Langeliers’ bases-loaded walk sends A’s past Angels, 2-1
Oct 4, 2022, 9:55 AM | Updated: 10:38 pm
Los Angeles Angels' Shohei Ohtani walks to the dugout after striking out against the Oakland Athletics during the eighth inning of a baseball game in Oakland, Calif., Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
(AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Shea Langeliers drew a bases-loaded walk in the 10th inning, sending the Oakland Athletics past the Los Angeles Angels 2-1 on Tuesday night.
“Those are the moments you practice for right there,” Langeliers said. “All the hard work you do goes in, and it shows up when you need it right there.”
A.J. Puk (4-3) pitched a scoreless 10th for the victory.
Ryan Tepera (5-4) pitched the ninth before faltering in the 10th. Tony Kemp reached on a grounder and Sean Murphy singled. Tepera intentionally walked Seth Brown to bring up the rookie Langeliers.
A’s left-hander Cole Irvin and Angels starter Michael Lorenzen dueled through six scoreless innings before the bullpens took over.
Brown broke up the scoreless game with an RBI single in the eighth after Kemp started the rally with a leadoff double against Andrew Wantz.
Oakland made it a special night for retiring catcher Kurt Suzuki, who caught one pitch for the Angels before manager Phil Nevin sent him out in style.
“Framed that pitch like a champ,” Suzuki cracked with a smile afterward.
Nevin came out to the mound and ceremoniously replaced him, allowing Suzuki to hug all his teammates then tip his cap and wave in all directions as he walked off to cheers from his former Oakland home crowd in likely his final appearance.
“That was a pretty special moment, walked onto the field for the last time, caught my last pitch,” Suzuki said. “Kind of crazy. It hasn’t really set in yet. … It’s just been a whirlwind few days at home then yesterday and today. It’s kind of crazy I have one more game ever to put on a uniform for anything.”
Tyler Cyr allowed a single to Mike Trout in the eighth but struck out two, including Shohei Ohtani — who was set to make his final start Wednesday.
Trout also doubled to lead off the sixth inning, but that was squandered by the Angels, who had their seven-game winning streak snapped in Monday’s 5-4 loss to the last-place A’s.
“Things may go awry, but you have to keep your composure, and we saw that tonight,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “We tried several ways, different ways, to give the game away in that ninth inning. We got sloppy defensively.”
Domingo Acevedo blew the save after giving up a leadoff single to Liván Soto, who then advanced to third on errant throws from left fielder Brown and Acevedo. Matt Duffy then hit an RBI single to tie it.
“They kind of handed us that run to tie the game, but we had our chances before that certainly,” Nevin said.
SUZUKI HONORED
Suzuki’s former club honored him in a ceremony ahead of the likely final start of his career. Draped in leis, Suzuki received a commemorative home plate and a bottle of wine from Kotsay and general manager David Forst.
Suzuki, who started and also celebrated his 39th birthday, is retiring after 16 major league seasons. Oakland’s second-round draft pick out of Cal State Fullerton in 2004, Suzuki spent 2007 through part of 2012 with the A’s, then returned for a second stint in Oakland in ’13.
“This is where I started,” he said.
ANOTHER RETIRING CATCHER
Veteran catcher Stephen Vogt is scheduled to start Wednesday’s season finale in his on-field goodbye before pursuing a coaching career. Vogt, a World Series champion with the Braves last year and a two-time All-Star with the A’s, will head into retirement after a 10-year career.
Suzuki couldn’t wait to watch it — he and Vogt played together on the A’s and remain close friends.
“Everything that is going to happen for him tomorrow is well-deserved, one of the best teammates I’ve ever had,” Suzuki said.
Vogt had a large crew of family and friends already in town Tuesday night and was still working to accommodate ticket requests for his Wednesday.
He struck out as a pinch-hitter in the ninth.
UP NEXT
Angels RHP Ohtani (15-8, 2.35 ERA) takes the mound on the last day of the season needing one inning pitched to become the first player to qualify as a league leader for both hitter and pitcher. It will be his fourth start vs. the A’s this year.
Oakland counters with LHP Ken Waldichuk (1-2, 6.18), who struck out a career-high eight batters in his previous start Sept. 30 in Seattle.
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