Field Level Media
Aug 12, 2020
Home runs by Robbie Grossman, Matt Olson and Stephen Piscotty, along with a stellar performance by the bullpen, lifted the visiting Oakland Athletics to an 8-4 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday afternoon.
Oakland totaled nine hits, seven of which went for extra bases. Matt Chapman chipped in with two doubles.
A's center fielder Ramon Laureano, still playing as he appeals a six-game suspension for his role his last Sunday's fight with the Houston Astros, robbed Brian Goodwin of what would have been a game-tying home run in the seventh inning. He added a two-out, two-run single in the eighth to increase Oakland's lead to 8-4.
Oakland starter Chris Bassitt (2-0) gave up four runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings, getting help from four relievers -- Jake Diekman, Yusmeiro Petit, Joakim Soria and Liam Hendriks -- who combined for 3 1/3 scoreless innings to finish it off.
Olson's home run in the top of the first, his sixth, gave Oakland a 1-0 lead, but Angels center fielder Mike Trout matched it in the bottom of the first with his eighth homer of the season to tie the game 1-1.
The A's regained the lead in the second inning after Mark Canha led off with a double and scored on Grossman's two-run homer for a 3-1 edge. The Angels tied the game again in the third.
Goodwin doubled with one out and went to third on an infield single by David Fletcher. Tommy La Stella followed with an RBI single and Trout hit a sacrifice fly to even the score.
Piscotty's solo homer in the fourth gave Oakland the lead for good and helped create an early end to Griffin Canning's outing for the Angels. Canning (0-3) made it out of the fourth, but that was as far as he would go, giving up four runs on six hits. He struck out two and did not walk a batter.
The A's added to their lead in the fifth against Angels reliever Jacob Barnes with an RBI double by Chapman, making it 5-3.
Anthony Rendon's home run with two out in the sixth, his fourth on the season, got the Angels to within 5-4, and that spelled the end of the day for Bassitt.
--Field Level Media