RECAP: Athletics 8, Angels 7
- Updated: March 7, 2015
(Image via @sierrabjostad)
With the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, Renato Nunez singled for the Oakland Athletics at Hohokam Stadium on Saturday to walk-off against the visiting Los Angeles Angels and reliever Edgar Ibarra, 8-7. The Angels had been ahead 6-1 in the 7th inning, and 7-4 in the eighth inning, but couldn’t stop the A’s, who scored seven runs in their final three times at bat on this day.
Efren Navarro went 3-for-4 with two RBIs for the Angels, who had pushed themselves out to a 6-1 lead entering the bottom of the seventh inning, but it wouldn’t be enough to seal the victory.
C.J. Wilson made his first start of the spring and allowed only one unearned run in three innings of work, scattering two hits and striking out two. Big league relievers Fernando Salas, Scott Snodgress and Mike Morin followed Wilson with a scoreless inning apiece and gave the Angels the aforementioned 6-1 cushion after six and a half innings.
After being held scoreless for two innings by A’s starter Chris Bassitt, the Angels offense scored at least a run in every inning from the 3rd through the 8th, coming alive in a variety of ways.
The cushion didn’t last, though, as the A’s pushed back and scored three in the seventh off Cam Bedrosian, another two in the eighth off Nate Smith, and then two more off Ibarra in the ninth to seal the walk-off victory.
Just like he did on Thursday against the Brewers, Daniel Robertson was in the middle of the Angels first rally in the third, reaching on an error by A’s shortstop Marcus Semien and coming around to score on a Taylor Featherston single to make it 1-0.
Robertson finished the game 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run, and Featherston, who started at second base for the first time this spring since being acquired from Colorado, went 1-for-2 with two RBIs.
The A’s would tie the game in the bottom half of the third inning when Sam Fuld scored on a Coco Crisp sacrifice fly. Fuld had been at third after a throwing error by C.J. Cron, playing first base this afternoon for the Angels in the place of Albert Pujols.
A sharp Navarro single in the fourth put the Angels back on top 2-1, and a Navarro double and an RBI in the 6th, would push the lead to 4-1.
In the bottom of the seventh, with the Angels leading 6-1, Bedrosian got into trouble with A’s hitters while recording just one out. Smith relieved with three runs in and a man on first, and induced an Eric Sogard ground ball double play to end the inning and preserve the Angels lead at 6-4.
The Angels got one back in the eighth, on a Robertson single that scored Eric Stamets from third. Stamets went 1-for-1 with a triple and two runs scored.
Smith, staying on for the bottom of the eighth, allowed two runs of his own, however, to shrink the lead to 7-6 heading into the ninth inning.
After the Angels were held scoreless in the top of the ninth, Edgar Ibarra came on for the Halos to try to preserve their one-run lead.
Billy Burns immediately led off with a double against Ibarra. Minor Leaguer Tyler Ladendorf then tripled to bring home Burns and tie the game 7-7. After two intentional walks to load the bases, and a strikeout of A’s outfielder Jason Pridie, Nunez singled to the left side and scored Ladendorf to end the game and finish the furious comeback for the Athletics.
Losing for the first time this spring, the Angels fell to 2-1. Tomorrow, they host the Kansas City Royals in Cactus League action.
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