The Oakland Athletics turned in one of their most dominant offensive performances of the season, belting four home runs and piling up 21 hits in a 17-4 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night at Angel Stadium.
Oddsmakers had Los Angeles listed as a narrow -115 favorite entering the game, with Oakland at +105 underdogs. The over/under was set at 9.5 runs, which was eclipsed before the game reached the halfway point.
Nick Kurtz, the 22-year-old rookie who has quickly become one of Oakland’s most impactful hitters, headlined the outburst with a towering 447-foot drive to left-center in the fourth inning off Angels reliever Chase Silseth. The homer marked his 29th of the season. Kurtz scored three times and drew walks in his first two plate appearances against Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi.
Colby Thomas provided an early spark with a home run in the first inning, setting the tone for an Athletics lineup that rarely slowed. Later in the game, Carlos Cortes connected for a pinch-hit three-run homer in the eighth, followed by J.J. Bleday’s pinch-hit three-run shot in the ninth to put the finishing touches on the blowout.
Kikuchi (6-11) endured one of his most difficult outings of the season. He achieved a career milestone by recording his 1,000th strikeout in the first inning, but quickly lost command thereafter. The left-hander was charged with seven earned runs on six hits in just two innings, throwing 61 pitches but landing only 32 for strikes. It was the second time he had been chased this season before completing three innings.
Athletics starter J.T. Ginn (3-6) took advantage of the offensive support, working five innings while allowing one earned run on five hits. The right-hander struck out five and kept Los Angeles from mounting momentum after their early struggles in the field.
Defensive miscues compounded the Angels’ problems. With two outs in the first, left fielder Taylor Ward misjudged a fly ball that should have ended the inning. Instead, the ball dropped in for a bases-clearing double by Tyler Soderstrom, giving Oakland an early 3-0 lead that ballooned quickly.
Los Angeles managed to get on the board late. In the eighth inning, Matthew Lugo and Jo Adell hit back-to-back solo home runs off reliever Scott McGough. It was the sixth time the Angels have gone back-to-back this season, though the damage came well after the outcome was decided.
Oakland’s 17 runs were the second-most allowed by the Angels this year. They previously gave up 20 runs in a loss to Texas on August 27. The lopsided defeat marked another low point for an Angels team that has struggled with both pitching depth and defensive consistency.
The series concludes Sunday with Oakland sending Luis Severino (6-11, 4.65 ERA) to the mound against Los Angeles rookie Mitch Farris (1-0, 1.80 ERA). The Athletics will look to secure a series victory, while the Angels attempt to salvage the finale and rebound from their latest setback.
