Brandon Drury, Shohei Ohtani lead Angels to rout over Athletics

Angels second baseman Brandon Drury makes stop on a ball hit for a single by Oakland Athletics' Esteury Ruiz.

Staff Writer

April 26, 2023 9:30 PM PT

Brandon Drury has been emerging from his slump. Over the last three games against the Oakland Athletics, he’s racked up seven hits in 13 at-bats, including five extra-base hits. In the Angels’ 11-3 win over the A’s on Wednesday, he hit a double and his fourth home run of the season, contributing three RBIs and helping the Angels move over .500.

Drury has attributed his gradually improved at-bats to better swings, improved timing and getting back the feeling of what had made him successful at the plate in the past.

“It’s all feel for me,” Drury said. “When I’m in there thinking about what I’m supposed to be doing, I’m really bad, as you saw the first three weeks. About as bad as it gets.

“When I’m just kind of in there trusting myself being the dangerous hitter that I am, it’s a lot better sometimes.”

Before Sunday, Drury had been hitting .179 with a .477 on-base-plus-slugging rate.

That day also started with Drury collecting his first Silver Slugger award for his offense last season while playing for the Cincinnati Reds and the San Diego Padres.

While collecting that award, manager Phil Nevin said Drury made a wisecrack about himself, that he was not sure whether he deserved the award.

“He earned that award and we feel like his numbers are gonna get rightwhere they were last year here and really soon,” Nevin said. “I love the way he’s swinging the bat right now, driving it [with] authority, going out there with a purpose. It’s good to see.”

Drury was one of five Angels who logged RBIs and one of the three who hit home runs in the win. Hunter Renfroe, Drury and Shohei Ohtani put the exclamation points on the Angels offense in the third, fifth and eighth innings with a solo home run and two two-run blasts, respsectively.

Angels' Hunter Renfroe, left, and Brandon Drury, right, congratulate each other after scoring.

“Definitely feels good to go play some good baseball and help the team win a game for sure,” Drury said.

Though those runs merely extended the Angels’ existing lead — starter Patrick Sandoval and the Angels defense shut the A’s out through the final four innings — they helped get back the two earned runs Sandoval was charged with, one of which came on a solo home run he gave up to Kevin Smith to start the third inning.

Sandoval hit one batter and struck out five over seven innings and threw 105 pitches, his most this season.

He lasted seven innings, giving up three runs on six hits.

Sandoval described the run support the Angels offense provided as awesome.

“We raked,” he said. “One through nine, we are nasty. So it’s gonna be fun. The guys are getting hot.”

One step closer

Rookie catcher Logan O’Hoppe had surgery to repair the torn labrum in his left shoulder Tuesday.

Back in the Angels clubhouse to watch the game Wednesday, he said he started feeling better a few hours after the surgery and even tried to make it back for Tuesday’s win over the A’s.

O’Hoppe will be in a sling for about three weeks. His expected recovery and return is an estimated four to six months.