Angels blow six-run lead in loss to Athletics
· Yahoo Sports
It appeared to be a night when the Angels could put it in cruise control. But things are never that simple for the Angels.
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The Angels led 6-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, but that lead evaporated as the Athletics stormed back and scored nine runs over the next three innings.
Carlos Cortes’ go-ahead two-run home run and Zack Gelof’s two-run insurance home run in the bottom of the eighth provided the exclamation point in the Angels’ 9-7 loss Tuesday night against the Athletics in Sacramento.
It started with one out in the bottom of the sixth, when Shea Langeliers doubled and then scored on Lawrence Butler’s RBI triple.
After a left-hander Yusei Kikuchi walked Gelof, the Angels went to the bullpen and brought in right-hander Luke Murphy. It was the start of a revolving door of relievers that could not stop the bleeding.
With runners on the corners and one out, Murphy got Jeff McNeil to hit a ground ball to first base, but Vaughn Grissom’s throw to second was high, so the Angels weren’t able to turn the double play and allowed Butler to score.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Athletics put up three runs while only recording one out to make it a one-run game.
Right-hander José Fermin took over on the mound, and he allowed a leadoff single to Alika Williams. Cortes then tripled to score Williams.
Henry Bolte walked and Langeliers singled in Cortes.
Left-hander Taylor Saucedo then replaced Fermin on the mound to face the left-handed-hitting Butler, but Butler dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third. Saucedo then hit Gelof with a pitch to load the bases, and then walked McNeil to bring in another run.
With the lead whittled down to just one in the bottom of the eighth inning, right-hander Sam Bachman gave up a crushing two-run homer to Cortes to give the A’s the lead.
Bachman induced a pair of groundouts, but Butler doubled to make the Angels go back to the bullpen. With left-hander Blake Weiman in the game, Gelof teed off for another two-run home run to give the A’s a three-run lead.
The Angels showed some fight in the top of the ninth, scratching a run across, but it wasn’t enough to undo the epic collapse.
The Angels are now 60-97 and will finish their two-game series against the Athletics on Wednesday.