ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Jo Adell drove in Matt Duffy with a tiebreaking RBI single in the eighth inning, and the Los Angeles Angels opened their final homestand of the season with a 4-3 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday night.
A.J. Puk (3-3) hit Duffy with an 0-2 slider before pinch-hitter Michael Stefanic bunted Duffy to second, and Adell lined a single to left for just his third RBI in a quiet September. Adell also made an impressive leaping grab at the wall in the fifth to take a hit away from Dermis Garcia.
Los Angeles nearly added another run moments after Adell’s single, but second baseman Tony Kemp made a spectacular diving catch in right field on Livan Soto’s drive.
Duffy, Soto, Shohei Ohtani and Taylor Ward all had two-hit games as the Angels opened their final week at Angel Stadium in their franchise record-tying seventh consecutive losing season and their eighth consecutive non-playoff season.
Ryan Tepera (5-3) pitched the eighth for the Angels, and Jimmy Herget earned his seventh save. Los Angeles' third victory in four games means this team (68-86) won't match the franchise record of 95 defeats.
Nick Allen had a two-run double for the last-place A's, who opened their last road trip of the season with their AL-worst 98th loss of the season.
Patrick Sandoval yielded three runs on six hits over 5 1/3 mostly solid innings for the Angels, going at least five innings in the 10th consecutive start of his hard-luck season. The left-hander remained 6-9 despite his tidy 3.09 ERA — just 2.30 over his last 10 starts.
James Kaprielian gave up three runs on 10 hits over six innings for the A’s. The Orange County native and UCLA product repeatedly escaped trouble in his final four innings.
Chad Pinder singled leading off the second for Oakland and eventually scored on Cristian Pache's bases-loaded tapper to third. Allen followed with a two-run double off the wall for his first multi-RBI hit since June 26.
The Angels replied with three runs of their own in the second. Mike Ford doubled and scored on Matt Thaiss' single, and Soto's flyout drove in another run before Thaiss scored on Luis Rengifo's single.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Athletics: RHP Adam Oller could return from a rib injury by Friday, manager Mark Kotsay said. He faced live hitters Monday at the A's complex in Arizona.
Angels: Anthony Rendon faced live pitching. He had purportedly season-ending wrist surgery in June, but the $245 million third baseman is trying to get healthy enough to at least serve his five-game suspension from his role in the Angels' brawl with the Mariners on June 26. ... RHP Archie Bradley came off the injured list after breaking his elbow while falling off the dugout railing during the Mariners brawl.
UP NEXT
Michael Lorenzen (7-6, 4.78 ERA) continues his inconsistent attempt to prove he's a major league starter when he takes the mound for the Angels against rookie Adrián Martínez (4-5, 6.10).
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