Walton burns his old team
Donovan Walton stepped in against the team that drafted and developed him and made it hurt. His three-run homer broke a scoreless game open in the first inning Wednesday night in West Sacramento, and the Athletics never let go, beating the Los Angeles Angels 7-3 to sweep their two-game series.
Oakland piled up four runs in the first and added a fifth in the second before the Angels even found their footing. Mike Trout and Vaughn Grissom answered with solo homers of their own, and Grissom’s two RBIs pulled Los Angeles within two runs by the fifth inning. It was as close as the Angels would get.
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Bolte’s breakout night
Walton’s home run set the tone, but rookie Henry Bolte stole a chunk of the highlight reel. He went 4-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored, the first four-hit game of his career. Shea Langeliers added a two-run double, and Alika Williams, Zack Gelof and Lawrence Butler each chipped in two hits as Oakland spread the damage across the lineup rather than leaning on one big swing.
Jeffrey Springs started for the Athletics and was far from sharp, giving up three runs and five hits over 4⅓ innings. Two of those hits left the yard, pushing his season total to 35 home runs allowed, second-most in the majors behind Philadelphia’s Aaron Nola. Geoff Hartlieb cleaned up with 1⅔ scoreless innings to pick up the win, his second of the year, while Walbert Urena took the loss after allowing five runs on seven hits in four innings for the Angels.
A lost season, salvaged in the small print
Neither team is playing for October. The Angels dropped to 60-98 and will finish with one of the worst records in franchise history. But Oakland’s win pushed its own record to 63-95, keeping the Athletics off the century mark in losses with barely more than a week left on the schedule. For a roster still finding its identity in West Sacramento, that distinction matters more than the standings suggest.
Walton spent parts of four seasons in the Angels organization before Oakland claimed him, and Wednesday’s homer was the kind of moment a player circles on the calendar even when the game itself carries no playoff stakes. The series sweep also hands the Athletics a rare stretch of momentum to close out the year, something in short supply during a 95-loss season.
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