Newcomer Garneau impresses quickly
ANAHEIM — One night before, local kid Matt Chapman was briefly Oakland’s hero before the Angels stormed back for the win, and Saturday, another player from Orange County provided the dramatics for the A’s.
Dustin Garneau, acquired via waivers from the Rockies on Friday, stung a two-run double in his second at-bat with Oakland and caught a shutout to boot to help his new team beat the Angels 5-0, ending the A’s seven-game losing streak in Anaheim.
Two Bay Area products chipped in with big nights, too: Mark Canha (San Jose, Cal) stole home in the sixth inning, the first steal of home plate by an Oakland player since Carlos Gonzalez on June 22, 2008, against the Marlins. And rookie starter Paul Blackburn (Brentwood) continued to impress, working 62⁄3 innings and allowing five hits with no walks. He struck out one and got 10 groundouts.
He’s made seven starts for Oakland and has allowed no more than one earned run four times; his ERA stands at 2.60.
Canha was at third in the sixth inning and Rajai Davis at first with two outs, and Davis already had two steals on the night when he broke for second. Right after he did so, Canha took off for home, and catcher Martin Maldonado threw to second to try to get Davis but was too late. Kaleb Cowart’s return throw home bounced up and ricocheted off Canha, allowing Davis to take third.
Canha’s steal was his second of the season in 30 games.
Earlier in the sixth, Chapman came in from third when Yunel Escobar flubbed a throw to second on a grounder by Davis. And in the first, Davis singled, stole second and third and scored on a wild pitch by Tyler Skaggs.
After Blackburn exited, the A’s got good work from the relief corps, with Ryan Dull finishing the seventh, Santiago Casilla working a 1-2-3 eighth and Blake Treinen allowing a ninth-inning single before getting a double play to finish things off.
Garneau, known as a strong defensive player, was added to the roster earlier in the day, and the right-handed hitter was in the starting lineup against left-hander Skaggs. Garneau is from nearby San Pedro, played at Cal State Fullerton and lives in Orange, so while he was thrilled to be joining the A’s, he was even more excited that he did so while they were playing in his hometown.
“I live 4 miles from here!” he said, adding that his family “didn’t believe me at first, with how perfect it happened.”
Garneau was Khris Davis’ college teammate, and he also knows Chapman from Fullerton. Asked about Khris Davis, the A’s leading power hitter, as a college player, Garneau said, “Same hitter you see now — with a metal bat in his hands.”
To make room for Garneau, the A’s designated catcher Ryan Lavarnway for assignment. Lavarnway had provided a right-handed hitting option while Josh Phegley is on the disabled list with an oblique strain.
Briefly: Reliever Bobby Wahl was shut down with shoulder trouble this week after continued discomfort during his rehab assignment. Manager Bob Melvin said that team orthopedist Dr. William Workman was scheduled to examine him. … Triple-A Nashville starter Daniel Mengden, who is out with a stress reaction in his rib cage, threw two scoreless innings, allowing a hit and a walk, for the A’s Arizona rookie league team Friday.