ANAHEIM, Calif. _ Much like the past few years with the A's, nothing was on the line in their final game of the regular season. But this one felt a whole lot better.
With everyone's minds already on the AL wild-card game set for Wednesday in New York, Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Angels in walk-off fashion was about as painless as these type of games can get. This one was more about one more chance for A's hitters trying to reach personal milestones.
Jed Lowrie tried his best to reach the 100-RBI mark for the first time in his 11-year big league career, but remained stuck at 99 as he blasted a couple of balls to the warning track as part of an 0 for 4 day.
Khris Davis did not get to 50 home runs like he hoped, but he did make an odd type of history. Going 0 for 2 before he was removed for Jonathan Lucroy in the sixth, Davis is now Mr. Consistency as he finished the year batting .247 for the fourth consecutive season.
For evidence that players are clearly aware of their stats, Josh Phegley pumped his fist in the air after poking a single to left off Angels starter Matt Shoemaker.
It was about as animated as you'll see a player get for a meaningless single in a meaningless game, but it meant something to Phegley. That single pushed his batting average above the dreaded .200 line, later pulled before getting another at-bat to finish the year batting .204.
Beau Taylor, who replaced Phegley behind the plate, later recorded his first big league hit as he doubled in the fifth off Odrisamer Despaigne.
The A's two runs of the day came on a pair of two-run homers by Stephen Piscotty and Franklin Barreto, with Piscotty's extending his career high-high home run mark to 27.
_In what was expected to be Mike Scioscia's final game as manager of the Angels, A's manger Bob Melvin shared his thoughts on what Scioscia brought to the game and the respect he's had for him over the years.
"I have a hard time believing this is his last day managing, but I know from managing against him as long as I have, he's made me work hard and prepare harder and get better," Melvin said. "When you manage against Mike Scioscia, you better be ready for just about anything. He's one of those guys that I think would go to his grave managing. If he's done here, I can't imagine him not doing something somewhere else. He's terrific at it, seems like he loves it every game, even in spring training. He's one of the elite managers in the game."
