After last week’s breakdown of Jerry Blevins’s Great Escape, we stay in the 21st Century and continue our 25 Greatest A's Wins countdown with another classic A's v. Angels game, from August 11, 2005. Win #13 was one of the most bizarre finishes I’ve ever seen,but it’s a victory that was truly fitting and encapsulated the rivalry between the A’s and Angels at that point in time.
Some of you may be thinking, “but the A’s don’t have any real rivalries?” And that may be a valid discussion worthy of an entire (and separate) post! Most A's fans have varying levels of disdain for the San Francisco Giants, but we only play them 6 times a year at the most. It’s very difficult for the players to join in the rivalry, so it’s merely more of a fan rivalry. Not to mention, the Giants rival is the Dodgers. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, on the other hand, are our true rival. Or, at least, have been for the last decade.
For a little bit of background, the A’s had developed a solid core group of players in the early 2000s and won the AL West title in 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2006. In the 2002 season, the Angels had won the Wild Card in the same year that the A’s won 20 games in a row. Unfortunately, the A's bowed out to the Twins in the ALDS. The Angels, however, would go on from the Wild Card to win the AL Pennant and then beat the Giants in the World Series to win their first World Series title.
Ironically, the Angels made their big postseason statement to the A's and the entire MLB in the same year that they did some rebranding and had changed their colors from a baby blue color to a solid red color. What’s even more ironic is that the same year the Anaheim Ducks did similar rebranding is the same year they won their only Stanley Cup.
The Angels had players who were very easy for A’s fans to hate. Two players immediately come to mind: their closer, Francisco Rodriguez (aka K-Rod), and their longtime starting pitcher, John Lackey. They also had an annoying manager who still manages them to this day, Mike Scioscia. And with both teams being good, year in and year out, the rivalry was born.
In 2004, the rivalry really reached heated proportions, as the A’s led the AL West all the way up until the last series of the season where Mark Mulder (in his last game as an Oakland A) and the once solid reliever, Ricardo Rincon choked the division away. The Angels celebrated the division title in Oakland.
In 2004, the rivalry really reached heated proportions, as the A’s led the AL West all the way up until the last series of the season where Mark Mulder (in his last game as an Oakland A) and the once solid reliever, Ricardo Rincon choked the division away. The Angels celebrated the division title in Oakland.
The Angels were owned by Disney up until 2005, when they were bought by Arte Moreno who went onto change the name of the Angels from the “Anaheim Angels” to the “Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim” despite the small fact that the team was not actually located in LA County. It was already easy to make fun of the Angels for being owned by Disney and the gimmicks, including the Rally Monkey and thundersticks.
With the name change, A's fans were only given more ammunition to fire against the Angels.
The 2005 season was supposed to be an A’s team in transition after trading away Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder, two members of the A’s “Big 3”, who were hitting their arbitration years. The 2005 A’s starting pitching rotation’s average age would be 25-years-old with rookies like Joe Blanton and Dan Haren (who was brought over in the Mulder trade). In the bullpen, a young 21-year-old closer from the University of Texas named Huston Street showed impressive growth during the 2005 season. He’d go onto win the rookie of the year later that season.
The 2005 position players were lacking in star power, but plenty of homegrown talent made the A’s a solid team: guys like Nick Swisher, Dan Johnson, and Eric Chavez, along with veterans like Mark Kotsay, Jay Payton, and Jason Kendall.
When the sun rose on August 11, in the 2005 season, the A’s were tied with the Angels for first place. The A’s had already had quite a season. They went 12-12 in April, and had a rough month of May going 7-20, but then they became the hottest team in baseball going 19-8 in June, and 20-6 in July.
The game on August 11 would be the finale of a pivotal 3 game set that saw the A’s and Angels split the first two games. This game would be a radio only game with a 12:35 first pitch at the Coliseum. Sadly, this was one of the last games Bill King would do the play-by-play as after the season the legendary A’s radio broadcaster would pass away. The rookie, Joe Blanton would be on the mound for the A’s on August 11. For the Angels, it would be Paul Byrd. Both happened to be soft tossing righties who didn't rack up a lot of strikeouts.
