A's Hit 3 Hrs, Laureano's 3 Fine Catches Help Top Angels 8-4
By Joe Reedy, AP Sports Writer
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Stephen Piscotty, Matt Olson and Robbie Grossman homered, center fielder Ramón Laureano made three nifty catches and the Oakland Athletics averted a sweep with an 8-4 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday.
Piscotty put the A's ahead with his solo drive in the fourth inning. Olson and Grossman also went deep off Griffin Canning (0-3) as Oakland's offense bounced back after being shut out on Tuesday night.
Seven of the Athletics' nine hits were for extra bases, including a pair of doubles by Matt Chapman.
Laureano contributed with his glove. He remained in Oakland's lineup while Major League Baseball mulls his appeal of a six-game suspension that he received after being involved in a benches-clearing brawl Sunday against the Houston Astros.
Laureano made a sliding catch to rob Jo Adell of a single in the fifth and then made leaping grabs at the wall to rob Tommy La Stella and Brian Goodwin of extra-base hits.
Chris Bassitt (2-0) went 5 2/3 innings en route to his third straight win against the Angels. The right-hander came in with only two earned runs allowed in 16 2/3 innings but gave up four runs on five hits while striking out four.
Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon hit solo homers for the Angels, who went deep 10 times in the three-game series. Los Angeles came into the game tied with San Diego for most homers in the majors with 20.
Olson opened the scoring three batters into the game with a 454-foot blast into the elevated stands in right-center. Trout evened it in the bottom of the first when he put Bassitt's sinker over the wall in right-center.
Grossman made it 3-1 in the second with a two-run shot to right-center but Los Angeles evened it in the third on La Stella's RBI single and a sacrifice fly by Trout.
Piscotty then gave the Athletics the lead for good when he drove Canning's curveball down the left-field line. Oakland added a run in the fifth on Chapman's RBI double and broke it open with three in the eighth.
Canning allowed four runs on six hits and struck out two. All four of his home runs allowed this season have been from Oakland.
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