Ohtani hits 2-run single as Cobb, Angels blank A's 4-0

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit a key two-run single, Alex Cobb struck out eight over seven scoreless innings to win consecutive starts for the first time this season, and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Oakland Athletics 4-0 on Saturday.

Cobb (3-2) allowed three hits and walked two facing Oakland for the first time since 2018 while with Baltimore. He improved to 5-3 over 11 career starts against the A's.

Los Angeles stopped a two-game skid after dropping the first two games of the series and snapped Oakland's three-game winning streak. Ohtani was the losing pitcher Friday night despite holding the A's to three hits in six-plus innings.

The Angels went ahead on David Fletcher's grounder in the fifth, when the Angels scored four unearned runs following one of three wild pitches by Frankie Montas. Ohtani's single made it 3-0.

Kean Wong's two-out double in the sixth chased Montas (5-5), who allowed six hits, struck out seven and walked one.

Tony Kemp got caught off second base on Matt Olson's popup for a key Angels double play in the fourth. Los Angeles turned another double play in the fifth.

The Angels are 22-8 when scoring four or more runs and avoided matching the club’s season-low at eight games below .500.

TROUT'S INFLUENCE

Angels manager Joe Maddon can't wait to get star center fielder Mike Trout back on the field.

Trout is attending the Angels home games for now as he recovers from a strained right calf that he injured last week and will keep the three-time AL MVP out six to eight weeks.

“He’s a great cheerleader. After we win he’s in the line all the time,” Maddon said. “He attends the meetings, he’s doing everything right. Our goal is to stay in the hunt somehow until he returns. Believe me, a lot of time spent mentally trying to understand how we...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Ohtani-hits-2-run-single-as-Cobb-Angels-blank-16212816.php