St Louis Cardinals Wilson Contreras celebrates after hitting a two run triple in the bottom of the eighth inning against the Sacramento A’s at Busch Stadium in St Louis on Thu Sep 4, 2025 (AP News photo)

Contreras Crashes the Party as Sacramento’s Late Rally Falls Short

By Mauricio Segura

The Sacramento Athletics were looking to shake off the dust and get something going at Busch Stadium on Thursday night, but despite a late spark, they couldn’t claw back from a steady St. Louis Cardinals squad. The game felt more like a chess match than a slugfest for most of the night until Willson Contreras flipped the board with a monster performance, powering the Cards to a 5-1 win over the Sacramento A’s.

Things started off quietly enough, with both teams going scoreless through the first two innings. Sacramento’s lefty Jeffrey Springs was in control early, keeping the Cardinals guessing and escaping a second-inning jam with runners on the corners. The A’s offense, meanwhile, looked more like they were hitting with pool noodles than bats, managing just two baserunners through the first three frames.

It wasn’t until the bottom of the third that the Cards cracked through, and guess who made the noise? That’d be Contreras. After a Masyn Winn single and Iván Herrera walk, Contreras stepped up and roped a two-run single to right. Brent Rooker tried to play hero with a strong throw, but Contreras was gunned down trying to stretch it into a double. Still, damage done. Cards up 2-0.

From that point, the game had a sluggish rhythm. Sacramento had a chance to answer in the top of the fourth after Rooker singled and swiped second, but a pair of flyouts and a strikeout stranded him. The A’s had runners in scoring position again in the seventh, but came up empty after Zack Gelof grounded out and Carlos Cortes was erased on a force play. If there was a theme to the night for Sacramento, it was missed opportunities, and not in the poetic, coming-of-age movie way.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals kept doing just enough. Nolan Gorman sent a solo shot into the Missouri sky in the bottom of the seventh, giving St. Louis a 3-0 cushion and reminding everyone that even low-scoring games can turn on a single pitch.

Finally, in the top of the eighth, Sacramento fans got something to cheer about. Rookie Nick Kurtz stepped in and launched his 28th homer of the season into left field, cutting the lead to 3-1. Rooker followed with his second double of the night and things started to feel a little different.

Tyler Soderstrom singled to put runners on the corners, and suddenly the tying run was at first. But just as quickly as the moment swelled, it popped. Gelof struck out, and Hernaiz grounded out after a failed challenge at first.

The bottom of the eighth? That’s when Contreras buried it.

After a leadoff groundout and a walk to Winn, the A’s intentionally walked Lars Nootbaar, a smart move on paper. But with two outs and runners on first and second, Contreras stepped up and lasered a triple to center, clearing the bases and putting the game effectively out of reach at 5-1. That brought his RBI total to four for the night. Not bad for a guy who also played first base all game, a position he’s still relatively new to.

In the ninth, Lawrence Butler tried to ignite one final rally with a leadoff single, but Brett Harris rolled into a double play and Langeliers grounded out to seal the deal.

For Sacramento, the night was frustrating. They had ten hits, just one fewer than the Cardinals, but went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base. Brent Rooker continued to rake, collecting his 36th double and adding a single, while Nick Kurtz’s solo shot was the only tally on the scoreboard. Butler chipped in three hits of his own, but it wasn’t enough.

Defensively, the A’s didn’t boot the ball around. No errors. And Springs gave them a respectable start. But they just couldn’t string the hits together when it counted. That’s been the story of the season in too many games like this one: a solid outing, flashes of potential, but no finish.

Meanwhile, St. Louis didn’t do anything flashy outside of Contreras’ bat and Gorman’s bomb, but they were efficient. And in a game where every hit mattered, that was the difference.

A’s have Thursday off will take on the Los Angeles Angels Friday night at the Big A in Anaheim. Starting pitcher for Sacramento RHP Mason Barnett (0-1 ERA 11.25) no pitcher has been announced for the Angels.

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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