A’s offense backs up Triggs’ pitching
ANAHEIM (TNS) – It wasn’t an offensive explosion like the previous night, but the A’s continued to swing the bats well and were finally rewarded.
A’s starter Andrew Triggs received an early three-run cushion and made it stick, allowing just two runs on four hits with two walks and six strikeouts in a 6-3 victory over the Angels Saturday night to pick up his first win of the season.
The A’s offense has been ignited, now having scored 25 runs over the past four games.
Stephen Piscotty gave the A’s an early lead in the second inning, doubling off JC Ramirez to bring in Matt Chapman for the first run of the game. Later in the inning, Marcus Semien drove home two more runs with a single to center.
After a poor performance all around by A’s pitchers the night before, it looked like Triggs could have been headed down that same path in the fourth when he surrendered a two-run homer to Justin Upton. But Triggs recovered well from the big fly, retiring the next two batters in order to end the inning and keep the A’s ahead 3-2.
Triggs was pulled for Ryan Buchter after recording two outs in the sixth, leaving Sean Manaea as the only starter who has been able to complete six innings this season. It wasn’t as deep as A’s manager Bob Melvin would like to see his starters go, but it was a step in the right direction and enough to get the job done. The Oakland A’s Jed Lowrie celebrates with teammates after hitting a solo home run in the fifth inning of Saturday night’s game against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim. The A’s won, 7-3. Los Angeles Times
After an uncharacteristically bad night from the bullpen the night before, Buchter, Emilio Pagan, and Blake Treinen combined to allow just one run on three hits in 32/3 innings of work. Treinen entered in the eighth and recorded the final six outs for his second save of the season.
Jed Lowrie homered for the second consecutive night. His solo shot off Akeel Morris in the fourth extended the A’s lead to 4-2 and provided Triggs with a little more breathing room.