ANAHEIM, Calif. _ This month marked nine years since Cliff Pennington made his major league debut. Never in all that time had the reserve infielder managed a grand slam, in more than 3,000 plate appearances.
Until Wednesday night at Angel Stadium, when his inconceivable seventh-inning blast completed an improbable Los Angeles Angels victory.
Once down five runs after their worst half-inning of the season, the Angels came back to beat Oakland, 10-8, and sweep the hapless Athletics in three games.
When Parker Bridwell took the mound for his fourth inning, he was en route to another sterling start in his surprise rookie campaign. His team had afforded him a three-run lead, and now he had to be only a good steward.
Through three innings, the right-hander had scattered a couple of hits and a hit batsman. Through 87 innings in his unexpectedly successful season, he had held opponents to a 2.79 ERA, the fifth-best mark among American League pitchers who had thrown as many innings.
Not 20 minutes later, Bridwell walked off the mound, his night forcibly halted. He had faced seven batters, and all of them had scored. First came two walks, and then a double, a single, and a three-run home run by Matt Olson.
Quickly, the Athletics vaulted ahead, 5-3. Then there was another walk and another home run, this by Bruce Maxwell. Then Bridwell exited the game. He did not record an out in the inning. His replacement, right-hander Blake Wood, let in another run before finishing the fourth.
Oakland's eight-run inning was its biggest of the season, and the largest the Angels had surrendered, but it represented all of its offense for the night. After Wood, four Angels relievers fired scoreless relief, including right-hander Blake Parker, who earned the four-out save.
Mike Trout returned to the Angels' lineup after two missed games because of a stiff neck. Between the injury and a slump, it had been eight days since his last hit. He watched the first two pitches Kendall Graveman threw him, then swung at the third.
The baseball traveled 444 feet to center, Trout's second-longest home run of this season. He added a walk in the third inning, a triple in the fifth and two singles. Albert Pujols twice drove him in with home runs, first to right field, then to center.
The two made his career total 612, tied with Jim Thome for the seventh-most all-time, and his 2017 total 21. Pujols has homered at least 20 times in 16 seasons.
The rest of the Angels' lineup was silent until the seventh inning, when Trout started a rally by singling to left with one out. Pujols then took a pitch off his arm and Kole Calhoun singled to score Trout. Reliever Chris Hatcher entered the game, struck out C.J. Cron, and walked Luis Valbuena on four pitches.
Up came Pennington, who ripped a 1-and-2 pitch down the right-field line, just foul, then got a fastball down the middle, and slammed it to right.
Trout stepped to the plate the next inning with one opportunity to complete the cycle with a double. He had done it once before, on May 21, 2013. On two other occasions, he came up a double short.
On Wednesday, he singled in his lone chance to do it, capping a fruitful night of reaching base five times in five tries.
