ANAHEIM, Calif._On the day the Angels moved beyond the trade deadline and toward their future, the way their game concluded signified their hopes. Cam Bedrosian secured his first career save to end the Angels' 5-4 victory over Oakland at Angel Stadium on Tuesday, one started strongly by Matt Shoemaker.
"Cam's awesome," said closer Huston Street, whose injury forced Bedrosian's insertion. "One-run game, first day on the job? I've been impressed with him all year, frankly. He's continued to attack the zone."
In the second inning, Shoemaker yielded a leadoff home run to Khris Davis, then walked Marcus Semien and nailed Jake Smolinski in the left hand with a 92-mph fastball. He tiptoed out of the inning, then walked the first man to bat in the third, Coco Crisp.
Shoemaker then induced a double-play grounder from Jed Lowrie, and struck out Stephen Vogt to end the inning.
He scattered damage thereafter, permitting a double in the fourth inning, a solo shot to Crisp in the fifth, a walk and a single in the sixth, and two singles in the seventh.
Without the disabled Street and the traded Joe Smith to deploy out of his bullpen, Angels Manager Mike Scioscia turned to J.C. Ramirez for the eighth inning. The June waiver claim yielded a two-run homer to Yonder Alonso. For the ninth, Scioscia called on the 24-year-old Bedrosian to attempt his first career save.
He struck out the side, and has struck out eight consecutive batters, and 15 of the last 20 dating to July 19.
In the first inning, Mike Trout notched the Angels' lone hit until the fourth, and was caught seeking out second base soon after. He had not been thrown out stealing since April 20.
After Andrelton Simmons singled through to center field in the fifth inning, catcher Jett Bandy barreled Sean Manaea's first pitch, a fastball, beyond the left-field fence. That tied the score, 2-2.
Bandy has hit better than the Angels expected since his May callup when veteran catcher Geovany Soto hurt his knee. Now that Soto is on the mend again _ he heads to Salt Lake City on Wednesday to begin a weeklong rehab assignment _ the Angels have to make another decision.
Once Trout walked to begin Tuesday's sixth, Albert Pujols tapped a grounder to Semien at shortstop. It could have been a double play. Instead, it was an error, and rout and Pujols jogged home two pitches later, when Jefry Marte hit a three-run homer. It won the Angels the game, and ended Manaea's evening.
Manaea was Oakland's reward for sending Ben Zobrist to Kansas City at last season's trade deadline. He represents the potential pitching prospects can wield, but also the possible struggle. He has a 4.68 earned-run average in 15 starts this season.
In his last 14 starts, Shoemaker has struck out 98 men, walked 14, and logged a 2.72 ERA. But his spectacular six-week span after his triple-A recall has masked regression to a more normal rate. Since July began, he has a 3.99 ERA.
"I remember getting my first win," Shoemaker said. "Everybody in here remembers their first whatever."
