Taylor Ward belted a grand slam as the Los Angeles Angels bounced back from a walk-off defeat earlier in the day to thump the host Oakland Athletics 9-1 in the nightcap of a doubleheader Saturday.
Shohei Ohtani added a two-run home run for the Angels.
Luis Barrera belted a walk-off, three-run home run in the ninth inning that gave the A’s a stunning 4-3 win in the opener.
Seeking a sweep of the twin bill, the A’s jumped on Angels starter Michael Lorenzen (4-2) for a first-inning run on a Tony Kemp double, Sheldon Neuse single and double-play groundout.
But the Angels responded immediately to take the lead for good when a Jared Walsh double helped load the bases with no outs in the second against A’s starter Adam Oller (0-3).
Oller walked Chad Wallach to force in a run, then got the next two batters out before Ward unloaded to right-center field for his eighth homer of the season, making it 5-1.
The grand slam was Ward’s second of the season and third of his career. He also cleared the bases against Zach Plesac of the Cleveland Guardians on April 27.
Ohtani’s homer, his seventh of the year, came following back-to-back doubles by Ward and Mike Trout in the fifth, increasing the Los Angeles lead to 8-1.
Oller was pulled after five innings, having allowed eight runs and six hits. He walked three and struck out three.
Ward also had a hand in the Angels’ final run of the night when he completed a 3-for-3, five-RBI effort with a run-scoring single in the sixth.
Lorenzen went seven innings, charged with one run on five hits. He walked one and struck out three.
Game 1 hero Barrera went 2-for-2 with a pair of singles and a walk in the nightcap to join teammate Jed Lowrie and Ward as the only players in the game with multiple hits.
Kemp’s leadoff double and Christian Bethancourt’s eighth-inning two-bagger were Oakland’s only extra-base hits.
The Angels outhit the A’s 9-7.
–Field Level Media
