Zack Gelof Is Mashing Homers and Running a 21-Game Streak, And the Angels Have No Answer

Alright, baseball fans, buckle up because Zack Gelof is on an absolute tear and it's getting wild! This dude just extended his career-best hitting streak to a mind-blowing 21 games, smashing a homer in the bottom of the ninth to make it happen. You hear that? A NINTH-INNING DINGER to keep the hottest streak in the majors alive! And wouldn't you know it, his Athletics are about to kick off a four-game series against the Angels tonight in West Sacramento. Talk about high stakes for this AL West rivalry, especially with Gelof swinging a molten-hot bat.

Gelof and Kurtz Are Torch Hitting, Angels Beware

Let's talk about Gelof for a second, because what he's doing is just plain ridiculous. He's batting a scorching .366, going 30-for-82 during this insane 21-game stretch. And get this: he’s clubbed five home runs in his last nine games alone! Athletics manager Mark Kotsay summed it up perfectly after that ninth-inning blast, saying "Anytime you have a hitting streak on the line, you obviously know that this is an at-bat that you're either going to end it or continue it. Pretty impressive at-bat to not only get a hit, but to hit a home run. He's competing and that's what we want from these guys." That’s the kind of fire you want from your guys. Remember when the Athletics took three of four from the Angels in Anaheim back in May? They put up 23 runs in those three wins, with Nick Kurtz dropping a season-best five RBIs in one of those victories, a feat he matched just this past Monday against the Pirates. They even snagged two 10-inning wins against LA in that set! This Athletics offense, especially with Gelof and Kurtz firing, can absolutely explode.

Angels Are Stumbling, But Neto and Trout Are Flashing Power

Now, for the Angels, things aren’t looking quite so hot coming into this series.

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They've dropped three of their last four games, including an 8-1 beatdown by the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday. Ouch. But hey, it's not all doom and gloom for LA. Zach Neto is finally starting to heat up, smashing homers in back-to-back games and racking up two-hit outings in those same contests. This is a huge turnaround for him after a rough patch where he went 2-for-23 with 13 strikeouts over five games. Angels manager Kurt Suzuki is seeing the spark, too, noting, "It was good to see him walk and lay off some tough pitches. The home run to center field, especially on an off-speed pitch, I thought that was a great sign. He's just got to keep going and keep getting better." And of course, there’s Mike Trout, who just extended his own hitting streak to eight games on Wednesday, ripping three homers during that stretch and leading his squad with 17 dingers on the season, just ahead of Neto’s 15. These guys can still do damage.

Pitching Matchups and the Road Ahead

Tonight’s opener sees 23-year-old lefty Gage Jump (2-1, 3.09 ERA) making his fifth career start for the Athletics, and his first against the Angels. Jump's been solid, giving up just one run and six hits over 13 1/3 innings in his two previous wins. The Angels, meanwhile, haven't even named a starter for tonight, which tells you they might be scrambling a bit, possibly calling someone up from Triple-A Salt Lake. For Friday, Jose Soriano (8-4, 2.79) could get the nod for LA, but he's got a challenging 1-3 record with a 7.82 ERA in his career against the A's. Mark Kotsay knows this is a big series, saying, "We have the Angels coming in, a divisional opponent. We played the Angels pretty well down in (Anaheim), I think the games were really close and I expect the same type of games going into this weekend." Expect some fireworks, folks. Tonight’s game is gonna be a battle, and with Gelof swinging like this, anything can happen!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.