Photo: Colby Thomas 8th inning Pinch-Hitting Home Run
Image By: The Golden Bay Times Graphics Dept.

By Mauricio Segura

The Sacramento A’s spent most of this one getting knocked backward by Chicago’s extra-base hits, then turned the final innings into a nerve test that ended with Nick Kurtz doing exactly what a Player of the Month is supposed to do. Down two runs in the eighth, tied in the 10th, and one swing from trouble in the bottom half, the Athletics beat the Cubs 5-4 Wednesday by stitching together just enough offense and a whole lot of bullpen spine.

Sacramento got moving right away. Carlos Cortes opened the game with a single, Kurtz drew a free pass, and Tyler Soderstrom brought Cortes home with a grounder that gave the A’s a 1-0 lead. Zack Gelof doubled in the second and scored when Alika Williams sent a ball into center, giving Jeffrey Springs a 2-0 cushion before the Cubs had fully settled in.

That cushion did not last. Seiya Suzuki opened the second with a solo homer, and Chicago jumped ahead in the third when Nico Hoerner doubled and Pete Crow-Armstrong launched a two-run homer to right center. Springs did help himself by picking Alex Bregman off first after Bregman singled, but the Cubs kept leaning on extra bases. Ian Happ doubled in the fourth, then Michael Busch tripled him home for a 4-2 Chicago lead. Springs exited after 3 2/3 innings, and the game was suddenly asking Sacramento’s bullpen to carry the load.

The relievers answered. Joel Kuhnel ended the fourth by getting Hoerner to pop out, José Suarez worked a scoreless sixth, Mark Leiter Jr. helped settle the seventh, Luis Medina erased a leadoff free pass in the eighth with a double play, Hogan Harris handled the ninth, and Justin Sterner took care of the tenth. From the fourth inning on, the Cubs had chances, but Sacramento’s relievers kept turning them into stranded traffic.

The A’s offense finally stirred in the eighth against Caleb Thielbar. Colby Thomas, pinch-hitting for Cortes, crushed a solo homer to left center, cutting the deficit to one. That swing had extra bite because Thomas had been scuffling, yet he entered with a useful pinch-hitting track record and a strong résumé with runners in scoring position.

Then Shea Langeliers doubled to center, and Soderstrom, who entered riding an eight-game hitting streak and had been swinging one of the hottest bats on the club, tied it with a single to right. Langeliers scored, but Soderstrom was thrown out trying for second after the Athletics challenged and the call stood.

The ninth gave neither side anything. Daniel Palencia retired Gelof, Jeff McNeil, and Williams in order. Harris responded by getting Busch, Pedro Ramírez, and Miguel Amaya without a run, sending the game to the 10th and giving the A’s one more chance to turn a tense game their way.

Williams began the tenth at second and moved to third on Jonah Heim’s groundout. That brought up Kurtz, who had just been named American League Player of the Month after a huge May. He did not need a grand gesture. He lined a single to left, Williams scored, and Sacramento had the lead back at 5-4.

Sterner took it from there, with Henry Bolte entering in center and Lawrence Butler shifting to right. Kevin Alcántara started the bottom of the tenth at second as Chicago’s automatic runner and moved to third on Hoerner’s liner to center. Sterner then struck out Crow-Armstrong on a foul tip before Bregman lined out to Butler in right, ending a game the A’s had to wrestle away one inning at a time.

For the A’s, it was not perfect, but it was enough. They gave up power, lost the lead, fought back late, and still found a way to leave Chicago with the kind of win that can steady a team during a difficult stretch.

Game 3 will feature J.T. Ginn (3-3, 2.87 ERA, 52 K) on the mound for Sacramento against Shota Imanaga (4-6, 4.37 ERA, 69 K) for the Cubs. First pitch is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. Pacific atWrigley.

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

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