It began with a quiet 1st inning. The top of the 2nd inning began with a home run from the Angels’ Dominican slugger, Vladimir Guerrero who feasted on pitchers like Joe Blanton and proved his point by belting a 2-0 pitch to left-center to give the Angels a 1-0 lead. Both pitchers would flirt with danger for the next couple of innings.
Byrd gave up 2 hits to the A’s in the bottom of the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th innings, but didn't give up any runs in that time frame. For his turn, Blanton gave up 2 hits in the top of the 3rd and 4th innings, but unlike Byrd, Blanton would pay for it in the 4th, as doubles from Maicer Izturis and Adam Kennedy, the scrappy players on the Angels, plated a run and made it 2-0 Angels. Action didn't pick up until the 7th inning.
Byrd gave up 2 hits to the A’s in the bottom of the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th innings, but didn't give up any runs in that time frame. For his turn, Blanton gave up 2 hits in the top of the 3rd and 4th innings, but unlike Byrd, Blanton would pay for it in the 4th, as doubles from Maicer Izturis and Adam Kennedy, the scrappy players on the Angels, plated a run and made it 2-0 Angels. Action didn't pick up until the 7th inning.
The top of the 7th inning would see the end of Joe Blanton’s day as he hit the century mark of 100 pitches to end the top of the 6th. The long reliever, the late Joe Kennedy, who had recently been picked up in a trade with the Rockies, came in for relief. Kennedy had struggled with the A’s and would continue on this day. The speedy Chone Figgins hit a leadoff double, but ironically some bad base running saw Figgins tagged out in a pickle in the next at bat. During the pickle, Orlando Cabrera advanced to second with one out. Darin Erstad would then groundout to make it two outs, but Cabrera would advance to third. The next batter was Vladimir Guerrero and the A’s wisely decided to intentionally walk him. Scioscia would send up Bengie Molina to pinch hit. Scioscia, being extra aggressive, would give Guerrero the steal sign and now the situation was second and third with no one out. And once again, Kennedy had to intentionally walk Molina. It was now bases loaded with two outs for Steve Finley.
Steve Finley then lined one over the head of Swisher, and it was clear right away that it was going to score two, as Cabrera walked home and Guerrero jogged in standing up. The slow running Molina would get to third and stop on Finley’s double. It was now 4-0 Angels. They were only 9 outs away from the victory that would allow them to retake first place. No further damage was done, but now the A’s winning probability was down to 6%.
Byrd’s day was done after he forced two double plays that allowed him to pitch 6 shutout innings. Scioscia went to his bullpen for the Angels usual 7th inning man, Brendan Donnelly who was memorable for his coke bottle glasses. It was clear right away that it was a tough day to be a reliever! Donnelly right away gave up a home run to the recently acquired, Jay Payton who didn’t waste any time, swinging at the first pitch. Payton crushed a no doubter, solo home run to make the deficit 4-1 Angels.
Back to back singles by Mark Ellis and Jason Kendall really got the A’s going. Kotsay would hit a ground ball to the right side of the infield, and Darin Erstad was only able to step on first to get one out, allowing Kendall and Ellis to advance to second and third. Bobby Crosby would then strikeout on three pitches, in a critical at bat, and the A’s hitting woes appeared to be continuing. Next up was Eric Chavez. The star third baseman gave the A’s just what they needed as he lined a pitch over the wall for a three run home run to tie the game! That quickly, it was 4-4.
The 8th inning would see clean innings from relievers on both sides of the ball. Justin Duchscherer would throw a clean top half for the A’s and the Angels set up man, Scot Shields would do the same for the Angels in the bottom half.
A’s manager, Ken Macha would make no changes for the top of the 9th, showing plenty of faith in Duchscherer. He’d get the first two batters out with not much hassle then came Vladimir Guerrero who was once again intentionally walked. Once again, Guerrero would steal second base for the second time in this game, which just highlights the problem that Jason Kendall had behind the plate that season with base stealers. Despite the walk and steal, Duchscherer would finish his two innings of work by making Molina hit a pop fly to Mark Ellis to send the game to the bottom of the 9th with the score still at 4-4.
