The Oakland A’s lost to the Angels 8-3 on Saturday, but the score doesn’t tell the whole story. This was a winnable game for the A’s, but their defense failed them time and time again and cost them too many runs to overcome.
The season opener on Thursday showcased Oakland’s expected strengths and weaknesses, but the games on Friday and Saturday have been the opposite. The questionable starting pitching has come through the last two days, between Sean Manaea and Daniel Mengden, while the superior bullpen has failed to prevent the opponent from extending leads both times. The vaunted lineup has been unable to capitalize on rallies or score runs, and the defense has displayed little of its supposed improvement.