The Angels Taylor Ward connects for a two-run homer in the third inning against the Oakland Athletics on April 1, 2023.

(Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)

Angels rout Athletics; Anthony Rendon plays but doesn't comment on flap with fan

Sarah Valenzuela

April 1, 2023

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.

Its an ongoing investigation, so unfortunately I cant 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

fans, he repeated: Im sorry, I cant 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 dont see it. Right now, I just dont want to comment on the incident involving Anthony or anything that goes along with it because of the reasons I just said.

MLB said it was looking into the incident between Rendon and the fan. The Oakland Police Department stated it was investigating

at

Oakland Coliseum captured on surveillance video, but it did not confirm

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 theres a lot of the media here. But no, I dont think so. I mean, its one thing Ive said all along: Weve 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 theyre 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 OHoppe and Rendon

combined for 13 RBIs in the victory.

Ward was responsible for four RBIs.

Patrick Sandoval

Ohtani and Mike Trout are two of the best players in baseball

. Yet it was Rendon

who bore the brunt of the Oakland Coliseum crowds 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, Rendons 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.