Angels, Athletics try to quiet each other's bats (Mar 29, 2018)
OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Angels and Oakland Athletics hope to cool hot bats with left-handed starting pitchers Friday night when the American League West rivals duel for the second time in their four-game series.
The Angels will send lefty Tyler Skaggs to the mound in search for the team's first win after the A's pounded seven pitchers, including six right-handers, for 12 hits in a 6-5, 11-inning victory on Opening Day.
A's manager Bob Melvin was thrilled with the 4-hour, 2-minute win, but found himself caught up in the excitement of Japanese star Shohei Ohtani's highly anticipated Major League Baseball debut for the Angels.
Ohtani, who is scheduled to pitch Sunday's series finale, got Melvin's attention in two other aspects of his multifaceted game.
"I didn't realize he ran that well. Boy he gets down the line," he gushed. "He has a nice swing. I haven't seen him pitch yet, but on the offensive end, it's pretty impressive, and you know he's got some power, too. So he looks to be quite the pain in my side."
Ohtani wasted no time in getting his first American hit.
The left-handed batter grounded the first pitch he saw from A's right-hander Kendall Graveman into right field in the bottom of the second inning.
Ohtani grounded out three times and struck out to complete his 1-for-5 day serving as the Angels' designated hitter.
He is expected to relinquish that position to veteran Albert Pujols on Friday against A's lefty Sean Manaea.
Nothing personal, Angels manager Mike Scioscia assured afterward.
"Shohei was fine. He came in and had some good swings, got the base hit and hit a couple balls hard out of the chute," he observed. "It's good for him to get out there."
Pujols, who played first base in the opener, had a solo home run, the 615th of his career, among two hits in the narrow defeat.
The Angels outhit the A's, 13-12.
Manaea struggled in his first five career starts against the Angels, but beat them 3-1 in September with six innings of shutout ball, allowing five hits.
He's 1-2 with a 5.10 ERA in six career starts against them.
Interestingly, Manaea has owned Pujols in their head-to-heads, saddling him with an 0-for-12.
Dealing with Mike Trout, who went 0-for-6 in the opener, has been a different story. The perennial MVP candidate has five hits, including a triple and two home runs, in 12 at-bats against Manaea.
Skaggs will be hoping for that kind of support against an A's team that's given him fits in the past.
He's gone 0-4 in five career starts against Oakland, a record that's as much a product of his 6.26 ERA as his club's lack of run support.
His three consecutive losses to the A's last year came by the scores of 3-1, 5-0 and 5-1.
He lost the 3-1 game to Manaea last September, allowing a home run to Khris Davis.
Davis, who belted 43 home runs last season, got off to a powerful start Thursday with a three-run homer and RBI single.
