Angels starting pitcher Chase Silseth throws to the plate during the first inning of his major league debut against the Oakland Athletics on Friday night in Oakland. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Oakland A’s starting pitcher Daulton Jefferies throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Angels on Friday night in Oakland. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani lines out to center field during the first inning of their game against the Oakland A’s on Friday night in Oakland. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani lines out to center field during the first inning of their game against the Oakland A’s on Friday night in Oakland. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Angels starting pitcher Chase Silseth throws to the plate during the second inning of his major league debut against the Oakland Athletics on Friday night in Oakland. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Angels shortstop Tyler Wade throws to first baseman Jared Walsh, right, on a ball hit by the Oakland Athletics’ Tony Kemp during the first inning on Friday night in Oakland. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Angels starting pitcher Chase Silseth throws to the plate during the first inning of his major league debut against the Oakland Athletics on Friday night in Oakland. Silseth pitched six scoreless innings, holding the A’s to one hit. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon throws to first on a sacrifice bunt by the Athletics’ Cristian Pache during the third inning on Friday night in Oakland. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
The Athletics’ Elvis Andrus is tagged out by Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon after Jed Lowrie flew out during the third inning on Friday night in Oakland. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
The Oakland A’s Elvis Andrus is tagged out by Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon The Angels’ Andrew Velazquez hits a solo home run during the third inning on Friday night in Oakland. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Angels starting pitcher Chase Silseth throws to the plate during the first inning of his major league debut against the Oakland Athletics on Friday night in Oakland. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
The Angels’ Brandon Marsh hits an RBI single during the fourth inning of their game against the Oakland A’s on Friday night in Oakland. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
The Angels’ Brandon Marsh watches his RBI single during the fourth inning of their game against the A’s on Friday night in Oakland. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
The Angels’ Anthony Rendon is congratulated after scoring on a single by Brandon Marsh during the fourth inning of their game against the A’s on Friday night in Oakland. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
The Angels’ Shohei Othani walks back to the dugout after striking out next to Oakland Athletics catcher Sean Murphy during the fourth inning on Friday night in Oakland. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
The Angels’ Andrew Velazquez hits a solo home run during the fifth inning of their game against the Oakland A’s on Friday night in Oakland. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
The Angels’ Andrew Velazquez, left, runs the bases after hitting a home run off Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Daulton Jefferies during the fifth inning on Friday night in Oakland. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
The Angels’ Andrew Velazquez is congratulated by teammate Taylor Ward, right, after hitting a solo home run during the fifth inning of their game against the Oakland A’s on Friday night in Oakland. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
The Angels’ Andrew Velazquez, right, is congratulated by teammate Mike Trout after hitting a home run during the fifth inning of their game against the A’s on Friday night in Oakland. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Angels starting pitcher Chase Silseth throws to the plate during the fifth inning of his major league debut against the Oakland Athletics on Friday night in Oakland. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Angels starting pitcher Chase Silseth throws to the plate during the sixth inning of his major league debut against the Oakland Athletics on Friday night in Oakland. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Angels relief pitcher Aaron Loup throws to the plate during the seventh inning of their game against the Oakland Athletics on Friday night in Oakland. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Oakland A’s relief pitcher Lou Trivino throws to the plate during the eighth inning of their game against the Angels on Friday night in Oakland. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Angels relief pitcher Ryan Tepera throws to the plate during the eighth inning of their game against the Oakland Athletics on Friday night in Oakland. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani fouls out during the ninth inning of their game against the Oakland A’s on Friday night in Oakland. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Angels relief pitcher Raisel Iglesias throws to the plate during the ninth inning of their game against the Oakland Athletics on Friday night in Oakland. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Angels relief pitcher Raisel Iglesias throws to the plate during the ninth inning of their game against the Oakland Athletics on Friday night in Oakland. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Angels relief pitcher Raisel Iglesias celebrates after the final out of their 2-0 victory over the A’s on Friday night in Oakland. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Angels relief pitcher Raisel Iglesias, right, and catcher Chad Wallach celebrate the team’s 2-0 victory over the A’s on Friday night in Oakland. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
The Angels’ Shohei Othani, right, celebrates with teammates after their 2-0 victory over the A’s on Friday night in Oakland. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
OAKLAND — When Chase Silseth took the mound for the Angels on Friday night, he certainly didn’t look like someone who had been in Double-A earlier this week, or in college a year ago.
