Mike Trout is beginning to believe that there might be something to the notion of having added power after the birth of a child.
The reigning American League MVP has certainly been on a tear since son, Beckham, was born.
Trout homered twice on Monday, including a tiebreaking shot in the eighth inning, as the Los Angeles Angels rallied from an early five-run deficit for a 10-9 victory that snapped the Oakland Athletics’ nine-game winning streak.
Photo: AFP
“People ask me about this Dad power. I guess it is a thing,” Trout said. “There’s nothing like being a Dad.”
With three hits in the series opener, Trout is 11 for 30 with six home runs and 11 RBIs in the past seven games. He rejoined the team in Seattle on Aug. 4 after his wife, Jessica, gave birth on July 30.
“I am a little more relaxed. Leading up to it I was extremely worried about the coronavirus,” Trout said. “I didn’t want to have it and come home, but we have been keeping it safe in the Trouthold and everyone in the organization has been doing a good job.”
Anthony Rendon and Shohei Ohtani also homered for the Angels.
Trout’s solo drive off Yusmeiro Petit (1-1) in the eighth helped Los Angeles stop a three-game skid. It was the 20th multi-homer game of Trout’s career, which tied Tim Salmon and Vladimir Guerrero for the franchise record.
“We had a rough weekend. We weren’t doing our jobs when we had our chances, but this is a new homestand and we got a huge win against an Oakland team that was coming in hot,” Trout said.
Los Angeles trailed 9-4 in the fourth before Trout began the rally with a two-run drive into the Angels’ bullpen in left field. Ohtani had an RBI double in the inning to bring them to 9-7 and then tied it with a two-run homer to center in the sixth.
It was Ohtani’s 44th career home run, which tied Tadahito Iguchi for fourth in the majors by a Japanese-born player.
The Angels’ bullpen, which has struggled this season, allowed only two hits over the final five innings.
Noe Ramirez, Keynan Middleton, Felix Pena (1-0) and Ty Buttrey held Oakland scoreless.
Buttrey earned his second save.
“They struggled early in the season, but hopefully the issue has resolved itself,” manager Joe Maddon said. “Normally it takes a month to get a bullpen in order and we are trying to do it more quickly.”
Matt Chapman homered twice and tied a career high with six RBIs for AL West-leading Oakland.
In other games on Monday, it was:
‧ Diamondbacks 12, Rockies 8
‧ Brewers 2, Twins 4
‧ Braves 8, Phillies 13
‧ Nationals 16, Mets 4
‧ White Sox 1, Tigers 5
‧ Rays 8, Red Sox 7
‧ Mariners 10, Rangers 2
‧ Giants 4, Astros 6
‧ Padres 2, Dodgers 1
‧ Pirates-Cardinals, postponed
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