Athletics break loose early, withstand onslaught of solo homers vs. Angels

The Athletics gave up seven home runs Thursday against the Los Angeles Angels and won anyway.

By doing their damage with runners on base early, the Athletics were able to hold on as starter Paul Blackburn gave up four solo home runs and three relievers gave up one each in an 8-7 road win. The Angels had held the A’s to 18 runs in their nine previous games.

“Today was a little different than baseball games I’ve been a part of,” Athletics manager Mark Kotsay told reporters. “It’s a very interesting boxscore. I’m just happy our eight held up and we were able to get the `W’ ”

It was only the sixth time a team has hit seven home runs and lost the game and the most the Angels have ever had in a game and lost. According to MLB.com, it was the first time since 1900 that a team hit seven solo home runs and didn’t score any other runs.

“It was kind of crazy,” Blackburn said. “I’ve never seen anything like that. But I’ll take a series win any day.”

The A’s, who were 14-12 in July and are 9-5 since the All-Star break, improved to 41-66 and are 5-3-1 in their last nine series after taking two of three from the Angels.

Los Angeles fell to 44-61 despite the home runs.

“The goal is to win the game and score more runs,” Kotsay said. “Solo home runs are nice, but they don’t necessarily always help you win games.”

Blackburn (7-6) labored through 92 pitches with 59 strikes in five innings and never retired the side in order. He gave up solo home runs in each of the first four innings to Shohei Ohtani (his 23rd), Kurt Suzuki (his third), Taylor Ward (his 14th) and Jo Adell (his fourth).

Jared Walsh went solo against Sam Moll for the Angels, his 14th, and Ohtani added No. 24 in the seventh with a home run against Kirby Snead with no one aboard. Mickey Moniak hit his first home run against closer Zach Jackson in the bottom of the ninth with one out. A.J. Puk relieved Jackson with two out in the ninth to retire Ohtani on a one-pitch pop-up for his third save.

The Athletics broke loose for six runs in the third against the Angels’ Janson Junk (1-1) with five hits and four walks, two of which scored.

Trailing 2-0, Ramon Laureano hit a two-run double off the third base bag, followed by another two-run double to left center from Sean Murphy. Brown’s two-run home run, his 16th chased Junk from the game.

Laureano connected for a two-run home run against Touki Toussaint in the fourth, his 12th of the season.

Toussaint and two relievers then stopped the A’s scoring at eight runs.

“We had a big inning, got a couple more, then Touki kind of settled in,” Kotsay said. “But I was happy with the offense.”

CRUSHED IT ????@ramonlaureano22 | #DrumTogether pic.twitter.com/j31ldYiwPy

— Oakland A’s (@Athletics) August 4, 2022

BROWN ON A TEAR

Brown is hitting .389 (14-for-36) in 11 games since the All-Star break and has four home runs in his last five games since coming off the paternity list. In the 15 games going into the break, Brown hit .158 (9-for-57).

“For me, it’s just having a little more of a calm load, trying to lock in a zone, sticking with it and seeing it through,” Brown told NBC Sports California. “Just trying to be smooth with my swing.”