Ron Washington gets ball from Kevin Pillar on the final out of the Angels’ final visit to the Coliseum

The Washington Angels bounced back to beat the A’s 8-5 on Sunday at the Coliseum, where Oakland is playing its final season before spending at least three years in Sacramento in preparation for a planned move to Las Vegas for the 2028 season.

“It was the last chance to do something good in this stadium to my advantage and my team pulled it out and won,” Washington said. “And when he gave me that ball, it was a big surprise and joy. I wrote on it, ‘Last of my last game as a manager in the Coliseum.’ It was sincere.”

The Angels also won their 5,000th game as a franchise, in the same environment where they captured the AL West title in 2004 and 2005.

Washington used to be an A’s coach, throwing short hop-grounders from his knees to train some of the game’s best infielders before they were truly great.

“I feel a huge connection because this is where it all started,” said the 72-year-old Washington.

From Jason Giambi, Miguel Tejada, Eric Chavez and Mark Ellis to Marcus Semien, Washington helped many of them shine and become who they were on the court — and even off it, as Washington noted, “Mark McGwire, I turned him into a great leader.”

Chavez presented Washington with one of six consecutive Gold Glove awards he won between 2001 and 2006.

“I’ve seen a lot of young kids grow up here, I’ve seen a lot of baseball players that the industry thought were done come here and blossom and get deeper contracts for their careers,” Washington said. “… The tradition here in Oakland, I just saw it passed down over and over again. I’ve had 17 great years here.”

So you can bet everyone around the Angels knew what it meant to Washington to leave Sunday with such a fond memory. He also spoke to the A’s grounds crew, who he was so close to all those years.

“He probably won’t show it much, but this game definitely meant a lot to him,” starting pitcher Carson Fulmer said.

Pillar hit a two-run double in the deciding eighth inning, ending an eight-game losing streak for the Angels on Oakland’s home turf.

“At the time you might not understand the magnitude of the moment, but when I caught the last out, Jo said, ‘That’s a good ball to keep’ and I thought, because I’ve hit some runs earlier? I thought maybe as a reminder to myself, then I thought, ‘Oh, this is the last time we’re here.’

“Normally in situations like that, you give the ball to the closer, he deserves the ball last out. As I was going down the sideline, I thought, you know what, maybe I’ll give this ball to Wash. He was a big part of the fabric of this place and of Oakland baseball. For him to walk away with that game ball and win his last game as a coach here, it probably means a lot to him.”

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