Taylor Ward hit a decisive grand slam and Logan O’Hoppe added a home run during a five-run seventh inning, powering the Los Angeles Angels to a 10-5 comeback win over the slumping Oakland Athletics on Thursday. The victory marked the Angels’ seventh in a row.
Ward and O’Hoppe each went deep off A’s reliever Grant Holman (4-1), handing Oakland its ninth straight defeat. O’Hoppe homered four times during the four-game sweep.
Ward’s slam — his sixth career grand slam and second in the last 10 days — highlighted a three-hit, five-RBI night. He now has extra-base hits in eight consecutive games, one shy of Darin Erstad’s 1998 club record, and has driven in 17 runs over his past 10 games. Both Ward and O’Hoppe are up to 14 home runs on the season.
Zach Neto chipped in with three of the Angels’ 13 hits.
Los Angeles (24-25) completed its first four-game road sweep of the A’s since 1996 and secured just its third seven-game winning streak in the last decade.
Kevin Newman added an RBI single to punctuate a three-run ninth, and Hunter Strickland (1-0) picked up the win after recording four outs in relief.
Brent Rooker hit an early homer off Angels starter Tyler Anderson, and Oakland (22-29) jumped out to a 5-2 lead in the fifth. However, the Angels prevented further damage with a clutch relay throw from Ward to Neto to O’Hoppe that nailed a runner at the plate.
A’s starter Luis Severino allowed two runs over six innings and struck out five. He’s now one strikeout shy of 1,000 for his career.
Key Moment
Ward’s seventh-inning grand slam turned a 5-4 deficit into an 8-5 lead. It was his second go-ahead slam this month — the previous coming on May 12 in a ninth-inning rally at San Diego.
Key Stats
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The Angels have hit multiple home runs in six straight games, tying a franchise streak last matched in 2019.
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Anderson gave up five runs in 4 2/3 innings, walking six without a strikeout — the first Angels pitcher to do so since Omar Olivares in 1999.
Up Next
LHP Yusei Kikuchi (0-4, 3.50 ERA) will start Friday for the Angels as they host the Miami Marlins. RHP Sandy Alcantara (2-6, 7.99 ERA) gets the nod for Miami.
