By Morris Phillips
OAKLAND–Zack Cozart has some history at the Coliseum, just none as eventful as his first 72 hours as a member of the Angels.
After seven seasons as a shortstop with the Reds, Cozart opted to sign a three-year deal with the Angels and all the uncertainty that comes with it. So far, the uncertainty of what position he’ll play, and where he’ll hit has been quite motivational for Cozart.
On Saturday, as Anaheim’s second baseman hitting leadoff, Cozart led the Angels past the A’s 8-3, with a pair of hits and two runs batted in. Cozart filled in at third base for Ian Kinsler, who landed on the disabled list before the game.
A’s starter Daniel Mengden allowed runs in four of the six plus innings he worked, and trailed 7-0 at one point. But Mengden wasn’t solely culpable as the A’s defense behind him committed an error and several misplays. While Mengden wasn’t as sharp as he was to finish 2017, he wasn’t far off, according to manager Bob Melvin.
“Hopefully we put that one away, because obviously the defense got a lot better as the game went along, but Mengden didn’t deserve the fate that he got,” Melvin said.
Khris Davis got the start in left field, and Rene Rivera’s line drive in the third eluded his glove for two-base error. Two other defensive lapses would follow and the A’s fell into a 3-0 hole early.
In the sixth, Cozart doubled, scoring Rivera and Jefry Marte. Mike Trout–who had three hits–followed with a well-placed single, scoring Cozart, and the Angels led 6-0.
Cozart’s double and triple gave him a cycle through the first three games of the season and an early .357 batting average. He hit leadoff on Opening Day and had three hits, including a home run. He hit fifth on Friday, moving from third to second during the game. All of the activity dwarfed Cozart’s previous appearance at the Coliseum, a pair of hitless interleague games for the Reds in 2013.
“Usually I just show up to the park and I know I’m playing shortstop,” Cozart said. “Now it’s different, but I kind of knew what my role was going to be: starting third baseman, but just in case, second base, shortstop, whatever. It’s just unfortunate that Kins got a little banged up and now I’m playing second for a little bit.”
Matt Shoemaker held the A’s offense in check for five innings before a three-run sixth made things competitive. Shoemaker was mostly good, and some bad, starting 17 batters with a strike, but walking four. Manager Mike Scioscia opted to remove his starter after Stephen Piscotty singled home a pair of runs in the sixth. But Cam Bedrosian came on to limit the damage, striking out Boog Powell to end the inning.
“We’re one swing away from tying it,” manager Bob Melvin recounted. “So it was good that we battled back-sitting at a 7-0 deficit and we continued to fight back, the attributes you want to see–but we dug ourselves too big of a hole.”
The A’s conclude the opening series on Sunday at 1:05pm with Daniel Gossett facing international sensation Shohei Ohtani, in his first major league pitching assignment.
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