Angels Power Past A's 13-9
ANAHEIM (AP) -- Rookie sensation Shohei Ohtani hit a home run for the third straight game and the Los Angeles Angels rallied from an early six-run deficit to beat the Oakland Athletics 13-9 on Friday night.
The two-way star from Japan connected for a long, solo drive in the second inning against Daniel Gossett. The ball landed in the rocks beyond the center field wall after traveling 449 feet and was measured with a 112.3 mph exit velocity according to Statcast, the hardest-hit and longest of Ohtani's three major league homers.
Ohtani, who is batting .462 (6 for 13) with six RBIs at home, drew a walk on four pitches with the bases loaded to pull the Angels within 8-7 in the fifth.
The 23-year-old is scheduled to pitch Sunday — he won his first big league start last weekend against the A's. It's uncertain if he'll be the designated hitter on Saturday and try to extend his home streak, a day before he starts.
The Angels trailed 6-0 in the second. Boosted by five home runs, the A's still led 9-7 in the seventh before third baseman Matt Chapman's throwing error on a grounder by Zack Cozart allowed two runs. Justin Upton then broke the tie with a three-run homer.
Jim Johnson (1-0) got the win as the Angels took their third in a row and won for the sixth time in seven games. Andrelton Simmons and Luis Valbuena each had two RBIs. Martin Maldonado drove in one run. Kole Calhoun scored on a wild pitch.
Matt Joyce and Marcus Semien hit back-to-back homers as part of a five-run second inning, and the Athletics sent Parker Bridwell to the dugout after 1 2/3 innings. Joyce's two-run shot to right was his first of the season, and Semien followed it up with a solo homer to center for his first to put the Athletics ahead 6-0.
The Athletics also hit consecutive home runs against the Angels in the season opener on March 29.
Chapman had a two-run homer in the fifth, and Matt Olson added a solo shot in the seventh. Jed Lowrie hit a solo home run in the first — he singled with two outs in the ninth, but was caught taking a wide turn around first for the final out.
Blake Treinen (0-1) took the loss.
TRAINER'S ROOM
A's: OF Trayce Thompson will join the team on Saturday. The younger brother of Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson was claimed off waivers from the Yankees on Thursday.
Angels: LHP Andrew Heaney (elbow inflammation) gave up one run and two hits while striking out six in 6 1/3 innings in a rehab assignment at Single-A Inland Empire.
UP NEXT
A's: RHP Andrew Triggs (0-0, 1.80) was not involved in the decision in his first start of the season, allowing one run and four hits in five innings at Texas on Monday.
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