A’s top Angels in 10th inning as Alonso makes up for error
A’s top Angels in 10th inning as Alonso makes up for error
ANAHEIM — Yonder Alonso, Oakland’s best defensive player, flubbed a hard-hit grounder right to him in the eighth inning, and his error allowed the Angels to tie the game.
Showing a flair for the dramatic, Alonso then supplied the go-ahead hit in the 10th inning, a two-out double that scored Danny Valencia, and the A’s went on to beat the Angels 8-6 on Thursday to end a five-game losing streak.
Valencia singled to right off Mike Morin with two outs in the 10th and Billy Butler, pinch hitting for ejected DH Khris Davis, added another hit to bring up Alonso.
Marcus Semien added an RBI single to complete the scoring.
Alonso entered the day leading AL first basemen in fielding percentage at .998, and he has played Gold Glove caliber defense all season, so the eighth-inning play was a rare misfire for him.
In the eighth, Los Angeles’ Jefry Marte and Jett Bandy singled off John Axford with one out and Axford walked pinch-hitter Mike Trout on four pitches before getting Johnny Giavotella to ground a potential inning-ending double-play toward first.
Hahn gave up a game-tying homer to Choi in the second and then four runs in the third, including a three-run home run by Choi.
Ten games in a row, A’s pitchers have allowed home runs, a total of 20 in all in that span.
Hahn went four innings, and Neal did nice work in relief, with 21/3 scoreless innings.