The Oakland A’s began their road trip with a resounding 11–1 victory over the defending World Series champions, defeating their California rivals Tuesday night as they landed in Los Angeles to face the Dodgers.
Landon Knack, who started the game for Los Angeles, opened up after the game about his outing and the mistakes that led to a pair of home runs. He also discussed his goal to pitch deeper into games to help the bullpen, as well as struggles with his slider and falling behind hitters.
Landon Knack Opens Up on What Went Wrong
In a postgame interview with SportsNet LA, Knack said: “The first one was just a backed-up slider. Unfortunate, because the slider had been feeling pretty good. It was the first one to back up, and he took advantage of it. Last inning, got behind him a little bit, got that fastball and didn’t miss it. The guy is a very good player.”
Landon Knack (L (2-1), 4.2 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 8 K, BB, 94 P) speaks to the media after the #Dodgers lose to the Athletics 11-1 in their series home-opener. pic.twitter.com/0CQRdOPTkQ
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA)
Knack (2–1) took the loss after allowing five runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out eight over 4 2/3 innings Tuesday against the Athletics.
Jacob Wilson took Knack deep twice in the game—more than enough damage to hand the right-hander his first loss of the season. Through five major league appearances (four starts), Knack has thrown 18 1/3 innings with a 5.89 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, and a 20:8 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
With Clayton Kershaw (toe) expected to return Saturday, Knack could be the odd man out in the Dodgers’ six-man rotation. However, with Roki Sasaki (shoulder) placed on the injured list Tuesday, Knack’s spot appears safe for now.
He’s currently projected to start next week at home against the Diamondbacks.
Jacob Wilson Delivers Career Night at Dodger Stadium
In the same game, rookie sensation Jacob Wilson led the A’s to a blowout win in his hometown. A Thousand Oaks native, Wilson grew up attending Dodgers games at Chavez Ravine. He is the son of former MLB infielder Jack Wilson, who played 12 seasons with the Pirates, Mariners, and Braves.
Wilson went 4-for-5 with two home runs and four RBIs in Tuesday’s win. According to MLB.com’s Martín Gallegos, Wilson became the only rookie to ever record four hits and two home runs in a single game at Dodger Stadium.
Per our MLB Research Team, Jacob Wilson is the first visiting rookie in MLB history to collect four hits and two home runs in a game at Dodger Stadium.
— Martín Gallegos (@MartinJGallegos)
He led off the game with a single, but it was his two-run home runs in the third and fifth innings that left a mark. His first long ball broke a scoreless tie, while the second extended Oakland’s lead to 4–1 and gave the team breathing room.
The performance marked career highs in RBIs for Wilson and was his first multi-homer game in the big leagues.