Anaheim, California – Mike Trout is beginning to believe there might be something to the notion of having added power after the birth of a child.
The reigning AL MVP has certainly been on a tear since son Beckham was born. Trout homered twice Monday night, including a tiebreaking shot in the eighth inning, as the Los Angeles Angels rallied from an early five-run deficit for a 10-9 victory that snapped the Oakland athletics’ nine-game winning streak.
« People ask me about this Dad power. I guess it is a thing,” Trout said. « There’s nothing like being a Dad.”
With three hits in the series opener, Trout is 11 for 30 with six home runs and 11 RBIs in the past seven games. He rejoined the team in Seattle on Aug. 4 after his wife, Jessica, gave birth to Beckham on July 30.
« I am a little more relaxed. Leading up to it I was extremely worried about the coronavirus,” Trout said. « I didn’t want to have it and come home. But we have been keeping it safe in the Trouthold and everyone in the organization has been doing a good job.”
Anthony Rendon and Shohei Ohtani also homered for the Angels.
Trout’s solo drive off Yusmeiro Petit (1-1) in the eighth helped Los Angeles stop a three-game skid. It was the 20th multihomer game of Trout’s career, which tied Tim Salmon and Vladimir Guerrero for the franchise record.
« We had a rough weekend. We weren’t doing our jobs when we had our chances, » Trout said. « But this is a new homestand and we got a huge win against an Oakland team that was coming in hot.”
Los Angeles trailed 9-4 in the fourth before Trout began the rally with a two-run drive into the Angels’ bullpen in left field. Ohtani had an RBI double in the inning to bring them to 9-7 and then tied it with a two-run homer to center in the sixth.
It was Ohtani’s 44th career home run, which tied Tadahito Iguchi for fourth in the majors by a Japanese-born player.
The Angels’ bullpen, which has struggled this season, allowed only two hits over the final five innings.
Noe Ramirez, Keynan Middleton, Felix Peña (1-0) and Ty Buttrey held Oakland scoreless. Buttrey earned his second save.
« They struggled early in the season, but hopefully the issue has resolved itself,” manager Joe Maddon said. « Normally it takes a month to get a bullpen in order and we are trying to do it more quickly.”
Matt Chapman homered twice and tied a career high with six RBIs for AL West-leading Oakland.
After the Angels got three runs in the first, Chapman put Oakland on the board as he lined Julio Teheran’s fastball over the wall in left-center leading off the second. Chapman gave Oakland a 5-3 lead an inning later with a two-run drive to center for the fifth multihomer game of his career.
Chapman’s bases-loaded triple in the fourth extended the athletics’ lead to 8-4. But after Chapman scored when Mark Canha’s shallow fly to left popped out of Justin Upton’s glove, the A’s managed only two hits over the final five innings.
« We had a couple of bad pitches, plus pretty good hitting lineup on their part, too,” Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. « Our guys have been pretty good this season and it was just a tough night. Tonight was an offensive night and hitters got their due. For a bullpen that’s been as good as we have been, we just gave up some runs tonight.”
Rays 8, Red Sox 7
In Boston, Kevin Kiermaier hit a tiebreaking, two-run double in the seventh inning, Manuel Margot had four hits and Tampa Bay beat Boston.
Kiermaier’s opposite-field line drive off reliever Jeffrey Springs (0-1) rolled all the way to the wall in left-center field. Yoshi Tsutsugo and Margot scored after both singled to start the inning. Kiermaier had three RBIs.
Tampa Bay has won four of five after taking three of four against the New York Yankees at home prior to this season-high 10-game road trip.
Padres 2, Dodgers 1
In Los Angeles, Eric Hosmer singled in the go-ahead run with two outs in the sixth inning, and the San Diego Padres beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 in the series opener Monday night.
Joc Pederson bobbled the ball on Hosmer’s hit to left and couldn’t attempt a throw as Trent Grisham scored from second after Dustin May (1-1) walked him, giving the Padres a 2-1 lead.
Austin Hedges homered with two outs in the fifth to tie it at 1. It was Hedges’ third hit and first homer of the season and only the second home run given up by May.
Nationals 16, Mets 4
In New York, Asdrubal Cabrera went 4 for 4 with two homers, two doubles and five RBIs, tormenting his former team again as Washington routed New York.
Juan Soto and Trea Turner homered in the third inning for the Nationals, who scored just 11 runs in their previous five games.
Cabrera, who played in 374 games for the Mets from 2016-18, became the first player to go 4 for 4 with four extra-base hits against a former team since Johnny Cooney of the Brooklyn Dodgers did it versus the Boston Bees in 1937, according to STATS. Cabrera is batting.452 with three homers and 11 RBIs in eight games against New York since Washington signed him last August.
Phillies 13, Braves 8
Astros 6, Giants 4
Twins 4, Brewers 2
Diamondbacks 12, Rockies 8
Tigers 5, White Sox 1
Mariners 10, Rangers 2
Source : Baseball – The Japan Times