LA Angels get another strong performance from Canning win late

For seven innings the LA Angels seemed to be in control of the rubber game of their three-game series against a hot Oakland A’s team, but then things got crazy late.

LA Angels top pitching prospect Griffin Canning turned in another stellar pitching performance on Wednesday afternoon to help the Angels take a 5-1 lead into the seventh.  Unfortunately the Angels bullpen could not come through like they did last night as they twice blew two run leads in both the eighth and ninth, but a five-run 11th inning gave the Angels a 12-7 victory and their second straight series victory over a division opponent.

The Angels will now travel to Seattle for a four-game series against the Mariners before traveling to Chicago for a make-up game against the Cubs on Monday.

On Wednesday afternoon the Angel bats came alive early and often and were led by a relatively unknown source; Cesar Puello.  Puello went three for six with two runs scored and drove in four runs.  Puello was just called up Tuesday to replace Zack Cozart on the roster as he went on the IL again with shoulder issues.

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Puello started things off in the first with a two-run single that drove in Tommy La Stella and Shohei Ohtani. It was another two-out RBI that was so important on Tuesday. The Angels scored in the 5th inning on a two-out RBI single by Brian Goodwin to make it 3-1.

Meanwhile Griffin Canning was mowing the A’s down with ease going six innings allowing only three hits and one run with five strikeouts and no walks. Puello came through with another big hit driving a two-run homer to left in the top of the seventh to make it 5-1.

Los Angeles Angels  @Angels the Angels official twitter put this video together of Cesar Puello’s day in Oakland.

The bullpen which was so outstanding on Tuesday night could not follow it up on Wednesday giving up four runs over the next two innings to let the A’s tie the game up. The Angels again came through with a ninth inning rally again with two outs.  Luis Rengifo drove in Brian Goodwin to give the Angels a 6-5 lead and Jared Walsh extended the lead to 7-5 with another two-out RBI single to drive in Rengifo.

This time Hansel Robles who closed out Tuesday night’s game gave up two runs in the 9th to let the A’s again tie the score at 7. The Angels would not give up as Noe Ramirez sent the A’s down in the 10th.

In the top of the 11th the Angels scored five times with Puello again being a part of this rally. He led off the inning with a hit by pitch and came around to score on a Rengifo sacrifice bunt attempt that was thrown away by the A’s Matt Olson. Brian Goodwin would then score on a passed ball to make it 9-7. Tommy La Stella drove in Rengifo with an RBI single and then Lucroy would drive in the final two runs with another two-out hit, an RBI single to center that plated Jared Walsh and David Fletcher to make it 12-7.

Ramirez would then pitch a flawless 11th inning to close out the Angels victory. The biggest thing about the Angels victory was the fact that Mike Trout was not part of it. Trout sat Wednesday’s game out due to a sore right foot that he injured in Tuesday night’s victory when he fouled a pitch off of his foot. Trout is believed to be looking to play again Thursday in Seattle.

After scoring all six runs Tuesday night with two outs, they plated sevenof their 12 runs Wednesday with two out RBIs.

Kole Calhoun summed it up best with his post-game comments on the Angels marathon victory.  “It’s kind of a bend don’t break. No one ever gave up. We kept having some good at-bats, putting together some nice little rallies,” Calhoun said. “It’s Just nice to compete and see some of that paying off.”

The Angels will try to keep it rolling on Thursday as they send Felix Pena to the mound against the Mariners without an opener this time. It will be interesting.