Los Angeles @ Athletics preview
Sutter Health Park
Last Meeting ( Mar 14, 2025 ) LA Angels 1, Athletics 12
The Los Angeles Angels will be brimming with confidence when they open a four-game series against the Athletics on Monday night at West Sacramento, Calif.
The Angels scored 23 runs during a three-game weekend sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers. It marked the Angels' first three-game sweep at Dodger Stadium since 2010.
Travis d'Arnaud hit the tiebreaking solo homer in the eighth inning of Sunday's 6-4 win over the Dodgers. He said the victory was pivotal for a team that was eight games below .500 prior to the start of the series.
"That's huge for us," D'Arnaud said. "It shows we can beat anybody, we can compete with anybody. I think for us moving forward, that's very important."
The Angels still are in last place in the American League West. But they now sit just one game behind the Athletics, who have lost five straight games after losing three in a row to the host San Francisco Giants.
Angels manager Ron Washington wants his squad to ride the sudden burst of momentum.
"It means a lot when you sweep any team, not just the Dodgers, but what happened out there these past three days, all the credit goes to those players, who played very well," Washington said. "This weekend we played real good baseball. And now, we have to take that up to Sacramento."
Zach Neto and Tanner Ward also homered for the Angels on Sunday. Ward leads Los Angeles with 12 homers and 25 RBIs. Logan O'Hoppe is second in both categories with 10 and 23, respectively.
The Athletics are struggling with nine setbacks in 11 games after being a solid four games over prior to the slide.
The Athletics have been outscored 41-8 during the five-game skid, beginning with the final two contests of a road stop against the Dodgers prior to the three setbacks in San Francisco.
After falling 9-1 to the Giants in Friday's opener, the Athletics dropped a 1-0 decision in 10 innings and had a 3-2 setback on Sunday.
The Athletics had just three runs and 14 hits during the three games with five extra-base hits (all doubles). They left 21 runners on base and were 3-for-24 with runners in scoring positions.
"Our offense is still learning how to do this," Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said. "It's a young group. The most experienced guy in the lineup is (Brent Rooker). Offensively, we got off to a great start (this season) and we've hit a bump in the road right now."
Right-hander Jose Soriano (2-4, 3.46 ERA) will look to halt a six-start winless stretch on Monday when he takes the mound for the Angels.
Soriano beat the Tampa Bay Rays on April 10 and then lost his next three starts before receiving three straight no-decisions.
The most recent of those was last Tuesday against the San Diego Padres when he left after seven innings with a 4-2 lead. But the bullpen blew the advantage in an eventual 6-4 loss. Both runs Soriano allowed were unearned. He gave up four hits.
Soriano, 26, is 0-2 with a 13.50 ERA in four career appearances (two starts) against the Athletics. Shea Langeliers (3-for-4), Rooker (3-for-5) and Lawrence Butler (2-for-5) each have homered against Soriano.
Right-hander JT Ginn (1-1, 4.61) is slated to come off the 15-day injured list Monday to make the start for the Athletics.
Ginn made three starts for the Athletics in April before going on the shelf due to right elbow inflammation. Ginn made three rehab starts at Triple-A Las Vegas and went 1-0 with a 1.26 ERA and 24 strikeouts in just 14 1/3 innings.
Ginn, who turns 26 on Tuesday, has yet to face the Angels in his career.
--Field Level Media