OAKLAND -- Kevin Pillar has amassed an extensive reel of jaw-dropping highlights in center field over the course of his 12 seasons in the big leagues.

He added two more spectacular plays -- and came just shy of a third -- on Thursday at the Coliseum. Pillar robbed the Athletics’ JJ Bleday twice, first taking away a home run in the first inning before laying out to deny Bleday of potential extra bases in the fourth.

"I've seen that before," manager Ron Washington said. "It's not my first time seeing Pillar do what he did."

The return of Pillar's "Superman" form was not enough to lift the Angels, whose 5-0 loss sealed a three-game sweep in Oakland. After their season-high six-game winning streak -- which began with a sweep of the A's in Anaheim -- came to a close, the Halos have lost four in a row.

After dropping the first two games of the series, the Angels started off on the right foot on Thursday thanks to Pillar.

Bleday had worked a 2-1 count against Los Angeles starter Roansy Contreras to open the bottom of the first inning. On the next pitch, Bleday launched a four-seamer from Contreras a Statcast-projected 402 feet to deep center field. It was well struck, leaving the bat at 102.4 mph, and looked like it would easily carry out of the park.

Not on Pillar's watch. The Angels' center fielder tracked the ball to the warning track, then leapt up and reached over the wall to reel it back in.

It was by no means a routine play, but Pillar was confident that he had it all the way because of his read on the ball and the work he has been putting in lately.

“Just a bummer," Bleday said. "It would have been nice to be 1-for-1 starting the day with a homer. He made a really nice play.”

All Bleday could do was tip his helmet in Pillar's direction after the center fielder-on-center fielder crime.

"I'm certainly not going to do it as a hitter," Pillar said. "I'd probably be doing something else, but I appreciate the respect or compliment or whatever it is."

Three innings later, Pillar robbed Bleday again, this time diving to his left to take away extra bases for the final out of the fourth.

“There’s a reason why Kevin’s been in the league for so long," Bleday said. "His highlight reel throughout his career is just insane.”

As someone who has been on the other side of the ball, Pillar sympathized with Bleday's situation -- but knows it goes both ways.

"On the way in, you're thinking about it, like, 'Oh, poor guy, man. This game's tough enough,'" Pillar said. "I've been on the defensive end many times, I've been on the offensive side many times, and it's very rare it happens to the same guy.

"He's a center fielder. He knows when he's out there, he's trying to take away hits, too."

The one play that Pillar didn't make was effectively the A's dagger. When Oakland right fielder Lawrence Butler crushed a solo shot off José Marte to left-center to give his team a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the eighth, Pillar again scaled the wall and stuck his glove out to try to make the play.

The ball dropped out of his reach, but like with his robbery of Bleday, Pillar believed he had a good shot at it.

"To his credit, he hit the [crap] out of that ball," Pillar said. "I didn't have a whole lot of time to get back on that thing. … I was in that zone where I felt like I could catch anything, and I was going to give it a shot."

As eye-popping as Pillar's defense was, it ultimately did not make a difference as A's pitching kept the Angels off the board for the second straight game. Contreras managed to complete only 2 2/3 innings, getting knocked out after losing his command during Oakland's three-run third.

The past 10 games -- the six straight wins and four consecutive losses -- have underscored a point Washington has made several times this season: The young, developing Halos are learning how to win.

There have been highs, and lows, but much of this season is about building a foundation for this Angels team.

"It takes a lot out of you to win," Washington said. "It really does, and they haven't understood that yet. What they did on that win streak is what they have to learn to bring every single day."