Can’t catch a break
Angels’ Ohtani solid in debut, but A’s defense shaky again in loss
OAKLAND >> The A’s had more to deal with than Shohei Ohtani Sunday.
Getting out of their own way proved to be an issue for the second straight day in a 7-4 loss to the Los Angeles Angels at the Coliseum,
Although charged with just one error, the A’s failed to deliver defensively in key moments as they lost their third straight game after an Opening Day walk-off win.
“We’ve had some trouble and it’s cost us the last couple of games,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said.
Two plays that left fielder Khris Davis failed to make were costly for starting pitcher Daniel Gossett, who probably deserved
a better fate than a final line score that read four innings, six hits and four earned runs.
The first came with two out in the second inning following a single to Andrelton Simmons. Designated hitter Luis Valbuena sliced a ball to deep left which Davis caught up with but couldn’t catch.
Instead of the third out, Valubuena had an RBI double Jeffry Marte followed with a double to left for a 2-0 Angels lead.
In the fifth, with the A’s having taken a 3-2 lead on a three-run home run by Matt
Chapman against Ohtani, Marte led off and skied another shot to left, with Davis again appearing to have a shot at a difficult play only for the ball to bounce free.
After Gossett walked Martin Maldonado, Melvin brought in reliever Yusmeiro Petit, who let both inherited runners score on an RBI double by Mike Trout and a sacrifice fly by Justin Upton. Petit had not allowed an inherited runner to score since May 8, 2016, leaving 32 consecutive runners stranded.
Davis has his issues in left field, but most are related to a below-average throwing arm. He’s currently in left while Matt Joyce is being used at designated hitter because of a sore ankle.
“I feel like I should have made both ofthose plays,” Davis said. “One was more in the sun than the other. They were tough plays, but I’ve got to make those.” Davis got no argument from Melvin. “Usually he makes those plays. He’s done a good job tracking balls in the outfield,” Melvin said. “We envision him with more with some DH at-bats but with Joycie injured, we played him out there and he’s a better outfielder than he showed today.”
The Angels took charge with three runs in the seventh inning for a 7-3 lead, an inning that included a Simmons single that caught Chapman between hops at third base and rolled into the outfield for a run-scoring single against reliever Chris Hatcher.
The inning also included an error by center fielder Boog Powell which allowed a runner to advance a base.
In the sixth inning, second baseman Jed Lowrie lost Valbuena’s towering pop in the sun. It fell to the ground, with Lowrie able to force Simmons at second base.
“We’re in a little bit of a funk defensively, but we’ll shake it off and get to the next series and put it past us,” Davis said.
Gossett was charged with four earned runs, two of them which scored on Petit’s watch. Inserted into the rotation to start the season because of injuries to Jharel Cotton and Paul Blackburn, the righthander felt his 2018 debut was uneven.
“I’ve still got stuff to work on, obviously,” Gossett said. “I’m pretty frustrated
that I couldn’t go deeper in the game. I felt like I threw good pitches, I threw bad pitches. I battled, therw inside well, but have got to be more consistent in the zone. I’d throw a good pitch, mix in a couple of bad ones. The consistency wasn’t there.”
Melvin said he liked the sharpness of Gossett’s breaking ball and the quality of some of his pitches.
“Overall, a good start for Goose,” Melvin said. “Threw some good pitches today.”
• Things got interesting in the ninth inning with Stephen Piscotty delivering a run-scoring single and the A’s having the bases loaded until Kenyan Middleton got the last two outs on a fly out by Jonathan Lucroy and a soft liner to second by Powell.
• Josh Lucas, the pitcher acquired from St. Louis for minor league pitcher Casey Meisner, will begin in Triple-A Nashville.
“Kind of a sidearm guy, a sinker, slider guy, seems to be pretty tough on righties,” Melvin said. “He hasn’t thrown in a few days, so they’ll get a better read on him down there with the option to bring him up here and it increases our depth as far as relievers go.”