Sacramento A’s Lawrence Butler (4) scores safely on a slide under the glove of San Francisco Giants catcher Eric Haase (18) after a base hit by Jeff McNeil in the top of the eighth inning at Oracle Park in San Francsico on Thu Jun 25, 2026 (Golden Bay Times photo)

By Mauricio Segura

SAN FRANCISCO–The Sacramento A’s mirrored the weather at Oracle Park. They opened the game cold and slow before settling into a steady rhythm through the middle innings. Then, as the sun finally broke through in the ninth, so did their offense. The bats heated up, their focus became crystal clear, and they seized the day with a dramatic 9-6 victory over the Giants.

For six innings, the Giants looked ready to continue their recent dominance over the Athletics. Then the Green and Gold reminded everyone that they did not need to adhere to the line written in the infield dirt by their rivals or accept an easy sweep.

Trailing by one run entering the ninth inning, the Athletics erupted for four hits, a walk, a stolen base, a wild pitch, and four clutch RBI knocks to storm back for a dramatic 9-6 victory. The comeback snapped a four-game losing streak, spoiled what appeared to be a comfortable Giants afternoon, and gave the Athletics a much-needed boost as they reached the halfway point of the season.

The game opened as a pitchers’ duel between Jeffrey Springs and Landen Roupp. Neither offense could solve the starters through the first three innings, although Henry Bolte and Jeff McNeil created a few opportunities that never turned into runs. Roupp repeatedly escaped trouble by striking out Nick Kurtz twice and Shea Langeliers twice during the early frames, while Springs matched him by retiring nine of the first 11 Giants he faced.

San Francisco finally broke the scoreless tie in the fourth when Willy Adames launched a solo home run into the left-center field seats. It was the only mistake Springs made through his first four innings, and it briefly gave the Giants the upper hand.

The Athletics answered immediately in the fifth. McNeil reached after being hit earlier in the game and later singled before Alika Williams delivered one of the biggest swings of the afternoon, lining a double to left that brought McNeil home to even the score. Moments later, Nick Kurtz hit a ground ball that produced a force play but still allowed Williams to cross the plate, putting the Athletics ahead, 2-1.

Williams continued to make an impact after replacing the injured Zack Gelof before the game. His RBI double ignited the comeback, and he later scored while adding solid defense at shortstop.

Springs carried the lead into the sixth, but everything unraveled after two outs. Bryce Eldridge drew a walk, Casey Schmitt followed with a single, and after Matt Krook entered from the bullpen, the Giants loaded the bases. Jung Hoo Lee then ripped a bases-clearing triple into center field, turning a one-run deficit into a 4-2 San Francisco advantage. Victor Bericoto followed immediately by crushing a two-run homer to center, capping a five-run inning that suddenly put the Giants in command, 6-2.

The Athletics refused to disappear.

In the seventh, McNeil and Williams reached again before Langeliers lined a two-run single into center, trimming the deficit to 6-4. An inning later, Lawrence Butler doubled and eventually scored when McNeil lined another single into right, bringing the Athletics within one run entering the final inning.

Then came the decisive rally.

Henry Bolte opened the ninth with a single and advanced on a wild pitch. After Kurtz struck out, Langeliers hit a grounder that moved Bolte no farther, leaving the Athletics down to their final out after Tyler Soderstrom earned a walk following a successful challenge.

Jonah Heim answered with the biggest hit of his afternoon, sending a ground-ball single into left to score Bolte and tie the game at six. Butler followed with another sharp single that scored Soderstrom and suddenly flipped the scoreboard in the Athletics’ favor. After Butler stole second, Max Muncy delivered the knockout punch with a two-run single to left, bringing home Heim and Butler to complete a breathtaking seven-run swing from the sixth inning onward.

Bolte quietly fueled the offense all afternoon with three hits and strong defense in center field. McNeil also collected three hits and scored twice while driving home a run. Williams finished with two hits and two runs scored, Butler contributed two hits, two RBI, two runs scored, and a stolen base, Heim delivered the game-tying RBI single, Langeliers drove in two, and Muncy’s late two-run hit provided valuable breathing room. Soderstrom added three hits and reached base four times.

Mason Barnett handled the ninth with authority, striking out Victor Bericoto before retiring Eric Haase and Drew Gilbert to seal the comeback.

The victory carried extra significance for an Athletics club that had dropped 10 of its previous 12 meetings against the Giants and entered the afternoon having scored two runs or fewer in three of its previous four games. Instead of another frustrating finish, the Green and Gold authored one of their most memorable rallies of the season.

Next up, the Athletics head south to face the Angels, where right-hander J.T. Ginn (5-4, 3.16 ERA, 74 strikeouts) is expected to oppose Los Angeles right-hander Walbert Ureña (5-5, 2.41 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 6:38 p.m. Pacific as the Athletics look to carry their comeback momentum into a new series.

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, The Golden Bay Times.

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