Advertisement

Coon’s two-run shot gives Angels walk-off win

Share

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Brad Coon provided an exciting finish to today’s Cactus League game against the San Francisco Giants, crushing a two-run home run to right field off reliever Billy Sadler in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Angels a 5-4 walk-off victory.

San Francisco took a 4-3 lead in the top of the ninth when Ryan Rohlinger hit a two-run home run off reliever Jason Bulger. But Luis Figueroa led off the bottom of the ninth with a double to left, and after Coon fouled off a pitch trying to hit a ground ball to the right side to advance the runner, he drove his game-winner out of the park.

Advertisement

Angels starter Dustin Moseley took a hard ground ball off his left wrist but was able to remain in the game, the right-hander giving up two runs and five hits in three innings.

Moseley, who is competing with Shane Loux and Nick Adenhart for the fifth spot in the rotation, was drilled on the inside of his left (non-throwing) wrist by Edgar Renteria’s one-hop smash in the third. Manager Mike Scioscia and a team trainer came to the mound, but Moseley stayed in the game.

‘It got me clean,’ Moseley said. ‘It went numb on me, and that scared me for a second there. But then the feeling came back, and I was good to go.’

Moseley, who went 2-4 with a 6.79 earned-run average in 12 games -- 10 starts -- for the Angels last season, was nicked up a bit Friday, but he threw two hitless innings in his first Cactus League start. Loux was roughed up a bit Thursday against Seattle, giving up one unearned run, two hits and two walks in two innings.

‘Both of us are trying to help one another out,’ Moseley said of the competition with Loux. ‘You want to wish the best for people. If you ever get to a point where you don’t, and I’ve seen guys do that ... it’s tough for good things to come your way if you have that attitude, where you don’t want other people to do well. I tell Shane all the time, let’s both do well and make it a tough decision for them.’

Both Moseley and Loux are out of options. If they don’t make the Angels’ opening-day roster, they would have to clear waivers before being sent to triple-A Salt Lake, meaning other teams would have the chance to claim them.

Advertisement

‘In a sense, I feel more relaxed now, because if the Angels don’t want me and I have a good spring training, I’ll have an opportunity with another club,’ Moseley said. ‘I’ve said all along, I like this team, I like everything about it, from top to bottom, and I want to be an Angel. But that’s not up to me.’

Relievers Darren Oliver and Jose Arredondo followed Moseley to the mound, and each threw a scoreless inning against the Giants. Mike Napoli snapped a 2-2 with a two-out, run-scoring single in the sixth inning.

--Mike DiGiovanna

Advertisement