Win streak halted to ruin Chapman’s monstrous night
Trout’s solo home run in the eighth inning proved to be the difference
A’s third baseman Matt Chapman had two home runs, a triple and six RBI by the end of the fourth inning of Monday’s game with the Los Angeles Angels.
It still wasn’t enough to outshine Mike Trout, who helped bring the A’s ninegame winning streak to an abrupt end.
Trout’s go-ahead solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning off Yusmeiro Petit capped a rare rough night for the A’s pitching staff, as Oakland blew a five-run lead in a 10-9 marathon loss to the host Angels.
“He just missed a pitch,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said of Petit. “We end up throwing him out there against (Trout) all the time and he ends up getting big outs. He just didn’t get a breaking ball into the ground.”
Trout also hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning, as the A’s gave up four homers in total for their first loss since July 31.
“You think you’ve seen it all, and he just keeps doing it,” Chapman said of Trout, who was 4-for-5 Monday with three RBI and four runs. “He’ll get his two hits early in the game and then he’ll hit two homers. He can change the game with one swing of the bat.
“It’s always awesome to play against him. He’s, in my opinion, the best player in the big leagues, maybe the best to ever do it.”
The A’s were 3-4 on July 31 after a 5-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners. They’re now 12-5 and in first place in the American League West, 4 ½ games up on the Houston Astros.
During the streak, the A’s outscored their opponents 47-19. Their pitching staff had a 1.88 ERA and allowed just 18 earned runs in 86 innings. A’s hitters also combined for 16 home runs in the nine wins, and their defense committed just two errors.
“It’s a good streak and it’s more about starting well,” Melvin said. “Certainly nothing’s settled 16 or 17 games into the season.”
The game ended in three hours and 41 minutes, the A’s longest nineinning game this season.
Chapman had a hand in that, as he homered in the second and third innings, with his second homer, a two-run shot to center field, giving the A’s a 5-3 lead.
Then with the bases loaded in the fourth, Chapman lined a changeup from Matt Andriese into center field to score three runs and give the A’s an 8-4 lead. Chapman later scored in the inning for a five-run Oakland advantage.
Chapman is 9-for-19 with four home runs and 10 RBI in the last four games.
“It is nice to have a good game, but you want to win,” Chapman said. “That’s why we’re here. We’re in first place right now and we know how valuable every win is, especially with a short season.”
In the third, Chapman robbed Albert Pujols of extra bases, diving to snare a line drive along the left field line. Trout was on third base at the time.
“(Trout) was like, ‘Wow, you’re just having a game aren’t you?’” Chapman said. “He jokes around like that. I started off the game hot, but they definitely got the last laugh. Pujols was like, ‘Why are you always taking RBIs and runs from me?’ I said, ‘I figured you already had enough.”
The A’s went through four pitchers in the first six innings, as left-hander Sean Manaea had his shortest outing in almost exactly two calendar years.
In 2 2/3 innings, Manaea allowed seven hits, three walks and four earned runs, including a two-run homer to Anthony Rendon on a 92 mph fastball in the first inning.
A year after he went 4-0 with a 1.21 ERA over five starts, Manaea’s ERA this year in 15 innings is an unsightly 9.00.
Both Melvin and Manaea felt, though, that Monday was still a step in the right direction.
“I didn’t think his stuff was bad,” Melvin said. “Just have to fight through this right now and get to the other side and have a good outing, and we think he’ll be fine.”
It was Manaea’s shortest start since Aug. 7, 2018 when he allowed three earned runs in 2 2/3 innings in what became a 4-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“Honestly, that’s probably the best I’ve felt this whole season, as far as health and how my pitches felt,” Manaea said. “But I’m struggling pretty hard. I feel like I’ve just got to take what I can get right now. For me, that’s just going out there and feeling good.”
The A’s bullpen didn’t fare much better, as J.B. Wendelken and Lou Trivino combined to allow five earned runs in just 1 2/3 innings. T.J. McFarland also pitched 1 2/3 innings but did not allow a run.
With the game tied 9-9, Trout made the difference, taking a Petit curveball deep to left field.