Alonso makes up for fielding blunder with go-ahead hit for A’s
ANAHEIM — First baseman Yonder Alonso wanted redemption in the worst way. He got it in the best way, delivering a game-winning double in the 10th inning Thursday to help the A’s end a five-game losing streak with an 8-6 win over the Angels.
Alonso’s error on a grounder in the eighth inning allowed the Angels to tie the game at 6-all. The error gnawed and gnawed at Alonso, whose pride in his defense isn’t to be minimized.
“I was very disappointed with my blunder right there,’’ Alonso said. “To be honest, I prayed to every god that I would get an opportunity and a chance to redeem myself and help my team win, and I was fortunate enough to get that opportunity.
The A’s were in a quick two-out deficit against Angels reliever Mike Morin in the 10th when Danny Valencia and pinch-hitter Billy Butler singled, bringing up Alonso. He picked on a 2-0 pitch from Morin and delivered a gap double to right-center, scoring Valencia. The A’s added a run on Marcus Semien’s RBI hit.
“Once I got into that two-out opportunity, I was just trying to relax,’’ Alonso said. “It was a matter of being calm and having the most professional at-bat I could.’’
Two innings earlier, reliever John Axford had a chance to get out of a basesloaded jam with the A’s still up a run when pinch-hitter Johnny Giavotella spun a sharp grounder directly to Alonso. The ball popped out of his glove, and when he recovered and threw to the plate, it was too late to keep the tying run from scoring.
“I did think I got him, but obviously I didn’t,’’ Alonso said. “The replay showed otherwise. I should have made the play. It should have been a double play.’’
That the A’s were in position to win this one at all was mostly due to Coco Crisp. The left fielder had a huge fifth inning, coming up with a throw that cut down Andrelton Simmons when he tried to stretch a single into a double. That was the second out, and it was dramatic.
It had nothing on the third out, however. Ji-Man Choi, who’d homered in his first two at-bats to account for four of the Angels’ five runs to that point, thought he’d delivered an oppositefield homer. Crisp broke back in left field as the ball left the bat, judged his space to the wall, leaped over the short fence and got half his body into the stands to steal a homer.
“In a game like that that has so many ebbs and flows, you lose sight of what he did,’’ manager Bob Melvin said of Crisp’s game, which also included a tie-breaking double in the seventh inning. “To go get the ball over the fence, that was terrific. That’s one of those momentum swings we’re always talking about.’’
Ryan Madson pitched 1 2/3 ⁄ innings of scoreless relief for the win, and Ryan Dull pitched the 10th for his second save. It came less than 24 hours after taking a walkoff loss on an Albert Pujols ninth inning homer Wednesday.
“I feel a lot better now,’’ Dull said. “It shows what a difference a day makes. You have to have short-term memory.’’
He didn’t face Pujols this time. The task was still onerous — Mike Trout. He struck him out.
“I had to get ahead of him,’’ Dull said. “Once I did, I went for the punchout right away.’’
The 48-60 A’s would have fallen three games behind the fourth-place Angels (4959) if they’d lost this one. Instead, they finished off a 3-6 road trip without having lost too much distance in the race to escape the cellar.
Khris Davis was ejected after disputing a called third strike in the eighth inning. It was the first ejection of his career.
Alonso was 2-for-5 and has four consecutive twohit games.
Jed Lowrie was on the bench Thursday for what Melvin said was a planned day off. Lowrie has been fighting a bunion on his left foot, and it’s painful. But, as Lowrie says, his options are either playing through the pain or having surgery and enduring three months’ worth of recovery time, which would wipe out the rest of 2016 for him. “We’re hoping the orthotics he’s waiting on will alleviate some of it,’’ the manager said. “But I don’t know if he can continue at this pace the way it is now (if the orthotics don’t help).’’
Henderson Alvarez, fresh in the knowledge that doctors couldn’t find any nerve damage in his right shoulder, will begin plyometric exercises this weekend in Oakland. Once the strength returns to his surgically repaired shoulder, the club will explore having him start a throwing program. It’s increasingly doubtful Alvarez will be able to pitch before next year after having shoulder surgery in July 2015. Extended spring training would be an option, and Alvarez has talked about pitching in winter ball.
Lefty reliever Sean Doolittle’s return might not be that far off. He’s scheduled to throw a regular bullpen session this weekend after throwing on flat ground again Thursday. Doolittle is hoping it won’t take too many bullpen sessions to get him onto a rehab assignment and then back with the big club.
Second baseman Eric Sogard, who has yet to play in a game this season after left knee surgery, could progress to some soft toss after taking some dry swings over the course of the last week or so.