A Fenway Park groundskeeper helps prepare the field before the Sacramento A’s and Boston Red Sox Wed Sep 17, 2025. The A’s and Sox completed their three game series on Thu Sep 18, 2025. (AP News photo)

A’s Hold Steady in 5-3 Win Over Red Sox

By Mauricio Segura

The Sacramento A’s wasted no time setting the tone, launching an early offensive surge that carried them to a 5-3 win over the Boston Red Sox. Lawrence Butler got the Green and Gold rolling with a leadoff double in the top of the first, and Brent Rooker followed with his 30th home run of the season, a no-doubt shot into the left-field seats that put Sacramento ahead 2-0 before many fans had settled into their seats.

Nick Kurtz added a double, and Tyler Soderstrom’s RBI single pushed the lead to three runs. Though the Red Sox scratched one back in the bottom half on a Trevor Story sacrifice fly, J.T. Ginn settled in and delivered a composed start, working into the seventh inning and handing the game to a bullpen that has quietly become one of the best in the majors since the All-Star break.

Boston briefly threatened in the second when David Hamilton’s solo homer cut the lead to 3-2, but Sacramento’s defense and Ginn’s efficiency quieted the bats through the middle innings. Jacob Wilson’s RBI single in the third widened the gap to 4-2, and in the seventh Butler manufactured a run with a single, stolen base, and hustle around the bases, scoring on a Trevor Story error.

That insurance tally loomed large after Story went deep in the eighth to trim the deficit to 5-3, but Hogan Harris slammed the door in the ninth, striking out Nick Sogard to seal it.

For Sacramento, the formula was clear: timely power, clean defense, and steady pitching. Rooker’s 30th blast gave the A’s three players at or near the 30-homer plateau, a reminder of how dangerous this lineup has become in the second half.

Ginn’s line, six innings, two runs, wasn’t flashy, but it was exactly what manager Mark Kotsay needed from a rotation that has struggled with length all season. The bullpen, with Harris earning the save, continued its dominance since the All-Star break, a stretch in which it owns one of the best ERAs in baseball.

The victory reflected the resilience of a team that once lost 20 of 21 games earlier this year but has since played above .500 ball. The Athletics are 30-24 since the All-Star break, their best second-half showing since 2019.

The offense, now among the league leaders in doubles and slugging, looks nothing like the light-hitting squad from the past five years. Sacramento’s road record has climbed back to .500, ensuring their best showing away from home since 2021.

Butler’s speed and all-around game, Kurtz’s rookie power numbers, Wilson’s steady bat, and Rooker’s consistency have created a balanced attack that opposing pitchers can’t take lightly. Even as the standings show the A’s with a sub .500 record, the trajectory is upward.

Thursday’s win in Boston was another snapshot of a team starting to find its identity, a group no longer defined by its rebuilding struggles but by its growing core and knack for grinding out wins.

It’s onto Pittsburgh as the A’s will face the Pirates on Friday night at PNC Park and the A’s will start RHP Luis Severino (6-11 ERA 4.82) the Pirates have not announced a starter yet.

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

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.