Athletics’ catcher Shea Langeliers (23) tags out Minnesota Twins’ James Outman (43) in the third inning of a baseball game at Target Field in Minneapolis, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. (Carlos Gonzalez/Star Tribune via AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Langeliers Powers Athletics Past Twins in Extra-Inning Thriller

By Mauricio Segura

The Sacramento Athletics had to sweat it out under the Minnesota lights, but a timely swing from Shea Langeliers ensured the Green and Gold walked away with another road victory.

The game featured stellar pitching, clutch defensive plays, and more than a few wasted chances, it was Langeliers’ bat that made the ultimate difference, blasting a two-run homer in the tenth inning to seal a 4-2 win over the Twins at Target Field on Tuesday night.

The evening started quietly, almost deceptively so. Sacramento went down in order in the top of the first as Minnesota starter Bailey Ober looked sharp, but rookie Tyler Soderstrom quickly disrupted that narrative in the second. He ripped a leadoff double to center, then came around to score on Darell Hernaiz’s sacrifice fly. The early run staked the Athletics to a 1-0 lead and gave starter J.T. Ginn a cushion to work with.

Ginn, who has shown flashes of dominance in his young career, kept the Twins at bay through the first two innings, striking out three and relying on his defense to handle sharp grounders. He wasn’t overpowering, but he was efficient, forcing Minnesota into easy outs while allowing his teammates time to add on.

That insurance came in the fourth when Soderstrom struck again, launching a solo homer to dead center to make it 2-0. For a moment, it seemed the Athletics had the right formula: score just enough and let their arms do the rest.

The Twins, though, found their spark in the fifth. James Outman doubled, and with two outs, Trevor Larnach lined a single to left that plated Minnesota’s first run. Two batters later, Brooks Lee laced another double to tie things up at 2-2. The inning marked the end of Ginn’s night, as manager Mark Kotsay turned to the bullpen to preserve the tie.

From that point, the game became a battle of nerves and relievers. Sacramento had its chances, particularly in the eighth when a pinch-hit single from Carlos Cortes and a passed ball put the go-ahead run in scoring position.

But with the bases loaded, Colby Thomas went down swinging to strand the rally. Minnesota threatened in its half of the frame, but Colby Thomas redeemed himself with a pair of running catches in center that kept the score knotted.

Sacramento again seemed poised to break through in the ninth when Hernaiz doubled to lead off, only to watch the next three hitters go down meekly. The Twins had their moment too, putting runners on the corners with two outs, but reliever Michael Kelly induced a deep fly ball from Austin Martin that died just shy of the wall in right. Both sides had flirted with a win in regulation, but neither could close it out.

That set the stage for Langeliers in the tenth. With Nick Kurtz placed at second under extra-inning rules, Langeliers wasted no time. On a 1-0 pitch from Minnesota reliever Brooks Kriske, the catcher unleashed a towering drive to right-center, his 28th homer of the season.

The Athletics dugout erupted as the ball cleared the wall, a mix of relief and celebration, knowing they had finally landed the decisive blow. The Green and Gold added no further damage, but the 4-2 lead was all they needed.

Tyler Ferguson entered for the bottom half, inheriting the placed runner at second. The Twins tried to rally, moving Austin Martin to third on a lineout, but Ferguson buckled down. He coaxed a pop-up from Royce Lewis, issued a walk, and then slammed the door with a routine groundout to second to end the contest.

Soderstrom and Langeliers carried the bats, combining for three extra-base hits, three runs scored, and all four RBIs. On the pitching side, the Athletics bullpen was resilient, stringing together 5.1 shutout innings after Ginn exited. Sean Newcomb, Elvis Alvarado, Hogan Harris, Kelly, and Ferguson all contributed to silencing a Minnesota lineup that had multiple opportunities but failed to deliver the knockout punch.

For Sacramento, the win was more than just another tally in the standings. It was a showcase of timely hitting, defensive grit, and bullpen depth, the kind of ingredients any contender needs in late summer.

While the Athletics still have plenty of work to do in their push to remain relevant, nights like this are the kind that build confidence. Minnesota, meanwhile, will be left sulking its missed chances, going 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and leaving nine men on base.

When the dust settled, it was Langeliers’ swing that stood above the rest, a reminder that sometimes one big hit is enough to tilt an entire game. For the Athletics, it came at just the right time.

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.

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