OAKLAND, Calif.—Kevin Pillar hit a two-run double in the eighth inning as the Los Angeles Angels rallied late to defeat the Oakland Athletics 8–5 on Sunday.
It was the Angels’ final scheduled visit to the Coliseum, with the A’s set to leave Oakland for a temporary home in Sacramento, Calif., beginning next season.
Logan O'Hoppe singled to start the decisive inning against the A’s bullpen. Pinch-hitter Nolan Schanuel had an RBI single, and Jo Adell drew a bases-loaded walk from Lucas Erceg (2–3) as the Angels came back to snap a franchise-long, eight-game losing streak at the Coliseum that dated to early last season.
An announced crowd of 10,380 was on hand where the Angels clinched the 2004 and ’05 American League West crowns. The A’s relocation to Sacramento is for at least the next three years, ahead of their planned move to Las Vegas for what they hope is the start of the 2028 season.
“There’s so much that has been going on in this place. I’m going to certainly miss it as a guy that’s been a coach here, as a guy that watched a lot of young players grow here, and now as a guy that came back and managed here,” said Ron Washington, the longtime A’s third base and infield coach who is now managing the Angels. “The crowd is still the same. The people here still love the Oakland A’s, and it’s just a sad thing that things are about to change. In life, there are changes.”
Luis García (4–1) pitched the eighth for the win, then Carlos Estévez finished for his 18th save.
The Angels went 193–260 at the Coliseum since the A’s moved to Oakland in 1968.
“It was great, and I’m going to miss this place, but I’m glad I got a victory here,” Washington said.
He received the ball from the final out from Pillar, who knew what that souvenir would mean to the veteran manager, given all his years in Oakland.
“We fell behind. We had to fight to come back, and we did what we had to do to make it happen, and that’s what it’s all about,” Washington said. “I hope the win today gets us back on track, because we hadn’t been able to score runs the first two games here.”
Miguel Andujar hit a go-ahead home run in the fifth for the A’s, who had rookie right-hander Joey Estes in strong position to win back-to-back starts for the first time all year. He struck out four and walked two, allowing two earned runs on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings as the A’s had their three-game winning streak snapped.
JJ Bleday and Brent Rooker hit consecutive two-out RBI doubles in the third inning, when Lawrence Butler also doubled to get things going for the A’s.
The Angels got one back with Brandon Drury’s sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth, then tied it on a home run by Mickey Moniak in the fifth.
Andujar’s fourth homer of the year chased Angels right-hander Carson Fulmer, who gave way to Hunter Strickland.
