Bassitt Shines, A's Hit 3 Homers In 6-2 Win Over Angels
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Chris Bassitt pitched five-hit ball into the eighth inning and Seth Brown hit a two-run homer in the Oakland Athletics' 6-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night.
Matt Olson and Aramís García hit solo homers, while Mark Canha tripled, doubled and scored two runs as the first-place A's took the first two games and claimed the series victory over their last-place downstate rivals.
Bassitt (4-2) gave up only a leadoff walk and David Fletcher's slow-rolling single during the first seven innings. Although he struck out eight and got within four outs of his first career complete game, Bassitt gave up three hits and both runs in the eighth, getting chased by Shohei Ohtani's RBI triple to center.
Ohtani also doubled — giving him a major league-leading 28 extra-base hits — and drove in his team-leading 34th run of the season for Los Angeles, which has lost nine of 12.
Patrick Sandoval (0-1) yielded four hits, two walks and two runs over five innings in another solid start for the Halos, but they've lost five of six since Mike Trout strained his calf Monday, possibly keeping him out until after the All-Star break.
Sandoval was mostly solid, but the A's battered Los Angeles' beleaguered bullpen.
Olson led off the sixth with his 11th homer of the season, connecting off reliever Alex Claudio. García added his second of the season leading off the seventh off Hunter Strickland, and Brown hit his seventh homer of the season off Junior Guerra in the eighth.
DEVILISH DEFENSE
The Angels' season-long defensive woes hurt them again. They've committed a major league-worst 38 errors.
Outfielders Jose Rojas and Juan Lagares both misplayed Canha's game-opening triple, which should have been just a double, a single or an out.
Iglesias then booted a routine grounder to short in the second inning for his 10th error, the second-most in the majors and one shy of his career high from the 2015 season in Detroit.
In the third, Rojas misplayed Canha's easily catchable line drive to right, but wasn't charged with an error even though the ball hit his glove.
OHTANI'S NEXT START
Ohtani is likely to make his next mound start Friday in Oakland, manager Joe Maddon said. The Halos have a day off Monday, allowing all of their starting pitchers to get extra rest if needed. Maddon said the team isn't concerned about Ohtani's velocity, which was down in his last start last Wednesday. Ohtani is "feeling great," Maddon said.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Angels: C Max Stassi has rejoined baseball activities. He has been out since May 4 with a concussion. ... Guerra was reinstated from the injured list. He had been out since May 10 with a groin injury.
UP NEXT
Dylan Bundy (0-5, 6.02 ERA) makes the ninth start of his dismaying season for Los Angeles in the series finale against Oakland's Sean Manaea (3-2, 4.41), who is winless in four starts since April.