Detroit Tigers Zack McKinstry (39) slid safely into second base under Sacramento A’s second baseman Luis Urias (17) in the bottom of the sixth inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Thu Jun 26, 2025 (AP News photo)
Detroit Slams the Door on the Green and Gold
By Mauricio Segura
The Sacramento Athletics trudged through a long, lifeless afternoon at Comerica Park, managing just four hits and zero runs in a shutout loss to the Detroit Tigers, who capitalized on timely hits and crisp execution to walk away with an 8-0 victory on Thursday.
From the opening pitch, Detroit’s approach was surgical, while Sacramento’s lineup never found a pulse. The Tigers didn’t waste time either. Spencer Torkelson launched a solo homer in the second inning to open the scoring, and that early shot would hold up as the winning run in what quickly became a lopsided affair.
The Athletics’ best shot at producing offense came in the third, when Max Schuemann singled and swiped second before advancing to third on a deep flyout. But Brent Rooker followed that by grounding into an inning-ending double play, a cruel turning point that deflated any early momentum.
That twin killing wasn’t an outlier either. Rooker hit into another double play in the sixth, one of three the A’s grounded into on the day. Sacramento simply could not string together anything remotely threatening, and that futility was stacked up by nine quick outs from their top three hitters, who went a combined 0 for 12.
On the flip side, Detroit’s bats came alive in key spots. Jahmai Jones delivered the knockout punch early with a two-run double in the third. Later, Gleyber Torres continued the Tigers’ damage parade with a two-run homer in the seventh that pushed the lead to five to zero.
By the time Zach McKinstry tripled in two more in the eighth and Jake Rogers tacked on a sac fly, the damage was beyond repair. McKinstry was a thorn in the A’s side all day, racking up three hits, driving in two, and adding a stolen base just for good measure.
Defensively, the Green and Gold added to their own misery with an error in the sixth that nearly allowed another run to score before a strong relay nailed the runner at home.
But the lone highlight of the day for Sacramento may have been that single defensive stand because there was nothing else worth circling. Even the pinch-hitters offered no spark. Lawrence Butler and Tyler Soderstrom, sent up late in the game to inject life into a stagnant offense, went down quietly like the rest of the lineup.
On the mound, the A’s staff wasn’t particularly poor, but the Tigers were opportunistic. Starter Jeffrey Springs allowed three runs across three innings, and J.T. Ginn gave up Torres’ home run in relief. T.J. McFarland, tasked with mopping up, was shelled in the eighth as the Tigers broke the game wide open.
The A’s have once again dropped a game in which their game of play has looked more like a ghost than a threat. Even while showing signs of life here and there, they go cold quickly, a trend that has defined much of their season.
If there’s a silver lining, it’s that the team’s young core continues to get big-league reps, needless to say, in frustrating fashion. But moral victories don’t show up in the standings, and on this afternoon, the Athletics were simply overmatched and outplayed in every phase.
Now it’s a quick flight up the coast to take on the Bronx Bombers Friday at 4:05pm. Starting pitcher for Sacramento RHP Mitch Spence (2-2 ERA 3.84) for New York RHP Will Warren (4-4 ERA 4.56) first pitch 4:05pm PDT.
Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Sports Radio Service 