Sacramento A’s centerfielder Lawrence Butler chases down a Los Angeles Angels Luis Rengifo fly ball in the eighth inning at Anaheim Stadium on Fri Sep 5, 2025 (AP News photo)

A’s Bats Break Out in Anaheim as Butler and Bleday Power Past Angels 10-4

By Mauricio Segura

For a club that has spent too many nights watching its offense sputter, the Sacramento Athletics finally flipped the script in Anaheim. What began as a sloppy first inning on both sides quickly turned into a showcase of the Green and Gold’s young power core, capped by Lawrence Butler’s ninth-inning blast and JJ Bleday’s statement swing in the third.

By the end of the Friday night, the A’s walked off with a 10-4 win that reminded everyone why they still rank among the league’s most dangerous lineups since the All-Star break.

The early frames hardly suggested excitement Rookie starter Mason Barnett, making just his second big league appearance, immediately found himself in a mess. After Nick Kurtz, Shea Langeliers, and Brent Rooker all walked to load the bases before a single out, Tyler Soderstrom’s grounder produced both a double play and the game’s first run.

Jacob Wilson followed with a sharp RBI single, giving Sacramento a 2-0 cushion. Barnett promptly gave it right back. He hit Zach Neto, walked Mike Trout, and watched Yoán Moncada and Luis Rengifo chip away. By the time Oswald Peraza lifted a sac fly, the Angels led 4-2 and Barnett had already thrown 40 stressful pitches. For a rookie trying to settle in, it looked like another long night.

But Sacramento’s offense, which entered the day leading the majors in doubles and ranking among the top five in OPS since the break, had other plans. In the third, the lineup erupted. Langeliers singled, Soderstrom followed, and Wilson worked a walk to load the bases.

Butler chopped a single to first to drive in a run, and Zack Gelof’s liner tied the game. A wild pitch pushed Sacramento back on top, setting the stage for Bleday’s thunderclap. The outfielder launched his 13th homer of the year into the left-field seats, a three-run shot that turned Angel Stadium into a library. Suddenly, it was 8-4, and the A’s never looked back.

The inning wasn’t done. Darell Hernaiz singled, stole a base, and eventually scored when Rooker wore a pitch with the bases loaded. Nine runs through three innings was more than enough for manager Mark Kotsay’s bullpen, which has been the club’s strongest unit for months.

Relievers Justin Sterner, Elvis Alvarado, and Michael Kelly combined for six scoreless innings, racking up strikeouts while keeping Trout and company swinging through air. It was the exact type of performance the organization envisioned when rebuilding the relief corps after Mason Miller’s departure earlier in the year.

From there, the only drama came in Butler’s final at-bat. Leading off the ninth, the 24-year-old belted his 19th homer, a shot to dead center that punctuated the Battle of Anaheim. Butler’s glove has been steady all season, ranking among the league’s best in outfield putouts, but his bat has lagged. If this swing sparks a September surge, Sacramento will happily take it.

There were other encouraging signs. Kurtz, the rookie phenom leading all first-year players in home runs, RBIs, and walks, reached base three more times. Wilson, who tops all rookies in hits and batting average, delivered again with two big swings.

Langeliers, who has been an extra-base hit machine since the break, kept the line moving with two more knocks. When the Athletics get contributions from all three, the lineup lengthens in a way that forces pitchers into mistakes.

The win pushed Sacramento to 65-77, still lodged in the cellar of the AL West but showing glimpses of a club better than its record. They have now scored 96 first-inning runs this year, second most in the majors, and continue to play spoiler with power. More importantly, they shook off a disastrous start from their rookie pitcher without ever looking rattled, a trait that bodes well for the final stretch.

For the Angels, the frustration deepens. Trout went hitless with two strikeouts, Moncada fanned twice, and their pitching staff unraveled under the weight of walks and wild pitches. By the late innings, the game felt less like a rivalry clash and more like a showcase for Sacramento’s next wave.

The A’s will try to build on the outburst with RHP J.T. Ginn (2-6 ERA 5.17) set to start on Saturday. If the lineup carries over the same swagger, Anaheim could be in for another long night. The Angels will start LHP Yusei Kikuchi (6-10 ERA 3.83).

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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