Two nights after the Athletics shut out the Angels, Los Angeles returned the favor.
The A’s managed five hits Saturday night in a 7-0 loss at Sutter Health Park, slowing the momentum from their wild walk-off win one night earlier. Even so, the standings damage stayed limited because every other AL West team also lost.
Seattle remained in first at 39-39. The Athletics fell to 38-39 and stayed only a half-game back in a division still waiting for someone to separate.
The missed first chance
The A’s had their best chance right away.
Nick Kurtz opened the bottom of the first with a double, extending his on-base streak to 21 games. Then Tyler Soderstrom was hit by a pitch and Jacob Wilson singled to load the bases with one out.
However, Walbert Ureña escaped. Jonah Heim struck out, and Lawrence Butler grounded out to end the inning.
That missed chance set the tone. The Athletics went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left eight runners on base.
The Angels strike first
Los Angeles broke through in the second against J.T. Ginn.
Jo Adell doubled, Wade Meckler walked and Donovan Walton singled home Adell. Then Jose Siri added a sacrifice fly to score Meckler, giving the Angels a 2-0 lead.
Ginn avoided further damage that inning, but the Angels kept pressure on him.
Still, he worked through the fifth with the A’s close enough to respond. The offense never did.
The sixth breaks it open
The game got away in the sixth.
Walton and Siri reached against Ginn, and Scott Barlow entered with one out. Then Tyler Heineman singled to load the bases.
Zach Neto followed with a two-run double. Next, Nolan Schanuel doubled in two more, pushing the Angels ahead 6-0.
Ginn was charged with four runs on seven hits over 5 1/3 innings. He walked three and struck out five.
Barlow allowed two runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning. Geoff Hartlieb covered the final three innings and allowed one run.
No answer at the plate
The A’s had scattered traffic, but never found the swing they needed.
Kurtz doubled and walked. Jeff McNeil added a double in the fifth. Butler, Wilson and Henry Bolte each singled.
However, the Athletics struck out 13 times and did not collect an extra-base hit after McNeil’s fifth-inning double.
Ureña earned the win with five scoreless innings. He allowed four hits, walked none and struck out six.
Then the Angels’ bullpen finished it cleanly. Samy Natera Jr., Ryan Zeferjahn and Kirby Yates combined for four scoreless innings, with Yates closing the ninth.
Numbers that mattered
The Angels finished with seven runs, 13 hits and no errors. The Athletics had no runs, five hits and no errors.
Walton went 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI. Adell had three hits, including two doubles.
Also, Neto and Schanuel each drove in two runs. Denzer Guzman added a solo homer in the seventh, his second of the season.
For the A’s, the loss nudged them under the break-even mark again. But in a weak AL West race, the night did not land with full force.
In the end, the Angels were the only team in the division to win Saturday. The A’s lost ground in the win column, but not much in the standings.
Up next
The Athletics close the series against the Angels on Sunday at Sutter Health Park. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. PDT.
Perkins is scheduled to start for the A’s. The right-hander enters at 2-3 with a 6.15 ERA and 49 strikeouts.
Los Angeles is scheduled to counter with left-hander Reid Detmers, who enters at 3-5 with a 3.68 ERA and 100 strikeouts.
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Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Las Vegas Aces, Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
