Los Angeles Angels starter Walbert Urena pitched five innings of shutout ball against the Sacramento A’s at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento on Sat Jun 20, 2026 (AP News photo)

Angels Turn the A’s Lineup Into Background Noise; Halos starter Urena and 3 relievers shutout Sac 7-0

By Mauricio Segura

WEST SACRAMENTO–Friday, the Sacramento Athletics pulled a rabbit out of a batting helmet, climbing from a seven-run hole to win in 10 innings. One game later Saturday, the Angels buried the Green and Gold before any late magic could get even a toe on the field. Los Angeles beat the Athletics 7-0, using early pressure, a four-run sixth inning and a pitching relay that turned Sacramento’s bats into a long quiet drive home.

The A’s had a chance to change the tone right away. Nick Kurtz opened the bottom of the first with a double to center, Tyler Soderstrom was hit by a pitch, and Jacob Wilson loaded the bases with a single to right. That brought Jonah Heim to the plate with one out and the crowd was ready for a jolt. Instead, Heim struck out, Lawrence Butler grounded out, and the inning ended with three runners stranded. It was the best chance the Athletics had all game, and it vanished before the Angels broke a sweat.

Los Angeles went to work in the second against J.T. Ginn. Jo Adell doubled to center, Wade Meckler reached on a free pass, and Donovan Walton sent a ground ball into right field to score Adell. Jose Siri followed with a sacrifice fly to left, bringing home Meckler and giving the Angels a 2-0 lead. Ginn avoided further trouble after Tyler Heineman doubled and Zach Neto earned another free pass, but the damage had already put the A’s in chase mode.

For a while, Ginn settled in. He escaped a bases-loaded spot in the third when Walton hit into a force at home and Siri grounded out. He then retired the Angels in order in the fourth and fifth, giving the Athletics a window to get back into the game. The problem was Walbert Ureña kept slamming that window shut. Ureña worked five scoreless innings, allowing four hits while striking out five. Each time the A’s looked ready to build something, he yanked the rug from under their feet.

The sixth inning turned the game from manageable to miserable. Walton singled, Siri singled, and Scott Barlow replaced Ginn with one out. Heineman then singled to right, loading the bases for Neto, who doubled down the left-field side to score Walton and Siri. Nolan Schanuel followed with a two-run double to right, sending Heineman and Neto home and pushing the Angels ahead 6-0. Ginn’s line ended at 5 1/3 innings, seven hits and four runs, a rough turn after entering the game with a 2.91 ERA and a career-best three-game winning streak.

Denzer Guzman added the final run in the seventh, homering to left off Geoff Hartlieb. For the Angels, it was a full-team effort. Walton had three hits and scored twice, Adell added three hits of his own, Neto drove in two, and Schanuel matched him with two RBIs. The Angels finished with 13 hits and made the A’s pay almost every time traffic gathered on the bases.

The Athletics did have one more opening in the seventh. Henry Bolte singled, Max Muncy drew a free pass, and Kurtz loaded the bases with another free pass after Ryan Zeferjahn replaced Samy Natera Jr. But Shea Langeliers grounded out, and the last real threat disappeared. Zeferjahn handled the eighth, and Kirby Yates finished the ninth with two strikeouts, closing a combined five-hit shutout.

For the A’s, the loss also snapped some of the momentum from a strong recent run. They had won two straight and seven of their previous 10, had moved back to .500, and had already taken the first two games of the series against Los Angeles. They also entered with one of baseball’s hottest offenses, but this time the power never showed. Kurtz doubled, Wilson singled, Butler singled, Jeff McNeil doubled, and Bolte singled. But no one scored.

Game 4 of the series Sunday gives the Athletics a chance to put this dud in the rearview mirror. the A’s Jack Perkins (2-3, 6.15 ERA, 49 K) gets the ball against Reid Detmers (3-5, 3.68 ERA) for the Angels, with first pitch set for 1:05 p.m. Pacific.

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.

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