ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Zach Neto had a tiebreaking three-run double in the sixth inning, and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Oakland Athletics 5-2 Wednesday to sweep their three-game series. Max Schuemann had an early RBI double that should have driven in two runs for the A’s, but Kyle McCann was called out in bizarre fashion when he failed to touch home plate and then made contact with teammate Armando Alvarez, who had already scored.
“I've never seen anything like that,” said Angels manager Ron Washington, who has spent a half-century in pro baseball. “There was no play at home plate! There's no reason to miss home plate, none at all. You could have walked from third base and touched home, but I'm glad he didn't.
” McCann followed Alvarez home to score on Schuemann’s double off Roansy Contreras in the second inning, but McCann stumbled approaching home — apparently after deciding not to slide at the last minute — and failed to step on the plate as he crossed it. McCann nearly ran into Alvarez, who instinctively reached out to steady him and to encourage him to go back to touch the plate, which he did. Plate umpire John Bacon immediately called McCann out, because a player isn’t allowed to assist another player who’s still running the bases.
“I recognize that the umpire made no call as he came across the plate the first time,” Oakland manager Mark Kotsay said. “Understood the call that he was making in terms of the assistance from Alvarez into McCa.
