Athletics at Angels
Justin Upton's tiebreaking three-run homer in the seventh inning Friday was the most important hit, but it's the long ball that Los Angeles rookie Shohei Ohtani clobbered that drew the most attention. The Angels designated hitting/pitching phenom won't have the opportunity to homer for a fourth straight game when Los Angeles hosts the Oakland Athletics on Saturday in the second contest of their three-game series, which wraps Sunday with Ohtani making his second career start on the mound.
Los Angeles has said that Ohtani (.389, three home runs, seven RBIs in 18 at-bats) will not DH the day before or after he pitches, so he won't swing a bat until Tuesday in Texas. The Angels outslugged Oakland 13-9 on Friday for their 14th victory in the last 17 meetings at home after winning 3-of-4 from the Athletics in Oakland to start the season. Athletics third baseman Matt Chapman is also off to a quick start, batting .412 with seven RBIs after going deep Friday for the third time this season. Oakland's Andrew Triggs is coming off a promising performance in his season debut after recovering from hip surgery and opposes JC Ramirez, who was hit hard in his first start. "I hadn't really given a whole lot of thought to how long it had been since I was in a real game, because you get through an entire spring training and kind of feel like you get your legs back under you," Triggs told reporters. "But it was nice to get back out there."
TV: 9:07 p.m. ET, NBCS California Plus (Oakland), KCOP (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Andrew Triggs (0-0, 1.80 ERA) vs. Angels LH JC Ramirez (0-1, 7.71)
Triggs received a no-decision after allowing one run, four hits and two walks while striking out seven in Oakland's 3-1 victory over Texas on Monday. The 29-year-old Tennessee native was 5-2 with a 2.12 ERA in his first eight starts last season before losing his final four outings and having the procedure done to repair a torn labrum in his left hip July 14. Mike Trout has a solo home run in five at-bats and Albert Pujols is 0-for-5 against Triggs, who is 2-0 with a 1.06 ERA in four games (three starts) versus Los Angeles.
Ramirez yielded five runs (four earned) and three home runs among five hits in 4 2/3 innings of a 6-0 loss to Cleveland on April 2. Khris Davis is 4-for-6 with a home run versus the 29-year-old Nicaraguan, who is 2-1 with a 2.95 ERA in 10 games (one start) versus the Athletics. The start was a masterpiece as Ramirez allowed two hits and struck out seven in seven scoreless innings of Oakland's 2-1 victory April 25.
WALK-OFFS
1. Angels SS Andrelton Simmons is batting .412 with seven RBIs and seven runs scored, and has a hit in all eight games this season after going 3-for-5 on Friday.
2. Athletics 2B Jed Lowrie (.351) went 3-for-5 on Friday and is 8-for-12 with a home run, two doubles and four RBIs in his last three games.
3. Pujols went 2-for-3 on Friday and is 23 hits shy from becoming the 32nd player in history with 3,000 hits.