Athletics at Angels
The Los Angeles Angels displayed resiliency on several occasions last time out to avoid a third consecutive loss and now attempt to win their fourth straight series when they host the Oakland Athletics on Thursday for the finale of their three-game set. Los Angeles overcame a large deficit early and a small one late to post a 10-9 walk-off victory on Wednesday.
The Angels trailed 7-1 entering their half of the third inning but battled back to take a one-run lead, only to fall behind again in the eighth. But Shohei Ohtani, who belted a three-run homer in the fourth to put Los Angeles ahead 8-7, drew a bases-loaded walk to forge a 9-9 tie and Dustin Garneau capped a two-out rally in the ninth with a ground-rule double for his first RBI of the season and a wild victory in the longest nine-inning game in the history of Angel Stadium (4 hours, 15 minutes). Robbie Grossman continued his torrid offensive display for Oakland, collecting four hits to improve to 9-for-14 over his last three contests. Marcus Semien went 3-for-4 with three RBIs while Jurickson Profar registered three hits and drove in a pair of runs as the Athletics suffered their sixth loss in seven overall contests while having their seven-game road winning streak halted.
TV: 10:07 p.m. ET, NBCS California (Oakland), FS West (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Mike Fiers (4-3, 4.78 ERA) vs. Angels LH Tyler Skaggs (4-5, 4.50)
Fiers is unbeaten in his last five starts, going 2-0 while allowing three runs or fewer in each outing. The 33-year-old Floridian settled for a no-decision against Houston on Friday after giving up two runs and four hits in 6 2/3 innings. Fiers evened his career record against the Angels at 4-4 and lowered his ERA versus the club to 5.25 after permitting one hit over six scoreless frames on March 28.
Skaggs lost his second straight decision on Friday as he yielded four runs and five hits in seven innings at Seattle. The 27-year-old Californian has surrendered at least four runs in four of his last five turns, going 1-3 in those outings. Skaggs fell to 2-7 with a 5.07 ERA in 11 career starts against the Athletics when he took the loss in Oakland on March 31 after giving up two runs and five hits over 4 2/3 frames.
WALK-OFFS
1. Profar has gone 6-for-14 with a homer and three RBIs in his last three games.
2. Ohtani has homered in back-to-back contests, going 4-for-7 in the process, and driven in seven runs over his last three games and 11 in his last seven.
3. Los Angeles 3B Tommy La Stella has hit safely in 10 of his last 11 contests, recording six multi-hit performances in that span after Wednesday's 3-for-4 effort, while Oakland OF Ramon Laureano's hitting streak ended at 15 games after his 0-for-4 outing.