Sacramento A’s pitcher JT Ginn took a no hitter into the seventh inning against the Washington Nationals on Sat Jul 18, 2026 at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento (AP News photo)

Sacramento A’s game wrap:

By Mauricio Segura

Jacob Wilson needed one swing to show the Sacramento Athletics had no interest in extending their misery. His leadoff homer to left launched a five-run first inning, J.T. Ginn carried a no-hitter into the seventh, and the A’s buried the Washington Nationals 15-1 to halt a season-high 10-game losing streak on Saturday night at Sutter Health Park.

The turnaround was comical in its size. The A’s had been outscored 91-25 during the disapointing streak, then scored more runs in this game than they had produced over their previous seven games combined. They also responded to a 23-4 loss in the series opener by taking control and dominating Washington almost immediately.

Ginn set the tone by striking out James Wood, Luis García Jr. and José Tena in order in the top of the first. Wilson then sent a Zack Littell offering over the left-field wall. Tyler Soderstrom followed with a single, Carlos Cortes doubled him home, and Joshua Kuroda-Grauer added another RBI double for a 3-0 lead. Jonah Heim’s single scored Kuroda-Grauer, and Lawrence Butler’s force play brought home Donovan Walton to make it 5-0.

Rookie Kuroda-Grauer entered tied for the most hits by an Athletics player through his first 13 major-league games, matching Jack Hayden’s 21 in 1901. His first-inning double gave him 22 through 14 games, one more than Hayden had at the same point.

The A’s added another run in the second. Wilson singled, Shea Langeliers drew a walk, Cortes was hit by a pitch, and Kuroda-Grauer’s grounder scored Wilson for a 6-0 advantage. Littell then held the score there through the fifth, but Ginn gave Washington even less. The right-hander allowed only three walks through six innings and struck out seven while keeping the Nationals without a hit.

Jeff McNeil began the sixth with an infield single after an Athletics challenge overturned the original call. Two outs later, Soderstrom drove a two-run homer to right-center, stretching the lead to 8-0. It was a fitting burst from a hitter who had recently returned from a left hip injury.

Washington finally collected its first hit when Keibert Ruiz singled with one out in the seventh. Ginn departed after 6 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and three walks with seven strikeouts. Hogan Harris finished the inning by getting Daylen Lile on a force play and striking out Curtis Mead.

Then the A’s turned the bottom of the seventh into a long tour of the bases. Cortes opened with a solo homer for a 9-0 lead. Walton drew a walk, Butler later joined him aboard, and McNeil singled home Walton as an error by Wood moved Butler to third. Wilson followed with an RBI single before Soderstrom was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Langeliers cleared them with a three-run double to right, pushing the margin to 14-0.

Cortes had made his fifth pitching appearance of the season in the opener, joining Charlie Jamieson as the only Athletics position players to pitch five times in one year. Back at his usual job, Cortes finished with a double, homer, two RBI and two runs.

McNeil added another RBI single in the eighth, capping a three-hit, two-RBI performance and making it 15-0. Wilson also finished with three hits, three runs and two RBI. Soderstrom had two hits, three runs and two RBI, and every Athletics starter reached base at least once.

The Nationals avoided the shutout in the ninth. Ruiz opened with a ground-rule double, moved to third on Lile’s single and scored on Jorbit Vivas’ sacrifice fly. Luis Medina then retired Dylan Crews on a force play to finish the 15-1 victory, a result that replaced ten games of frustration with nine innings of complete control.

The series finale puts two left-handers on center stage as Jacob Lopez (4-3, 6.83 ERA, 43 strikeouts) starts for the A’s against Washington’s Foster Griffin (10-2, 2.77 ERA, 109 strikeouts), with first pitch scheduled 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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