Chapman delivers offense at right time
A’s hang on to take series finale from Angels
OAKLAND >> The A’s clung to a three-run lead in the ninth Monday afternoon as perennial MVP Mike Trout stepped into the batter’s box. Oakland was without closer Liam Hendriks after his four-out save on Sunday, and veteran reliever Joakim Soria allowed two runners to reach base, giving Trout the chance to tie the game with a single swing.
On a 2-2 count, Soria threw Trout a fastball that barely scratched the top of the zone. A called third strike secured the 3-0 win and the A’s clinching win in the four-game series.
The call drew the ire of Trout and Angels manager Joe Maddon.
Trout had a few choice words with home plate umpire Adam Hamari.
Here are some takeaways from the game.
MATT CHAPMAN’S BAT COMES ALIVE >> Chapman wasn’t putting together the most inspiring at-bats in the Athletics’ first three games. Entering Monday’s game, his only hit in 2020 was an Opening Night opposite-field triple, but there was promising contact.
“In that first game, I felt like I hit a few balls hard right at guys,” Chapman said. “In the second and third games I did a little too much.”
By Monday’s series finale, Chapman regained his timing a bit against an Angels pitching staff that prefers to eat the corners. He ripped three hits, including a single and RBI double off Griffin Canning. Angels manager Joe Maddon plucked Canning with two outs in the fourth to have reliever Felix Peña handle Chapman with a runner on. Chapman greeted Peña with another hit.
“I had to stay within myself and go back to what I’m trying to do with my timing,” Chapman said. “I was just trying to make sure I was swinging at the right pitches.”
CHRIS BASSITT ESCAPES 4TH-INNING JAM >> Bassitt entered his first start a step behind the rest of his rotation-mates. Yet, he looked clean in the four shutout innings he tossed. With a pitch limit set around 70, he tossed 66 with five strikeouts despite laboring toward the end of his outing.
The shutout start came with a little wizardry and luck.
He struck out Trout twice: First flailing at a rainbow curveball, then swinging again at a gutsy changeup.
“I don’t usually throw changeups and curveballs to Trout, but it worked out,” Bassitt said. “Throwing it, you’re thinking this could go 600 feet. But when he swings and misses it’s pretty awesome.”
Bassitt got a little lucky defensively, too, escaping a pivotal bases-loaded jam in the fourth inning.
Justin Upton’s leadoff single and a Tommy La Stella single set up runners on the corners with no outs. Eager to get the speedy Upton across home, Albert
Pujols made quick contact with Bassitt’s sinker.
“With no outs there, I was looking to keep the ball in the infield and get an out no matter what to try to minimize the damage,” Chapman said.
Chapman picked it up on a hop and rifled it to catcher Sean Murphy. Upton wasn’t even halfway down the line, and Murphy laid down the tag.
“Helps to have Matt Chapman at third base,” Bassitt said.
But Bassitt wasn’t in the clear yet. Jason Castro loaded the bases with a first-pitch single.
Murphy called for a firstpitch curveball that drew Andrelton Simmons into a weak grounder back to Bassitt, who flipped it for the force out at home. Murphy hurled it to Matt Olson at first for the 1-2-3 double play. YUSMEIRO PETIT AND BURCH SMITH HAVE KEY OUTINGS >> You’d be hard pressed to find a baseball fan who could’ve predicted this: Burch Smith is the A’s wins leader after four games.
Actually, with those two wins he’s sitting pretty as Major League Baseball’s leader. Smith tossed two shutout innings, key with Bassitt departing the game early. He only used seven pitches to get through Brian Goodwin, David Fletcher and Mike Trout in the fifth. Known for his rising fastball, Smith had to mix it up against an Angels lineup that had seen him on Friday. He worked a little lower in the zone on Monday.
Fletcher’s groundout against Smith was his first recorded out since Saturday — he was 4 for 4 on Sunday and had already walked and doubled against Bassitt.
With Fletcher due up after T.J. McFarland surrendered a hit to Max Stassi, manager Bob Melvin called on his iron man, Yusmeiro Petit, to quell the threat.
Fletcher and Petit engaged in an 11-pitch at-bat before Fletcher succumbed to a cutter up in the zone.
“We considered doing
something different, but then I shook myself because he’s been so good against their best guys,” Melvin said. “At this point it’s not a surprise he came through.” MARK CANHA MOVES UP, KHRIS DAVIS DOWN THE LINEUP >> Perhaps most indicative of DH Khris Davis’ bumpy start to the season came in the sixth inning, when he struck out flailing at Peña’s 83 mph slider. Davis is without a hit this season and, without many inspiring at-bats, he slid to the six-spot in Monday’s lineup. Mark Canha moved to fifth.
Melvin said the switch was to reward Canha and maybe lessen the pressure on Davis.
Canha justified the move by hitting his first home run to give the A’s their 3-0 lead in the fourth inning.