Neto, Schanuel Boost Angels To Bounce Back Win Over Athletics

After a stunning loss in Friday's game, the Los Angeles Angels managed to recover with some impressive poise and performance. The Halos led wire-to-wire, collecting a 7-0 victory over the Athletics at Sutter Health Park on Saturday night.

Walbert Urena, coming off his lengthiest start of the season against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday, was dialed in on the mound once again. The right-hander tossed five innings of shutout baseball, allowing four hits and striking out six while walking none. He improved to 5-5, now boasting a 2.41 ERA on the season.

It's been quite the stretch for the 22-year-old, who has now worked ten consecutive starts of at least five innings while allowing three or fewer earned runs. Urena is continuing to solidify himself as a reliable arm in a pitching staff that has struggled, currently posting the fourth-highest team ERA in the American League.

After Urena finished taking care of business on the mound, Zach Neto and Nolan Schanuel used their bats in the top of the sixth to ensure he'd walk away with a victory. Each smacked two-run doubles in the frame against Athletics' right-hander Scott Barlow, adding four big insurance runs.

The infielders each found space to sneak ground balls through opposite sides of the diamond, with Neto's grounder getting by the third base side while Schanuel's scorched past first. After going deep in Friday's loss, Schanuel now has extra-base hits on back-to-back days.

Donovan Walton and Jose Siri had initially opened up the lead in the second inning for LA, combining to plate a pair of early runs. Walton managed to rip a single into right field off Athletics' starter J.T. Ginn, bringing home Jo Adell to start the scoring.

Siri stepped up one batter later, hitting a fly ball out to left that was deep enough to score Wade Meckler via sacrifice fly. Siri, who finished 1-4 at the plate, now has four RBI through the first three games of the series.

Denzer Guzman stayed hot at the dish in the seventh to provide one final insurance run, making it 7-0 with a solo shot to left off Athletics' right-hander Geoff Hartlieb.

Guzman entered the series yet to hit a home run this season, but has now gone deep on consecutive days. In his 11 big-league games this year, he's now hitting .244 with eight RBI.

LA managed to stay in control throughout the late innings thanks to an inspiring bullpen performance from Samy Natera Jr., Ryan Zeferjahn and Kirby Yates. Natera Jr., making his fifth appearance of the season, worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings behind Urena.

Zeferjahn followed up with 1 2/3 hitless innings of his own before Yates shut the door and struck out two in the ninth. Both Yates and Natera Jr. rebounded nicely after combining to record just one out in the 10th inning of Friday's game before the Athletics managed to win in walk-off fashion.

The Angels can force a split of the four-game set in Sunday afternoon's finale, and will send left-hander Reid Detmers (3-5, 3.68 ERA) to the mound looking to do so. He will oppose Athletics' right-hander Jack Perkins (2-3, 6.15 ERA). 

First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. PT.