Moniak’s grand slam the big blow as Athletics lose to Angels again

Light-hitting Mickey Moniak delivered the big blow Tuesday night while the Athletics blew their chance at a big inning early and late in a 7-5 road loss to the Los Angeles Angels.

Moniak, the Angels center fielder with Mike Trout injured, hit a fourth-inning grand slam against A’s starter and loser Mitch Spence (4-4). Tyler Anderson kept giving the A’s free baserunners but didn’t pay often enough for his mistakes, made it through five innings and improved his record to 7-7.

The Athletics, 29-53, hope to avoid a series sweep Wednesday afternoon against the Angeles before departing for Arizona and have lot 14 of their last 17 games. The Angels are 32-46.

The grand slam was Moniak’s fourth home run of the season. The A’s got a home run from designated hitter Brent Rooker, his 14th. Taylor Ward hit a solo shot off Sean Newcomb in the seventh, his 15th of the season and second homer in two nights.

The A’s scored twice in the eighth against Jose Marte to get within 7-5, with Armando Alvarez bringing a run with a bloop single, which came immediately after a bloop single by Gelof. It brought home Shea Langeliers, who reached on Luis Rengifo’s error at third base.

Pinch-hitter Lawrence Butler hit the ball solidly to center, but Moniak chased it down for a sacrifice fly and the rally ended there when Ben Joyce got JJ Bleday to ground into a double play.

Carlos Estevez picked up his 14th save for the Angels, giving up just a two-out single to Tyler Soderstrom and striking out two.

The Angels chased Spence in the sixth inning after he walked Moniak, who went to second on a wild pitch and scored on a double by Jo Addel to put the A’s behind 6-3.

“The inning that he gave up five there were a lot of mistakes,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay told reporters. “The lefties seemed to have a good game plan against him tonight, Outside of that inning, I thought he did a good job.”

Anderson was gone after five innings in favor of Hunter Strickland after throwing 109 pitches, 62 of them strikes, with five walks and a pair of strikeouts.

“We let him off the hook,” Kotsay said. “Credit to him and the year he’s having.”

Rooker’s home run against Anderson was a no-doubter that left the bat at 107.2 miles per our down the left field line and traveled 418 feet, bringing the A’s within 5-3. It was his first home run in 11 games, dating back to June 9 against Toronto.

Rook absolutely crushed it pic.twitter.com/cFKxc02pYP

— Oakland A's (@Athletics) June 26, 2024

Moniak’s first career grand slam was the key blow in a five-run fourth after Spence had breezed through the first three innings.

Ward doubled to open the inning and was singled to third by Willie Calhoun. O’Hoppe singled to center to bring in the Angels’ first run, and Spence hit Zach Neto on a bunt attempt to load the bases.

That brought up Moniak, who came in hitting .193 but deposited a 1-1 pitch over the fence in the right for a 5-2 lead.

took the lead in GRAND fashion #RepTheHalo pic.twitter.com/9nmhuk55iZ

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) June 26, 2024

The Athletics had Anderson on the ropes in the third inning, scoring on an RBI bloop single by JJ Bleday and on a bases loaded walk to Tyler Nevin, but it was a 2-0 that could have been more.

Alvarez, the 29-year-old rookie who was called up Saturday, opened the inning with a double to right and was followed by a walk to Max Schuemann. Daz Cameron struck out before Bleday hit a dunker to center to bring in Alvarez, with Bleday getting thrown out trying to reach second with Schuemann going to third.

After seven years and 800 games in the minors, Alvarez finished 3-for-4 with his first hit and RBI.

“It was awesome,” Alvarez said. “It put me on a cloud. I was floating on a cloud running the bases.”

Alvarez said he was giving the ball from his first hit to his father, who was in attendance.

Anderson then walked Miguel Andujar and Rooker to load the bases and hit Nevin to force in a run. The hope for a bigger inning ended when Langeliers hit a first-pitch grounder to short for the third out.

By the end of the inning, Anderson had thrown 69 pitches with four walks and hit batter and was fortunate to have given up just two runs.

Spence, by contrast, used just 35 pitches with no walks and two strikeouts while blanking the Angels over the same span.

NOTABLE

— The A’s missed a chance to add a run in the fourth when Cameron’s drive to right center was ruled to have hit netting and a ground rule double. Alvarez, who had singled with one out, would have scored easily on the play and was sent back to third. Anderson then got Bleday on a fly to right.