Max Schuemann hit a three-run home run, while JJ Bleday and Shea Langeliers each contributed with two-run homers as the Oakland Athletics defeated the Los Angeles Angels 13-3 on Friday night. However, the A’s lost Jacob Wilson to a left hamstring strain during his major league debut.
Schuemann, who had a strong July with a .351 batting average coming into the game, extended the A’s lead to 6-2 in the fourth inning with his homer. He later added an RBI double in the sixth inning. Oakland had a big sixth inning, scoring seven runs highlighted by homers from Bleday and Langeliers.
The A’s, who scored 18 runs in their game before the All-Star break, have now scored double-digit runs in their last two games, marking the highest run total over a two-game span by any team this season.
Manager Mark Kotsay credited the team’s hitting prowess, emphasizing how their power hitters feed off each other and capitalize on their locked-in form.
Pitcher JP Sears (7-7) pitched into the sixth inning, allowing two earned runs on solo homers by Zach Neto and Nolan Schanuel. Sears noted that younger players on the team are gaining confidence and it’s reflected in their quality at-bats.
Jacob Wilson, the A’s first-round pick in 2023 and a top prospect had to leave the game after straining his hamstring while scoring on Lawrence Butler’s two-run triple in the third inning.
Wilson, visibly disappointed, had just singled in his first major league at-bat and had been performing well with a batting average over .400 in the minors earlier in the season.
Reflecting on the unfortunate injury, Wilson expressed mixed emotions, describing the moment of getting his first hit as a high point in his life.
He emphasized the importance of caution in coming out of the game early due to the injury, acknowledging that the first hit in his MLB debut will be a cherished memory forever.
