Jo Adell homered early and came through again in extra innings as the Los Angeles Angels used a six-run 10th inning to pull away from the Oakland Athletics in an 11-5 victory on Sunday afternoon. The win allowed Los Angeles to avoid a sweep in the three-game set and regain some momentum heading into the start of the week.
Oddsmakers had entered the matchup with both teams listed close to even money, the Angels at -115 and the Athletics at -105, reflecting the expectation of a competitive series finale. Los Angeles ultimately covered behind Adell’s four-RBI performance and timely late-inning hitting.
Adell set the tone immediately, driving a three-run home run off Oakland starter Jeffrey Springs in the first inning. It was Adell’s 26th homer of the season, extending a career-best mark. Christian Moore added an RBI later in the game to push Los Angeles ahead 5-2, but the Athletics clawed back with long balls of their own.
Oakland rookie Nick Kurtz connected for his 25th homer in the third inning, and Shea Langeliers followed with his 26th to make it back-to-back shots. Lawrence Butler brought the Athletics within 5-4 in the sixth with his 17th homer, and Luis Urías tied the contest in the seventh on a two-out RBI single.
The Angels leaned on veteran closer Kenley Jansen to keep the game even in the ninth. Jansen, climbing the all-time relievers’ strikeout leaderboard, worked himself into trouble by loading the bases with two outs. He then froze the rally by getting Butler to pop out on a cutter. The scoreless frame gave Jansen 1,268 career strikeouts, moving him past Craig Kimbrel for fourth-most by a reliever in Major League Baseball history. Only Hoyt Wilhelm, Goose Gossage, and Aroldis Chapman remain ahead of him.
With the game headed to extras, the Angels capitalized immediately. Automatic runner Mike Trout advanced to third on a passed ball before Taylor Ward walked, setting up Adell, who delivered a sharp RBI single to center off Michael Kelly for a 6-5 lead. Moore added his third RBI of the contest with a groundout, and Luis Rengifo stretched the margin with a two-run triple into the right-field corner off reliever Ben Bowden. Bryce Teodosio’s sacrifice fly brought another run, and Zach Neto capped the offensive surge with a towering 436-foot homer to left-center, his 21st of the season. The six-run explosion put the game out of reach.
Adell finished with four RBIs, Trout scored twice, and Neto added his usual power presence to help Los Angeles improve its record against Oakland this season. Conversely, the Athletics saw their bullpen falter after rallying to tie the game late. Kelly (2-2) took the loss, while Jansen (5-2) won for Los Angeles.
Now looking to build on the momentum, the Angels return home for a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds beginning Monday. Victor Mederos (0-0, 5.63 ERA) is scheduled to start the opener. The Athletics travel to Minnesota, where Jacob Lopez (6-6, 3.30 ERA) will take the mound Tuesday night in the series opener against the Twins. Early betting lines favor Minnesota at -140, while Oakland opens as a +120 underdog.
