L.A.’s five-run first inning does in Oakland and starter Chris Smith.
ANAHEIM — Some unfortunate trends are happening again for the A’s, many of them converging Tuesday in an 8-2 loss to the Angels — who have taken the first two games of the series despite Mike Trout’s absence.
Oakland continued to have trouble hitting with men in scoring position. Errors remain a yearlong issue. And Chris Smith gave up more homers.
Smith, who made his first start this season at the age of 36 after spending much of his career as a reliever, gave up five runs in the first inning, including a three-run blast by C.J. Cron, and he later allowed a solo homer by Martin Maldonado that traveled 465 feet, according to Statcast. Cron also homered in the eighth, off Michael Brady.
“At this level, you leave one pitch up and they make you pay for it,” Smith said, adding of his adjustments after the first, “I’m constantly telling myself to get off the plate, not get hurt down the middle. Pretty basic. Elementary when you pitch: You’re going to get hurt down the middle.”
Smith (0-4) has allowed 13 homers in nine appearances, covering 471⁄3 innings, and his ERA is 6.27, putting him at risk of losing his spot in the rotation; he’s filling in with Paul Blackburn out with a severe hand bruise.
The A’s did get homers of their own: Matt Joyce whacked his career-high 20th in the second, and two batters later, Matt Olson also hit one out off Troy Scribner, Olson’s 10th.
Olson’s shot gives the A’s three rookies with 10 or more homers for the second time in Oakland history. Chad Pinder has 12 and Matt Chapman 10; in 1977, Wayne Gross hit 22, Mitchell Page 21 and Tony Armas 13.
“Some of these young guys are pretty special,” Smith said. “I tell them all the time I enjoy watching them play.”
Naturally, the A’s homers were solo shots because the team isn’t doing anything with runners on base. Khris Davis managed Oakland’s first hit with men in scoring position in the series in the third inning — and his infield single loaded the bases but did not result in a run. Joyce, facing lefty reliever Jose Alvarez, popped up to end the inning.
The A’s are hitting .174 with runners in scoring position over the past 12 games.
“We’ve talked about it a lot,” manager Bob Melvin said before the game. “Sometimes it gets to the point where you’re trying too hard . ... Our guys understand we’re just in a little bit of a rut right now.”
“Little things add up,” Olson said. “We just really need to focus in those big situations.”
Chapman made a throwing error on a grounder by Cameron Maybin in the fourth to set up the Angels’ seventh run, so one of the runs Smith allowed was unearned. Oakland’s 105 errors lead the majors (the team has owned the category all year) and the A’s have allowed a major-league high 77 unearned runs.
In addition, second baseman Jed Lowrie couldn’t come up with a potential double-play grounder in the first; the ball caromed from his glove to shortstop Marcus Semien. On the play the A’s got just one out, the first of the inning, and the Angels scored three runs with two outs.
“He did everything right trying to field it, it just popped out of his glove,” Melvin said. “Marcus stayed with it and we got an out; obviously if we don’t get an out we’re in a tougher spot.”
Two-time MVP Trout missed the first two games with neck stiffness but is expected to play in the finale.