OC Register: Angels end homestand with third straight loss to Oakland A’s; Ohtani hits two home runs

[AngelsWin.com]

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  Oakland Athletics’ Mark Canha is congratulated by teammates after scoring on a double by Chad Pinder during the second inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Sunday, June 30, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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  Oakland Athletics center fielder Ramon Laureano can’t reach a ball hit for a home run by Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani, of Japan, during the fourth inning of a baseball game Sunday, June 30, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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  Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani, of Japan, grounds out during the first inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Sunday, June 30, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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  Oakland Athletics’ Mark Canha, right, is forced out at second as Los Angeles Angels second baseman Tommy La Stella throws out Chad Pinder at first during the fourth inning of a baseball game Sunday, June 30, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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  Oakland Athletics’ Matt Olson, left, is congratulated by hitting coach Darren Bush after scoring on a double by Ramon Laureano during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Sunday, June 30, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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  Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani, of Japan, runs to first after hitting a solo home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Sunday, June 30, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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  Oakland Athletics’ Mark Canha bats during the second inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Sunday, June 30, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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  Oakland Athletics’ Mark Canha, right, scores on a double by Chad Pinder as Los Angeles Angels catcher Dustin Garneau stands at the plate during the second inning of a baseball game Sunday, June 30, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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  Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani, of Japan, passes Oakland Athletics first baseman Matt Chapman as he heads to third after hitting a solo home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game Sunday, June 30, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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  Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Andrew Heaney throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics Sunday, June 30, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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  Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Andrew Heaney throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Sunday, June 30, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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  Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Chris Bassitt throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Sunday, June 30, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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ANAHEIM – A’s third baseman Matt Chapman and Angels second baseman Tommy La Stella were announced All-Stars in the middle of Sunday’s game at Angel Stadium. One of them drove in six runs, while the other brought cowboy clothes in preparation for a themed getaway day dress-up.

The Angels couldn’t ride off into the sunset fast enough after their 12-3 loss to the A’s. By losing three of the four games in the intradivision series, the Angels fell below .500 (42-43) and fell four games behind Oakland (46-39), the team directly ahead of them in the American League West.

It was a rough day for Angels starter Andrew Heaney (1-2), who allowed five runs in six innings in his first outing against the A’s this season. It was arguably rougher for the offense, which went 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base. Or for pitcher Cam Bedrosian, who tried to catch a 90-mph line drive back to the mound in the eighth inning, only for the ball to glance off his glove and strike the side of his face.

Shohei Ohtani hit two solo home runs and Kole Calhoun hit an RBI single to account for the Angels’ runs. It was Ohtani’s third career multi-home run game with the Angels, and his first of 2019.

The Angels will take a three-game losing streak into Arlington, where they were swept in a three-game series by the Texas Rangers in April.

Heaney sped through the A’s first three hitters before the announced crowd of 37,668. In the second inning, Mark Canha faced a 2-strike count when a curveball hit his back foot. The next batter, Chad Pinder, jumped on the first pitch he saw from Heaney and hit a line drive into the left field corner. Canha scored from first base on Pinder’s double, giving the A’s a 1-0 lead.

After a 1-2-3 third inning, Heaney encountered more trouble in the fourth. Olson led off with a single to right-center. Canha drew a 5-pitch walk. Pinder hit into a double play. But with Olson on third base and an 0-and-2 count on Ramon Laureano, Heaney threw a 94-mph fastball down the heart of the strike zone. Laureano took advantage of his good fortune, stroking a double into left-center field, driving in Olson with the A’s second run.

After Ohtani’s homer against A’s starter Chris Bassitt (5-3) in the bottom of the fourth, Olson broke the game open in the fifth.

Josh Phegley singled and went to third base on a double by Marcus Semien. Heaney got ahead of Olson, a left-handed hitter, 1-and-2. Olson then put a charge into a belt-high changeup, pulling it to straightaway right field, where it cleared the yellow home-run stripe by inches. The three-run blast put the A’s ahead for good at 5-2.

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The A’s did more damage on 2-strike counts – Olson’s home run, two doubles, three singles – than the Angels did in sum.

At least the Angels had chances. As late as the seventh inning, Mike Trout batted with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, representing the tying run. But former Angels pitcher Yusmeiro Petit froze him with a 79-mph curveball that hooked into the strike zone, ending the inning.

The A’s then piled on the Angels’ bullpen for seven runs in the eighth inning. Five were charged to Bedrosian, though only one was earned by virtue of an error by La Stella. Chapman batted twice in the inning, hitting a triple against Bedrosian and a double against Justin Anderson.

Emergency pitcher Jared Walsh recorded the final four outs, walking one batter in the ninth.

More to come on this story.

Better than a Woj bomb. #ShoTime pic.twitter.com/CbRbw4Tq9R

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) June 30, 2019

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