Angels rout Athletics; Anthony Rendon plays but doesn’t comment on flap with fan
OAKLAND — Against the backdrop of an incident their third baseman had with a fan two days earlier, the Angels surged to life on offense against the Oakland Athletics, rolling to a 13-1 rout Saturday afternoon.
A few hours earlier, Anthony Rendon — who was caught grabbing the shirt of a fan and cursing after the Angels’ opening night loss Thursday in video footage that was circulated on social media Friday — addressed dozens of media members.
“It’s an ongoing investigation, so unfortunately I can’t comment,” he said.
Asked who was investigating, Major League Baseball or the police, he said he did not know. Asked how he feels about the situation, whether he had seen the video footage, whether he believes he made a mistake, what the climate is like with booing fans, he repeated: “I’m sorry, I can’t comment.”
Angels general manager Perry Minasian and manager Phil Nevin also would not comment, citing the investigation.
Asked how he used to handle fans heckling him when he was a player, Nevin offered: “I mean, this happens a lot, unfortunately. And a lot of times, we just don’t see it. … Right now, I just don’t want to comment on the incident involving Anthony or anything that goes along with it because of the reasons I just said.”
The Angels’ Anthony Rendon, Perry Minasian and Phil Nevin declined to comment on Rendon’s recent altercation with a fan due to ongoing investigations.
MLB said it was looking into the incident between Rendon and the fan. The Oakland Police Department stated it was investigating an incident of battery at Oakland Coliseum captured on surveillance video, but it did not confirm whether Rendon was involved in the incident.
On Saturday morning, the Angels closed their clubhouse to regular pregame media access, with the team having a meeting before going on the field for batting practice and workouts. The clubhouse opened to the media for a brief time after that meeting, with most players coming onto the field shortly afterward.
It would have felt like a regular day at the ballpark if not for that video going viral Friday, which was an off day for the Angels.
Angels players and managers have always signed autographs for fans before games, but it seemed as if more were being signed than usual Saturday. Shohei Ohtani, who does not often sign before games, was among those doing so.
Asked whether the Rendon incident is a distraction for the team, Nevin said: “I mean, for the moment because there’s a lot of the media here. But no, I don’t think so. I mean, it’s one thing I’ve said all along: We’ve got a great group in there.
“The one thing I was most proud of last year and continuing through the spring is the way this team has bonded and gelled together, and they’re all gonna stand together now.”
During the game, the crowd booed each time Rendon was at the plate.
The Angels had 11 runs in the third inning — the first time they have scored 11 in an inning since July 2, 2016, according to the team. Taylor Ward, Ohtani, Jake Lamb, Gio Urshela, Logan O’Hoppe and Rendon combined for 13 RBIs in the victory.
By getting into an altercation with a fan, Anthony Rendon is proving to be a selfish millionaire who is not helping the Angels on and off the field.
Ward was responsible for four RBIs. Angels starter Patrick Sandoval picked up from where he left off in the World Baseball Classic for Mexico, giving up one run and two hits in five innings to earn the victory.
Ohtani and Mike Trout are two of the best players in baseball. Yet it was Rendon who bore the brunt of the Oakland Coliseum crowd’s ire in his plate appearances.
The crowd was pleased when Rendon made a fielding error at third base in the second inning and also in the fourth inning when he was unable to make a play on a foul ball that ended up hitting the tarp.
Rendon was taken out of the game in the sixth, with Urshela shifting to third base and David Fletcher coming in to play shortstop.
On that play in the fourth, Rendon’s left knee hit the tarp and he bent forward, using his hand to steady himself. Nevin said Rendon hit the tarp hard and that the Angels would check on him again Sunday but that the knee is not considered a significant issue.
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