Jeffrey Springs #59 of the Athletics talks with first base umpire Jansen Visconti #52 after being called for a balk during the fourth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Sutter Health Park on May 17, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Scott Marshall/Getty Images)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Athletics were back in action to take on the San Francisco Giants on Sunday afternoon in the rubber game of a three-game series.

The Giants defeated the A’s and took the series 10-1 in a very windy matinee affair in front of a sold-out crowd of 12,541 patrons.

Jeffrey Springs got the ball to start for the A’s on Sunday. It was Jeffrey’s 10th start for the A’s this season. Springs threw the ball well for the A’s as he went six innings of two-run (one earned), five-hit ball while throwing 92 pitches during his outing. Springs walked only one batter and struck out three.

“Jeffrey threw the ball great today,” Mark Kotsay said of Springs after the game. “Six innings, two runs. Overall, I thought he did a great job with the elements, pitching in these conditions and going out and really just staying focused throughout the six-inning performance. He did a great job.”

Relieving Springs from the bullpen, it was a mixed bag from the A’s relief corps.

First out of the pen for the A’s was Justin Sterner, who came on to pitch the seventh inning for the A’s. Sterner pitched well and delivered a clean inning while striking out two batters on 23 pitches.

In the eighth inning, the bullpen unraveled for the A’s. Luis Medina came on for the A’s but failed to get an out. Medina faced five batters and gave up five runs (four earned) on three hits and surrendered a walk. It was an abysmal performance that didn’t end with him. Jose Suarez came on to pitch the rest of the eighth and didn’t fare much better. Suarez pitched one inning, giving up three runs on three hits while walking one and striking out one. It was a complete and total pitching and defensive meltdown for the A’s, who also committed three errors in the game (which is conservative; it could have been four).

“I mean, that’s the story of the game, really,” Mark Kotsay said after the game, referring to the team’s lack of clean baseball. “It’s a 2-1 game in the eighth, the leadoff hitter we put on [due to an error]. I think we kicked the ball around three times that inning. That’s not good baseball, and when you don’t play good baseball, things get out of hand, and it did in the eighth, and as you see, that’s the result.”

On the offensive side of the ball, the A’s finished the game with just five hits and scored one run. They also walked five times.

The A’s lone run came in the fifth inning when Carlos Cortes hit an RBI double to, at the time, pull the A’s to within one at a 2-1 score.

That was all the A’s could muster on offense.

With the loss, the A’s lost the series to the Giants and fell to 23-23 on the season. The Giants improved to 20-27.

The A’s will head out on the road to take on the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on Monday at 6:38 p.m. PST. J.T. Ginn (2-1, 3.12 ERA) is scheduled to start for the A’s, while the Angels are yet to announce a starter for the game.

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.