Swingin’ A’s blow out Angels once again, take series with game to spare

OAKLAND — Mason Miller said before Saturday’s A’s game against the Los Angeles Angels that he’d love to have a teammate with him at the MLB All-Star Game next year.

The way the Athletics have been swinging the bats on both sides of this year’s All-Star break, there may be multiple hitters joining Miller in 2025. His pick to represent the A’s in a future Home Run Derby, Brent Rooker, got Oakland going with a towering three-run shot to left in the first inning, and the A’s routed the Angels 8-2 in front of 14,574 fans at the Oakland Coliseum.

The A’s have now scored 39 runs in their last three games and won back-to-back series, including taking two of three from the MLB-leading Philadelphia Phillies before the break.

Rooker’s 445-foot three-run shot in the first plated Miguel Andujar and JJ Bleday, who singled and doubled to get on base, respectively. And after the Angels responded with a run in the third, the A’s tripled the deficit in the fourth.

Max Schuemann walked with the bases loaded, scoring Rooker, then Lawrence Butler doubled home Kyle McCann, Brett Harris and Schuemann to make it 7-1.

The Angels chased A’s starter Mitch Spence from the contest in the sixth inning, as Spence couldn’t escape a jam. Spence left runners on second and third for left-handed reliever Scott Alexander, who retired Kevin Pillar and Jo Adell to end the threat in the sixth.

Spence’s Houdini act stranded runners on third base in three of his five completed innings, and he finished with just two runs allowed in 5 1/3 innings pitched to pick up the win.

The Athletics added on with Andujar’s single in the seventh, which scored Schuemann for the second time.

On a day where the A’s gave out bobbleheads of legendary slugger Jose Canseco, Oakland put on an offensive display that did the former Bash Brother proud.