Seattle Mariners Julio Rodriguez (44) watches the flight of his home run ball against the Sacramento A’s at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento on Wed May 27, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Mauricio Segura

WEST SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Athletics started the day still clinging to first place in the American League West, but Seattle spent the afternoon tugging at every loose thread until the whole thing looked frayed. The Mariners turned an early Sacramento mistake into a three-run first inning, kept adding pressure in the middle innings, and rode Logan Gilbert’s firm six-inning start to a 9-1 win that made the division race feel a lot tighter than it did when the first pitch was thrown.

The trouble began almost immediately. J.P. Crawford opened the game with a single, and Jeffrey Springs seemed close to escaping after two quick outs. Then Josh Naylor reached on Jeff McNeil’s throwing error, putting two aboard for Rob Refsnyder. That mistake became expensive in a hurry. Refsnyder sent a three-run homer to left, giving Seattle a 3-0 lead before the Athletics had even taken their first swings. It was the kind of inning that has followed the A’s all series, as their defense leaked error on top of error.

Sacramento did get a first-inning single from Carlos Cortes, who entered as one of the best hitters in the majors by batting average, but Gilbert never let the A’s turn a small spark into a real rally. He retired Nick Kurtz, Shea Langeliers, and Tyler Soderstrom in order after Cortes reached, then continued to keep the Green and Gold searching. Darell Hernaiz singled in the third. Langeliers and Soderstrom reached to start the fourth. Zack Gelof doubled in the fifth, and Cortes drew a free pass behind him. Each time, Seattle found the answer before the Athletics could bend the game back toward them.

The fourth inning hurt almost as much as the first. Springs again got the first two outs, but Cole Young singled, Jhonny Pereda drew a free pass, and Colt Emerson ripped a two-run triple to right. That stretched Seattle’s lead to 5-0 and spoiled what had been a strong historical matchup for Springs, who had handled the Mariners well over his career. Instead, the left-hander’s recent slide continued, and the Athletics were chasing a game that kept getting farther away.

Gilbert, meanwhile, gave Seattle exactly what they needed. He worked six scoreless innings, allowed five hits, struck out six, and handled Sacramento’s best chance in the fourth when Langeliers singled and Soderstrom drew a free pass with nobody out. Jonah Heim lifted a ball to center, but Henry Bolte followed by grounding into a double play that erased the inning. For a team that had been struggling to score over the previous week, that missed chance felt heavy.

Seattle added another run in the sixth when Young scored on Emerson’s forceout, helped along by a throwing error from Hernaiz. Then Julio Rodríguez made sure there would be no late suspense. After Young drew a free pass and Emerson singled in the eighth, Rodríguez launched a three-run homer to left-center after an ABS challenge overturned a ball call. That blast pushed the Mariners ahead 9-0 and turned the final innings into a formality.

The Athletics finally got on the board in the ninth. Heim drew a free pass, Bolte singled him to third, and McNeil’s double-play grounder brought Heim home. Gelof followed with a single, but Hernaiz grounded into a forceout to end it.

There were a few small positives. Cortes reached twice, Soderstrom doubled, Gelof had two hits, and Bolte added a late single. But this was mostly a reminder that the A’s margin for error is thinner as the season progresses in tight a West coast competition .

They entered the day with a half-game lead over Seattle and a losing record despite holding the top spot in the West. By the end, Seattle had turned up the heat in the standings, while the Athletics were left with a lopsided loss, a quiet lineup, and another afternoon where early mistakes had loud repercussions.

The Athletics get a day off Thursday before the Bronx Bombers roll into West Sacramento for a weekend series beginning Friday night. Former Yankee Luis Severino gets the start for the A’s,carrying a 2-5 record, 4.23 ERA, and 64 strikeouts into a matchup against Carlos Rodón, who enters at 0-2 with a 4.15 ERA and 17 strikeouts. First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m. at Sutter Health Park.

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.