ANAHEIM — Mitch Farris has made the most of his opportunity in the big leagues so far.
Farris worked into the seventh inning of the Angels’ 4-3 victory over the A’s on Sunday afternoon.
Farris has allowed three runs in 11 innings in his first two big league starts.
He would have two victories, but left-hander Reid Detmers allowed the A’s to tie the game in the top of the eighth before the Angels re-took the lead in the bottom of the inning.
Travis d’Arnaud’s one-out double drove in the go-ahead run, after the A’s had put two runners on by hitting their fourth and fifth batters of the day with pitches.
Closer Kenley Jansen then worked the ninth as the Angels (67-77) snapped a three-game losing streak.
The Angels had built a 3-1 lead on Jo Adell’s 35th homer — a two-run shot in the first — and a Bryce Teodosio RBI double in the fourth.
The game also included an unusual injury to catcher Logan O’Hoppe.
A’s shortstop Jacob Wilson was wagging his bat as he prepared to hit in the seventh inning, and somehow the bat caught O’Hoppe under his mask. O’Hoppe crumpled to the ground and received medical attention for a few minutes before he left the game.
Farris, a 24-year-old left-hander who was acquired from the Atlanta Braves in December, came straight from Double-A to make his big league debut last week.
In his first game, he gave up one run in five innings against the Kansas City Royals.
This time, he faced a much more dangerous lineup and in a better hitting environment. A day game at Angel Stadium is more hitter-friendly than a night game at spacious Kaufmann Stadium.
Farris only gave up three hits, including solo homers from Willie MacIver in the third and Tyler Soderstrom leading off the seventh.
In between the homers, Farris retired 11 of 12 hitters.
Farris’ best pitch is his changeup, but he demonstrated on Sunday that he can also use the pitch to set up his fastball. The A’s whiffed on 26% of their swings at his fastball, which averaged only 90 mph. The major league average whiff rate on four-seam fastballs at 92 mph or slower is 17%.
More to come on this story.
