Apr 21 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Athletics right fielder Lawrence Butler (4) steals a base before Seattle Mariners second baseman Cole Young (2) can receive a throw during the fifth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
 Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

By Mauricio Segura

The Sacramento Athletics did not need a wild comeback this time. They built this win piece by piece, and walked out of T-Mobile Park with a 5-2 score over the Mariners Tuesday. Nick Kurtz set the tone right away when he opened the game with a walk, stole second, and came home on Tyler Soderstrom’s line-drive double to right.

Kurtz kept doing what he has been doing so often this season, getting on base and creating pressure before Seattle could settle in. The Mariners answered in the third on Josh Naylor’s sacrifice fly, but the Athletics never looked rattled and kept a steady pressure throughout the entire nine innings.

That calm mattered, especially for Jacob Lopez. He worked 5.1 innings, allowed two runs, and kept the game from tilting after a few traffic-filled moments. He gave up singles, issued a pair of walks in the first, and watched Cal Raleigh tie the game at 2-2 with a solo shot in the fifth, but he never let the inning that ruins everything arrive. Instead of drowning in Seattle trouble, he kept the A’s close enough for their lineup to keep swinging.

The middle innings belonged to Jeff McNeil and Jacob Wilson. McNeil broke a 1-1 tie in the fourth with his first home run of the season, a drive to right-center that gave Sacramento a brief edge. After Raleigh answered in the fifth, the Green and Gold came right back in the sixth against Seattle’s bullpen. Soderstrom ripped his second double of the game, then Wilson punched a run-scoring double to left to make it 3-2. His hit pushed the Athletics back in front for good.

Then came Shea Langeliers going deep, again, because of course he did. Langeliers has been one of the Athletics’ most dangerous hitters, and in the seventh he punished a mistake by driving a solo homer to center. It was a clean, no-doubt kind of swing that sent the ball to the centerfield bleachers.

Suddenly it was 4-2, and Seattle was back to chasing. Carlos Cortes followed with a double, giving the Athletics yet another extra-base hit, and even though they did not cash that one in, the inning still made the point. This lineup was not living on one lucky bounce. McNeil homered. Langeliers homered. Soderstrom doubled twice. Wilson kept finding holes. The Athletics kept making Seattle pitch under stress.

The bullpen finished the job with very little drama. Scott Barlow handled the bridge work after Lopez exited and got four important outs. Hogan Harris stepped in with two men on in the seventh and got Naylor on a grounder to kill the threat.

Then Jack Perkins took the last six outs and never blinked. By the time the ninth inning arrived, the Athletics were ready to put a bow on it. Kurtz singled, Langeliers singled, Cortes moved both runners with a grounder, and after Seattle chose to intentionally walk Soderstrom, Wilson lined a single to center to score Kurtz and stretch the lead to 5-2.

For a team that came into this series carrying momentum and trying to stay near the top of the division, this was a strong kind of win. Not flashy. Not chaotic. Just good baseball. The Athletics got on base early, hit for power in the middle, played clean defense, and got the exact outs they needed from the mound. Seattle tied it twice, but the Athletics answered every time and then shut the door like a veteran team that had no interest in making the night any longer than necessary.

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.