Game 74: Oakland 7 LA Angels 3

Crisp is relentless offensively as Overton wins debut

Coco Crisp had three hits and scored four runs as Dillon Overton overcame three solo home runs to lead the A’s (32–42) to their third consecutive victory. Overton became the 11th A’s pitcher to start a game this year, and the fifth to make his Major League debut (Sean Manaea, Daniel Mengden, Andrew Triggs and Zach Neal).

The A’s have one more in Anaheim before opening a four-game home-and-home set with the Giants, in which three rookies (Manaea, Mengden and Overton) are scheduled to start, along with second-year starter Kendall Graveman. (Sonny Gray and Johnny Cueto throw today, so each will miss the Bay Bridge series.)

The A’s received hits from every starter except for Stephen Vogt (who added a sacrifice fly), but it was Crisp’s two doubles and hustle on the base paths that were the catalyst for the win.

Oakland is 1 1/2 games ahead of the last-place Angels, and eight games behind the second wild card. With Manaea, Rich Hill and Josh Reddick all scheduled to return from the disabled list this week, time will tell if the team can put together a nice run before the All Star Game.

Young players have been making nice contributions… Jake Smolinski and Max Muncy have been a decent right-left platoon in Reddick’s absence. Ryan Dull has stranded all 32 runners he has inherited this season and is attracting enough attention to earn All Star consideration.