Angels will have Michael Lorenzen on the mound. Lorenzen is 7-6 and has an ERA of 4.78.

Thursday night’s game features lefty Cole Irvin for the A’s going against Shohei Ohtani of the Angels. Irvin has struggled a bit in the second half of the year. The A’s didn’t give Irvin a lot of run support earlier in the season. Irvin is 9-12, and his ERA is now 4.11. Ohtani is an incredible athlete. Ohtani has a fastball that can exceed 100 miles per hour. His hitting prowess was noted earlier in the preview.

Neither team will be going to the playoffs. Both teams will evaluate players who want to be on their roster for the 2023 season. Some of the A’s players to watch are Shea Langoliers, Nick Allen, Jonah Bride, Dermis Garcia, Jordan Diaz, and Conner Capel. Even though the teams won’t be in the playoffs, the fans should watch the games. Ohtani and Trout are not to be missed.

Oakland A’s pitcher Norge Ruiz rubs up the new baseball after delivering a home run ball to the New York Mets Pete Alonso who is in the background rounding the bases in the top of the fourth inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Sun Sep 25, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso took advantage of Oakland A’s pitching hitting for a home run, a double and five RBIs for a new Mets record. Mets pitcher Max Scherzer threw for six innings giving up just four hits and one run and struck out seven.

The Mets are now just a 1.5 in front of the Atlanta Braves for first place in the NL East. The Mets are rolling they have won eight of the last ten games. The Braves will host the Mets next week for a three game series and the battle for first place could boil down to those three games.

Alonso’s five RBIs pushed him to first past former Mets catcher Mike Piazza (1999) and David Wright (2008) who each had 124 RBIs. The home run by Alonso was his 39th of the 2022 season and Alonso even hit a home run on Saturday even though the Mets got walloped in that game 10-4. Sunday’s home run was Alonso’s second home in two straight games.

Alsonso said after the game that it was an honor to surpass Piazza and Wright for the team RBI record. Alonso got a two homer in the top of the fourth and got three RBIs in the top of the eighth and he shared credit saying he couldn’t do it without his teammates.

The A’s head to Anaheim in hopes to win a series at the Big A on Tuesday as they will start James Kaprielian (4-9, 4.43) and for the Angels Patrick Sandoval (6-3, 3.01) first pitch 6:38 pm PDT.