A's Swept by Angels and Looking For Answers

Angels Soaring

The Los Angeles Angels arrived to West Sacramento in great form after a sweep against their crosstown rivals, Los Angeles Dodgers. They kept that same mindset to face the A's, swinging for the fences and pairing it with solid pitching.

At Sutter Health Park, that is a winning formula. Their starting pitching, unlike the A's this series, was able to deliver in high pressure/leverage situations, and hold down the lead when it mattered the most, leaving the A's still looking for that big hit that will help them break their nine-game losing steak.

Flavor of the Week: Rocky Road

In Wednesday night's matchup, JP Sears got off to a rocky start. He went five innings and gave up six runs on eight hits. The four homers he gave up were a career high. Although the A's took the lead 3-2, they weren't able to hold on to it very long. It seemed imminent this would not be the night their losing streak would end.

The A's also weren't able to take advantage of the walks (five total) from Angels starter Jack Kochanowicz. They left the bases loaded in the 1st inning, and had a missed opportunity in the 7th with RISP, something that Mark Kotsay pointed out postgame as a key moment.

Catcher Logan O'Hoppe hit two home runs in the game, while Jo Adell and Zach Neto added on with solo shots of their own. Designated hitter Jorge Soler went 3-for-5 with three RBI. The Angels have so many pieces up and down their lineup right now that can contribute, and that stood out as a stark contrast between the two clubs this series.

Brighter Days Ahead

In Thursday's series finale, Brent Rooker broke out and had a 3-for-4 day, including a home run. Lawrence Butler also has started heating up at home, which is a great sign that he's found a "groove" at Sutter Health Park.

There was also a nice moment on Thursday with former Los Angeles Dodgers prospect Carlos Duran making his MLB debut with the A's. Although it wasn't a great outing, he was able to get his first one out of the way and can focus on what he can improve upon for his next appearance.

Perhaps the longer series and homestands are allowing the players to become more comfortable in their routine and find their footing. Nick Kurtz has become fast friends with the home field this series, collecting RBI in three of of the four games thus far, with three home runs. This was much to the delight of the Sacramento fans, who were loud and boisterous during his towering home runs.

Injury Woes

Gio Urshela left the game in the 6th inning with a hamstring injury. He will head to the IL and undergo an MRI, manager Mark Kotsay says. This comes at an inopportune time with the Phillies coming into town and as their offensive woes continue, as they need as many bats as possible to give them a spark.

A's shortstop Jacob Wilson was hit on left forearm with a pitch on Tuesday and left the game, but returned to action on Thursday going 2-for-5. They'll definitely need him healthy and in the lineup, bringing his energy for the Memorial Day weekend series.

The A's must turn the page and have no time to harp on the shortfalls of the last few games, because their next series is against the Philadelphia Phillies. This is yet another team on a seven-game win streak (like the Angels), and are currently leading the tough NL East.

Late on Thursday night, Jeff Passan reported the A's are calling up their No. 5 prospect, centerfielder Denzel Clarke. Clarke is hitting .286/.436/.419 at Triple-A and is excellent defensively. We'll have to wait until Friday afternoon for the team to announce the corresponding moves, but it would appear as though a roster shake-up is coming.

Come Friday evening, we may be seeing a "new look" A's against a red-hot Phillies team. First pitch is at 7:05 PDT.