Taylor Ward grand slam powers red-hot Angels to sweep of A’s for 7th straight win
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WEST SACRAMENTO — Taylor Ward hit a go-ahead grand slam, Logan O’Hoppe also homered in a five-run seventh inning and the Angels rallied past the skidding Athletics 10-5 on Thursday for their seventh consecutive victory.
Ward and O’Hoppe both connected off reliever Grant Holman (4-1), sending the A’s to their ninth loss in a row. O’Hoppe had four homers in the series.
It was the second go-ahead slam in 10 days for Ward, who finished with three hits and five RBIs. He has an extra-base hit in eight straight games — one shy of the club record set by Darin Erstad in 1998.
The Boston Red Sox acquired first baseman Ryan Noda from the Angels on in a deal for cash. Noda had been designated for assignment by the Angels.
Ward has 17 RBIs in his last 10 games. He and O’Hoppe each have 14 homers this season. Zach Neto also had three of the Angels’ 13 hits.
The Angels (24-25) swept a four-game series from the Athletics on the road for the first time in 28 years. It’s only their third seven-game win streak in the last 10 seasons.
Kevin Newman had an RBI single to cap a three-run ninth. Hunter Strickland (1-0) retired four batters for the win.
Brent Rooker homered early off Angels starter Tyler Anderson. The Athletics (22-29) opened a 5-2 lead in the fifth and nearly got more, but the Angels threw out a runner at the plate on a relay from Ward to Neto to O’Hoppe.
A’s right-hander Luis Severino yielded two runs in six innings. He struck out five and needs one more to reach 1,000 for his career.
Key moment: Ward’s slam was the sixth of his career. He hit his fifth on May 12 — a two-out shot in the ninth inning for a 9-5 win at San Diego.
Key stats: The Angels have hit multiple home runs in six consecutive games for the third time in franchise history (also 1961 and 2019). ... Anderson allowed five runs in 4 2/3 innings and became the first Angels pitcher to walk six batters without a strikeout since Omar Olivares against the Yankees in May 1999.
Up next: Angels LHP Yusei Kikuchi (0-4, 3.50 ERA) starts Friday against RHP Sandy Alcantara (2-6, 7.99) and the visiting Marlins.
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