San Francisco Giants Casey Schmitt (10) rounds the bases after hitting a first inning home run off Sacramento A’s starter Luis Severino at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento on Sat May 16, 2026 (AP News photo)

Saturday, May 16, 2026

Sutter Health Park

West Sacramento, California

San Francisco Giants 6 (19-27)

Sacramento Athletics 4 (23-22)

Win: Trevor McDonald (2-0)

Loss: Luis Severino (2-5)

Save: Matt Gage (1)

Time: 2:34

Attendance: 12,489

By Stephen Ruderman

WEST SACRAMENTO–Casey Schmitt hit two home runs, and Trevor McDonald gave up just a run over six and two thirds lights-out inning, as the Giants bounced back with a much-needed 6-4 win over the A’s here in Sacramento.

The Giants’ three-game winning streak was completely wiped out by a three-game losing streak. They had some good news, as Erik Miller was activated off of the Injured List. However, Heliot Ramos was placed on the Injured List after he strained his right quad Friday night.

(As for corresponding roster moves, Tristan Beck was sent down to the River Cats, and Will Brennan was called back up.)

The Giants’ offense had been home run happy again over the last three games, which was the biggest reason they lost three-straight. However, that paid dividends when Casey Schmitt hit a home run to left off Luis Severino with two outs in the top of the first inning.

Unfortunately, this game did not come without more wasted opportunities by the Giants. It also didn’t come without more bone-headed base-running blunders by Willy Adames.

Willy has already been in hot water for forgetting the amount of outs and getting doubled off second base after jazzercising with Mookie on Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium.

Saturday night, Adames was standing at second with one out in the top of the second. I couldn’t tell if he was talking to Darrel Hernaiz and Jeff McNeil, so I am not going to make any assumptions. However, when Drew Gilbert hit a ground ball to short that bounced in front of Adames, even though players are taught when they’re kids not to advance on a ground ball that bounces in front of them, Adames took off for third anyway, and was promptly thrown out by a mile. It was Adames’ second bone-headed base-running blunder in just the last four games.

Adames had a chance to redeem himself when he came up with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the third. Willy has shown more of a willingness to shorten his swing and hit line drives since last Friday. Here, he lined a base-hit the other way to right to knock in a pair of runs and make it 3-0. However, Adames was thrown out trying to take second on the throw home by Lawrence Butler.

To give Willy credit, Shea Langeliers was standing a good 10 feet in front of the plate to receive the throw that he knew had no chance of getting Luis Arraez, and was itching to make that play on Adames. Also, runners are generally going to try and take second on throws from the outfield to the plate, so I’m not going to fault Willy for that one.

As for the pitching side of things, Trevor McDonald took the ball for his third big league start of the year, and have up just one hit through his first three innings. The A’s put runners at first and second with one out in the bottom of the fourth, but McDonald retired the next two guys he faced to get out of it.

Luis Arraez walked with one out in the top of the fifth, and that set things up for Schmitt to hit his second home run of the game. This one was an opposite-field shot that just stayed fair down the right field line.

Do you remember how I mentioned earlier that this game did not come without missed opportunities by the Giants? Well, the Giants had a chance to make this one a laugher after they loaded the bases later in the inning with still just one out. Then, Drew Gilbert struck out on a foul tip, and Harrison Bader missed a grand salami by just a matter of feet, as he flew out to the track in left to end the inning.

The Giants wasted a golden opportunity to put the game away, and McDonald had to sit for a bit during the top of the fifth. The A’s immediately pounced, and got runners to first and third to start the inning. McNeil then hit a one-hopper to first, but Rafael Devers made a great sliding stop to his right to get it, and while his throw to second was a bit wild, Adames was able to catch it and step on the bag to get Hernaiz. Butler scored to put the A’s on the board, but McDonald was able to work out of it with just the run.

To give credit to Severino, he ate up six innings for the A’s, despite giving up the five runs. McDonald, on the other hand, was lights out over six and two thirds. He gave up just a run on five hits, and he struck out five.

The Giants tacked on a run off Scott Barlow in the top of the seventh to make it 6-1. They had a chance to add on more, as they still had runners at second and third with one out, but, well, they wasted it.

Tony wanted to give Erik Miller some work in his return, and he got the final out in the bottom of the seventh. Miller was back out for the bottom of the eighth, and walked the first two batters of the inning. Tyler Soderstrom flew out to right for the first out, and then Tony pulled Miller for Caleb Kilian. Brent Rooker then stepped up, and hit a three-run bomb that hooked down the left field line to make it 6-4.

The Giants were going to have to earn this one. However, I was assured by people who have covered the A’s on a routine basis this season that the A’s wouldn’t come back. As for me, after watching the Giants get off to a horrendous 18-27 start, and have their three-game winning streak, where it looked like they were finally getting it together, get completely wiped out by a three-game losing streak, I was not going to relax until that final out was made.

Well, they were right. Matt Gage threw a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth for his first big league save, and the Giants won 6-4.

Trevor McDonald got the win; Luis Severino took the loss; and you already saw it in just my very last sentence: Matt Gage picked up his first big league save.

The Giants improve to 19-27, and they can take the series with a win Sunday. They will have to rely on Adrian Houser (1-4 ERA 5.79) Sunday. While Houser got off to a rough start, he is coming off a pair of solid outings. Hopefully, he can give the Giants another one Sunday. Jeffrey Springs (3-3 ERA 4.22) will go for the A’s.

First pitch will be at 1:05 p.m.