Rookie lefty pitches A’s to win over Angels
ANAHEIM — Dillon Overton learned quickly he wasn’t in Kansas, or Tennessee, or any other minor league place any more.
In the first inning of his major league debut, he gave up his first homer, his second homer and collected his first strikeout. By the time nine innings were in the books, the left-handed rookie had his first big league win and first career beer shower in the A’s clubhouse after a 7-3 victory.
The 24-year-old left-hander graduated to the A’s thanks to a seven-game stretch for TripleA Nashville in which he was
7-0 with a 1.40 ERA. In his big league debut, he was hammered for homers in the first inning by Kole Calhoun and Mike Trout but didn’t give in.
“Maybe the most impressive thing was to see him give up two homers in the first inning and see him continue to pitch,’’ A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “It’s his first big league game. There’s a lot going on in your mind. You can’t really explain it. You get the first out of the game, and the next thing you know you give up two homers.
“To pitch that deep in the game on a day when we were pretty limited in the bullpen, speaks volumes about the character of the young man.’’
The A’s struck first on a two-run Danny Valencia homer scoring Coco Crisp, the first of four runs Crisp would score. That meant the Trout and Calhoun homers only tied the game. By the third inning, when Crisp scored on a Stephen Vogt sacrifice fly, threetime former MVP Pujols was at the plate with two men on. Overton, who’d gotten him on a grounder in the first, struck him out this time.
“He was outstanding,’’ Vogt said of Overton. “You can live with three solo home runs. When guys got on base, he got better, which is a good sign in his first major league start. When he punched Pujols out, that was probably the at-bat of the game.’’
Overton, who had a 28-person fan club in the stands behind the A’s dugout, eventually did give up a third homer, this one to Pujols. When he came out of the game in the sixth following a two-out single, the left-hander left to a spirited ovation of Oklahomans and Texans who’d come in just for the day.
“It was awesome,’’ Overton said of the reception. “Two of those guys have been All-Stars every year they’ve been in the league. Trout’s, I didn’t think too much of that pitch. But Pujols, you’ve just got to give that one to him. He hit that one a long way.
“The first time out there, you just have to admire the distance. But I tried to come back from it, keep hitters off balance and keep throwing strikes.’’
Overton gave Oakland its third consecutive win in the four-game series as the club got back to within 10 games of .500 at 32-42.
The third rookie to start in his major league debut for the A’s this year after Sean Manaea and Daniel Mengden, Overton wound up being scratched for four other hits, two walks and struck out three in earning the win. He’d only allowed two home runs in 13 starts at Triple-A, but he’s not in the minors anymore.
Crisp fueled the A’s offense with three hits, two of them doubles, and a walk. He scored in each of his first four trips to the plate. Valencia brought him around with a homer in the first and a single in the sixth while Vogt’s sacrifice fly in the third and a Khris Davis single in the fifth also chased him across the plate.
Crisp also singled home two runs in the sixth after Billy Burns’ successful sacrifice bunt moved Marcus Semien and Max Muncy up a base. The three-run sixth helped put some distance between Overton and the Angels, allowing Melvin a little extra room to use with Overton.
Starter Henderson Alvarez n has been shut down for a month, meaning the right-handed starter with the troublesome right shoulder won’t pick up a baseball to test his arm until about the time of the July 12 All-Star Game. A visit to Dr. James Andrews hasn’t resulted in an absolute diagnosis of the problem, but Alvarez has been giving a PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injection and told to rest. “Nothing in there structurally would suggest a surgery (was needed),’’ manager Bob Melvin said. “They did a PRP, and he’s not going to pick up a baseball for a month.’’
Alvarez was moved to n the 60-day D.L. to open a spot on the 40-man roster for Overton. Room on the 25-man roster was created by Eric Surkamp being optioned to Triple-A Nashville.
Manaea is likely to n come off the 15-day disabled list Wednesday and start against the Giants at the Coliseum. Melvin said Manaea “felt great’’ after throwing 69 pitches in 3.2 innings for Stockton in a rehab start Friday, “so it’s good news for us.’’ As for Wednesday “there is a chance of that,’’ Melvin said. “That’s what we’ve been targeting.’’
Josh Reddick was 0for-5 n Saturday in his last game for Nashville. The right fielder, out for a month since fracturing his left thumb in a slide at second base, is due to fly back to Oakland on Sunday and be activated Monday for the first of two games against the Giants at AT&T Park.
Overton was the 10th n different Oakland starting pitcher in the last 27 games.
Valencia joined Crisp n in having three hits. In addition to the two-run homer, Valencia had a walk and singles in his final two atbats.