OAKLAND – The booms, cracks and thuds echoing around the Oakland Coliseum weren’t Independence Day fireworks going off in the East Bay.
It was the sound of JP Sears’ diverse arsenal of pitches missing Angels’ bats and burying themselves into catcher Kyle McCann’s glove during the A’s 5-0 victory over Los Angeles.
Along with a locked-in bullpen, Oakland’s pitching staff again kept Angels’ bats quiet on the Fourth of July.
With Oakland attempting to close out its first sweep since the club beat Miami in three straight in early May, the left-hander Sears was seeking his first victory since May 25.
After rookie Joey Estes had electrified the Coliseum crowd the night before by throwing a complete game shutout, Sears kept the scoreless streak going, throwing five scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out six in front of 11,956. The third-year pitcher improved to 5-7.
“I think the energy is contagious, and that you just want to do what the guy before you did,” Sears said.
His day started smoothly, retiring the first six batters of the game. But the 28-year-old had to work his way out of a third-inning bases-loaded jam, inducing a popup to J.J Bleday in center field to end a stressful frame.
“Today was all about the execution of my fastball,” Sears said. “I just felt really good with it.”
The A’s, wearing special red, white and blue July 4th hats, fared far better when they got two runners on against Angels starter Roansy Contreras with top hitters Miguel Andujar and Brent Rooker up to bat in the bottom of the inning.
“He’s a middle of the order bat for us and his at-bats have been great,” manager Mark Kotsay said about Rooker. “The improvements we’ve seen from last year to this year in terms of the batting average and continuing to get on base (makes him) be a force and someone who is really leading this offense.”
Andujar plopped a soft single to left to drive in one, and possible All-Star Rooker singled through that same side of the infield to get another across for his 50th RBI of the season. Tyler Soderstrom capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly to center.
The Angels brought in former Giants pitcher Hunter Strickland after that, ending Contreras’ day after 2 ⅔ innings and with the visitors facing a 3-0 deficit.
The A’s tacked on another run in the sixth when shortstop Max Schuemann sacrifice bunted in a run, and initially appeared to beat out the throw to first. The decision was reversed after umpires consulted the replay booth.
Laurence Butler punctuated the victory in the eighth with his fourth home run of the season, and second of the series.
Keeping the winning streak alive will be a tall task considering Oakland’s next opponent.
The A’s will go from playing a bottom-feeder to hosting perhaps the American League’s most-talented team in the Baltimore Orioles and their endless treasure chest of young talent. It will be the A’s final home series before the All Star break.
Hogan Harris (1-2, .3.18 ERA) is expected to get the start for the A’s, and should face Albert Suarez (4-2, 2.43).
Longtime A’s coach Aldrete stepping away
Oakland’s hitting coach Mike Aldrete is stepping away from the team as his wife Gina begins treatment for multiple myeloma at UCSF. The San Francisco Chronicle first reported the news.
The 63-year-old Aldrete was drafted by the Giants out of Stanford, playing three years in San Francisco to begin his 10-year MLB career. He also spent another two and a half seasons in Oakland. The Salinas native has been on the A’s staff since 2015.
