The streaking Los Angeles Angels are experiencing fun times in their first visit to West Sacramento, Calif.
The Angels take aim at their third straight victory to open a four-game series when they battle the Athletics on Wednesday night.
Los Angeles picked up 4-3 and 7-5 triumphs in the first two games and will arrive at the ballpark with a season-high five-game winning streak.
Yoan Moncada launched a 439-foot, tying three-run homer while Logan O’Hoppe also went deep and delivered the RBI single in the fifth inning that put the Angels ahead to stay.
Immediately after Tuesday’s victory, all Kyren Paris wanted to do was get to the clubhouse to watch a replay of Moncada’s blast.
“That was majestic,” Paris said of the homer that tied the game at 4 in the fifth inning. “The way he leaned back on that, it was crazy. That swing was beautiful.”
Paris was one of the many Angels’ contributors. He reached base three times on a single and two walks, stole two bases and scored twice.
Taylor Ward had two hits for the fourth time in the past nine games. He has five homers and 12 RBIs during the stretch.
Kenley Jansen gave up a run in the ninth before picking up his second save in two nights, third in his last three appearances and 10th of the season.
“That’s Kenley Jansen. That’s why he has almost 460 saves,” Angels manager Ron Washington said after Jansen bagged No. 457. “He’s a saves guy. When it’s time for him to come into the ball game, it doesn’t matter how he feels, he knows how to get outs and that’s exactly what you saw.”
The Athletics endured another rough night as their season-worst losing streak stretched to seven games. Mark Kotsay’s club has dropped 11 of its last 13 games.
“One pitch changed the momentum of the game,” said Kotsay, referring to Moncada’s blast.
Seth Brown’s pinch-hit, RBI single in the ninth brought the A’s within 7-5 before Jansen struck out Tyler Soderstrom. It was the second straight night in which Jansen fanned Soderstrom to end the game.
“I love the fight in the ninth and we got quality at-bats to get back into it and bring the tying run to the plate,” Kotsay said. “We just fell short again.”
Athletics standout shortstop Jacob Wilson could be a spectator Wednesday after leaving the contest after 4 1/2 innings with a bruised left forearm. Wilson was hit by a pitch in the third inning and later removed when he didn’t feel he could swing the bat.
Wilson ranks third in the majors with a .341 batting average.
Left-hander JP Sears (4-3, 3.31 ERA) will take the mound for the Athletics on Wednesday.
Sears won three straight starts in late April but is 0-1 with a 4.11 ERA over his last three turns. He lost to the San Francisco Giants last Friday when he allowed four runs and six hits over four-plus innings.
Sears is 3-2 with a 3.86 ERA in six career starts against the Angels. Moncada is 3-for-4 with three homers off Sears, while Zach Neto (4-for-7) and Nolan Schanuel (2-for-8) have one blast apiece against the 29-year-old.
Right-hander Jack Kochanowicz (3-5, 4.71) will pitch for the Angels. He has won consecutive starts after losing his previous five.
Kochanowicz allowed one run and four hits over 5 2/3 innings against the Baltimore Orioles on May 10 and one run and five hits in a season-long 6 2/3 frames versus the Los Angeles Dodgers last Friday.
Kochanowicz, 24, lost his lone start against the Athletics when he was torched for seven runs and seven hits over four innings in Oakland last July. Brent Rooker hit a three-run homer and Lawrence Butler had a three-run double.
–Field Level Media