After he worked six innings in the Angels’ 2-0 victory over the Oakland A’s, Silseth was asked how he managed to keep himself grounded in his big-league debut.
“Sixty feet, six inches,” Silseth said. “Just go out and compete. Same game. Just a different level.”
Silseth, 21, proved the Angels were right to promote him to the majors so quickly. He allowed just one single.
Silseth was the second pitcher in Angels history to work at least six scoreless innings in his major league debut. The other one was Jered Weaver, who worked seven scoreless innings in his 2006 debut.
“That’s no fluke,” Manager Joe Maddon said of Silseth. “That kid’s good.”
Maddon could not commit to when Silseth will pitch next, though. They don’t need a sixth starter for a couple of weeks because of off days. And it’s even possible they could option him on Saturday to bring up another reliever to help fortify the bullpen for the doubleheader.
“Not yet, I really can’t (say what’s next for Silseth),” Maddon said. “From what I had heard and what you just saw, it looks like he’s the kind of guy you want to give opportunity to.”
Silseth made it to the majors just 304 days after the Angels picked him out of the University of Arizona in the 11th round of the 2021 draft.
The Angels gave him a shot at Double-A last summer, and he gave up six runs in 3-1/3 innings in two games.
“He struggled a little bit,” Angels general manager Perry Minasian said before Friday’s game. “We gave him some things to work on in the offseason. And he dove into it, attacked it. Probably had as good of an offseason as anybody as far as coming into camp and being ready to go and I think it’s shown.”
Back at Double-A this season, Silseth posted a 1.73 ERA in five games, earning a promotion to the big leagues. He is the first player from the 2021 draft to reach the majors with any team.
Minasian said they had seen enough to believe he was ready, despite his youth and lack of experience.
“They don’t check IDs at the door, to get in the clubhouse or walk on the mound,” Minasian said. “We feel like he’s got not only the talent to do it but the makeup. That’s the biggest thing. I think that’s the separator for him. It’s just the mental toughness and the makeup.”
Silseth showed some impressive stuff, too.
His fourth pitch of the game was a 98.6 mph fastball, on his way to an average fastball of 95.8 mph. He struck out Sheldon Neuse to end the first with a splitter. Silseth threw 28 splitters, and the A’s hitters whiffed on six of their 16 swings.
The A’s had just three baserunners against him, creating one jam. In the third inning, Elvis Andrus led off by bouncing a single through the middle. An out later, Silseth walked Tony Kemp.
He escaped with the help of left fielder Brandon Marsh, who caught a fly ball and then fired a perfect strike to third to nail Andrus at third.
After that, Silseth retired all nine hitters he faced in the next three innings, before turning the game over to the Angels’ bullpen.
Maddon said Silseth had used his secondary pitches too much in the third, and after that, he went back to pounding the strike zone with his fastball.
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“He got a little off-kilter, like some too many breaking balls at a certain occasion because I really liked his fastball,” Maddon said. “And then he got back in there to conclude it I think by really getting aggressive in the strike zone. Wonderful job. I’m not complaining. I thought it was outstanding and just showed great poise, and I liked that most of all.”
The Angels had a two-run lead, thanks to an RBI single by Marsh in the fourth and Andrew Velazquez’s first homer of the season, in the fifth.
Relievers Aaron Loup, Ryan Tepera and Raisel Iglesias worked the final three innings to close out the victory.
After that, the Angels took a little extra time in the clubhouse to celebrate Silseth’s first major league victory.
“I’m still speechless, still processing everything,” Silseth said. “Heck of a day. Heck of a day.”