Like Macha, Scioscia would leave Scot Shields in to start the 9th but was ready to bring in his closer, Francisco Rodriguez if need be. The inning would start with a leadoff single from the man known more for his defense, Mark Ellis. Then Macha would signal third base coach, Ron Washington to give Jason Kendall the bunt sign and Kendall laid a bunt down but the bunt was not a good one as Shields was able to throw Ellis out at second and get the force out. Kendall would make it to first but he knew he didn’t get the job done. The inning would be revived with a Mark Kotsay single that made it first and second with one out. And that play would prompt Mike Scioscia to take out Shields and bring in his closer to try and save this critical game.
This man.
As an A's fan, it was easy to hate K-Rod. And on this day, A’s fans were all licking their chops at the possibility of walking off on the Angels star closer and they were 180 feet away from doing so. Bobby Crosby was due up with one out. A single to anywhere but right would likely end the game. Crosby would get a 2-0 count and on the third pitch he grounded to shortstop and A’s fans were thinking that it was going to be an inning ending double play! Luckily it wasn’t, as Crosby beat out the relay to first and now the situation was runners at the corners with two outs for Eric Chavez. On the first pitch of that bat, Bobby Crosby raced from first to second to take away the force play, and it was ruled defensive indifference.
But what happened on the throw back from Angels catcher, Jose Molina was one that to this day, is quite shocking. K-Rod was clearly upset with the home plate umpire over the first pitch of the at bat ,which was ruled a ball and he let his emotions carry over into his concentration as he was unable to catch the throw back from Molina. The ball rolled over the mound and was between second base and the pitchers mound. During this time, Jason Kendall ran home and it took K-Rod a split second to realize what was going on. By the time K-Rod got it, Kendall had already slid home and the ballgame was over! The A’s had won! The A’s had beaten the Angels and taken over first place. And K-Rod was left to sulk in the middle of the diamond wondering what had just happened.
But what happened on the throw back from Angels catcher, Jose Molina was one that to this day, is quite shocking. K-Rod was clearly upset with the home plate umpire over the first pitch of the at bat ,which was ruled a ball and he let his emotions carry over into his concentration as he was unable to catch the throw back from Molina. The ball rolled over the mound and was between second base and the pitchers mound. During this time, Jason Kendall ran home and it took K-Rod a split second to realize what was going on. By the time K-Rod got it, Kendall had already slid home and the ballgame was over! The A’s had won! The A’s had beaten the Angels and taken over first place. And K-Rod was left to sulk in the middle of the diamond wondering what had just happened.
No direct link to highlights is available. However this link here, will direct you to a long page, scroll down to August 11 to see the Sulk-Off, and the homers by Payton and Chavez.
After the game, K-Rod would say, “A five year old could’ve caught it,” in what certainly had to be the most embarrassing play of his career.
Unfortunately, this game would be the peak of the A’s 2005 season as injuries down the stretch would allow the Angels to take the division in the next month and a half. And once again, the Angels would celebrate on the A’s field.
This game, however would not be the last time that Jason Kendall would cause drama in this rivalry. He’d do this to John Lackey the very next season:
What a lucky guy! And in 2006, the A’s would be ones to win the division. The Angels would then go onto win the AL West in 2007, 2008, and 2009. This century, the A’s and Angels have accounted for 12 division titles between the two of them (the only exceptions being the Mariners in 2001, and the Rangers in 2010, and 2011).
The rivalry was less intense due to a period of time where the Angels were good but the A’s were only mediocre (2007-2009). The rivalry was also less intense when the Rangers were busy winning the AL West (2010-2011). That period was followed by a time where the A’s were back on top and the Angels were overrated (2012-2013). But the A’s and Angels rivalry was reignited in 2014, and I’m excited to see what the next chapter will bring.
The rivalry was less intense due to a period of time where the Angels were good but the A’s were only mediocre (2007-2009). The rivalry was also less intense when the Rangers were busy winning the AL West (2010-2011). That period was followed by a time where the A’s were back on top and the Angels were overrated (2012-2013). But the A’s and Angels rivalry was reignited in 2014, and I’m excited to see what the next chapter will bring.
Stay tuned, next week is #12!
-- Wes
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