ANAHEIM — Kenny Rosenberg has an opportunity to secure a spot in the gaping hole in the Angels’ rotation, and his first try didn’t go as he’d hoped.
Rosenberg, the 14th pitcher to start for the Angels this season, coughed up an early three-run lead and got knocked out in the fourth inning of a 6-5 loss to the Oakland A’s on Thursday night.
Ever since Reid Detmers was sent to Triple-A and Patrick Sandoval underwent Tommy John surgery, the Angels’ rotation has been been in flux, with plenty of pitchers getting chances and none of them sticking.
Rosenberg, a 29-year-old left-hander, had pitched twice already this season as a mop-up man for one of those failed starters, right-hander Jack Kochanowicz, and this time he got a chance to start fresh.
It spoiled early.
Rosenberg was burned by two of Oakland’s hottest hitters on his way to allowing six runs.
Rookie outfielder Lawrence Butler led off the game with a double, eventually coming around to score, and then he hit blasted a two-run homer in the third. It was Butler’s ninth homer of July, including three against the Angels.
Brent Rooker also hit a homer against Rosenberg. It was his 24th homer of the season, and his fifth against the Angels.
Daz Cameron hit a two-run homer to knock out Rosenberg in the fourth inning, with a 6-5 deficit.
The Angels have an off day on Monday, so they could just skip this spot the next time through. Of course, they also could trade Tyler Anderson in the next week, which would open yet another hole in the rotation.
At this point, the Angels’ rotation figures to remain a work in progress until Detmers and/or Chase Silseth can get their act together in Triple-A.
Rosenberg was on the hook for a loss when he left, which was a quick turnaround from the 5-2 lead he had after the second inning.
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The Angels strung together four hits and two walks to jump on Ross Stripling, but then the offensive spigot stopped. The Angels came up empty in the next three innings, failing to knock Stripling out of the game until the sixth inning.
The Angels’ bats could not get even the one run they needed to tie the game, despite the bullpen holding the game close after Rosenberg departed.
Hunter Strickland, Matt Moore and Ben Joyce combined for 4⅔ scoreless innings.
The Angels left a runner in scoring position in the sixth, when Nolan Schanuel struck out. In the seventh, Mickey Moniak dropped a one-out hit into the left field corner, but he was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple.
More to come on this story.
