Sacramento A’s catcher Shea Lageliers (left) can only watch as the Washington Nationals Andres Chaparro (87) gives thanks to the Almighty after scoring at the plate in the top of the fifth inning at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento on Fri Jul 17, 2026 (AP News photo)

Sacramento A’s game wrap:

A’s Took A Friday Night Detour to Skidsville 23-4

By Mauricio Segura

The Sacramento Athletics were hoping the All-Star break would provide a reset, but Washington had other plans by sending the A’s to the showers with a 23-4 devestating loss. The Nationals broke open a close game with a series of big innings and handed the Green and Gold another frustrating defeat, extending a stretch that has seen Sacramento searching for answers.

Entering the series, the A’s had dropped nine straight and 13 of their previous 14 games, with both the offense and pitching staff struggling to find consistency.

The opening two innings belonged to the pitchers. Gage Jump worked around a quiet first inning by striking out two, while Washington starter Cade Cavalli matched him pitch for pitch. Carlos Cortes collected Sacramento’s first hit with a line-drive single, but Jacob Wilson bounced into a double play and Tyler Soderstrom struck out to erase the early opportunity. Jump then retired the Nationals in order in the second, adding two more strikeouts to keep the game scoreless.

Washington finally cracked the scoreboard in the third. Jacob Young worked a walk and Nasim Nuñez followed with a single before Jump retired James Wood for the second out. After a brief on-field delay, Curtis Mead ripped a two-run double into left, scoring both runners. Andrés Chaparro followed immediately with a sharp RBI single, giving the Nationals a 3-0 advantage.

The Athletics answered in the fourth with one swing. Wilson reached on a single, bringing Soderstrom to the plate. The left-handed slugger launched a two-run homer to center, trimming the deficit to one and briefly injecting life into Sacramento’s offense. It was one of the few bright spots for an offense that had scored only four runs over its previous five games entering the contest.

That momentum disappeared almost instantly. Washington struck back in the fifth when Chaparro crushed a two-run homer after Mead singled, stretching the lead to 5-2. Later in the inning, after Dylan Crews stole second following a walk, rookie catcher Harry Ford drilled a two-run homer to center. The Nationals had suddenly built a comfortable cushion while Sacramento’s bullpen struggled to slow the rally.

Mead continued to torment Athletics pitching in the sixth. Young walked again, Nuñez singled, stole second, and both runners scored on James Wood’s single to right. Mead followed with another double, and Chaparro lined a two-run single to center that became even more costly when a fielding error allowed him to reach second. CJ Abrams added an RBI double, and Daylen Lile capped the seven-run inning with a run-scoring single. By the time the dust settled, Washington had blown the game wide open.

The Nationals kept their foot on the gas in the seventh. Nuñez singled once more before Mead ripped his third double of the game. Chaparro then delivered the knockout blow, hammering his second home run of the afternoon, a three-run shot to left. Chaparro finished with two home runs and six RBIs, while Mead enjoyed a spectacular afternoon with three doubles, a single, and five RBIs. Nuñez reached base repeatedly, Young scored three times, and Ford added a home run and three RBIs to an offense that never stopped producing.

Sacramento continued to battle despite the lopsided score. Tommy White, making his major league debut after earning his promotion with a strong season in the minors, collected a double for his first big league hit. Joshua Kuroda-Grauer also stayed hot with a single and a ground-rule double. The rookie infielder entered the game tied for the second-most hits by an Athletics player through his first 12 major league games, and he continued to strengthen that impressive start.

Shea Langeliers added another highlight in the eighth, lining a solo homer to left for Sacramento’s third run. Henry Bolte later drove home Kuroda-Grauer with a ground-rule double after a Washington error helped keep the inning alive, but it was far too little to threaten a comeback.

Washington added one final exclamation point in the ninth after the Athletics turned to position player Carlos Cortes on the mound. Dylan Crews doubled home a run, Ford added an RBI single, and Daylen Lile capped the scoring with a three-run homer to center.

Sacramento showed flashes with Soderstrom’s two-run blast, Langeliers’ solo shot, White’s first career hit, and another productive day from Kuroda-Grauer, but Washington’s relentless attack, led by Chaparro and Mead, proved overwhelming from the middle innings forward.

The series continues Saturday when J.T. Ginn (7-6, 3.67 ERA, 82 K) gets the ball for the Athletics opposite Zack Littell (7-6, 4.90 ERA, 94 K) for Washington, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Pacific as Sacramento looks to finally put the brakes on its lengthy skid.

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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