Baltimore Orioles first baseman Coby Mayo (16) puts out Sacramento Athletics’ Henry Bolte, left, during the second inning of a baseball game Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026, in West Sacramento, Calif.Sara Nevis/AP Photo/Sara Nevis

By Mauricio Segura

WEST SACRAMENTO–Two late rallies stalled the Sacramento A’s just short of catching up to the Baltimore Orioles, as the Orioles took the 5-3 win. The A’s loaded the bases in both the sixth and seventh innings, then put the tying runs in scoring position in the ninth before their comeback finally ended.

The loss dropped the Green and Gold to 53-83. They had already clinched a fifth consecutive losing season, the franchise’s longest such run since six straight from 1993-98, despite having won four of their previous six games.

Starter Jack Perkins gave the A’s a workable start. He retired Baltimore in order in the first and escaped the second with a double play and a strikeout. Trouble began in the third when Coby Mayo drew a walk and advanced after Perkins threw away a pickoff attempt.

Colton Cowser moved Mayo to third with a fly ball, and Leody Taveras followed with a ground-rule double for the game’s first run. Perkins kept it there by striking out Jackson Holliday and Pete Alonso. Cowser added his 13th homer in the fifth, a solo shot to center that gave Baltimore a 2-0 lead. Perkins finished five innings with four hits allowed, two runs, four walks and five strikeouts.

Baltimore widened the gap against José Suarez in the sixth. Dylan Beavers and Mayo each singled, then Taveras drove both home with his second double of the game. Taveras finished with two doubles, three RBIs, a walk and a stolen base, supplying most of the Orioles’ offense.

Down 4-0, the A’s finally answered. Jonah Heim drew a walk, Jeff McNeil and Zack Gelof singled, and Lawrence Butler earned a bases-loaded walk to score Heim. Donovan Walton was then hit by a pitch with the bases full, forcing home McNeil and cutting the deficit to 4-2. Shane Baz was removed after 5 2/3 innings, and Alex Hoppe got Max Muncy on a grounder to leave three runners aboard.

The seventh may have hurt even more. Heim singled, Henry Bolte doubled him to third, and McNeil drew a walk with one out. Baltimore turned to Yennier Cano, who struck out Gelof and Butler back-to-back to strand another full set of bases. That was a costly miss for an A’s lineup that created plenty of traffic but struggled to convert it.

The Athletics pushed again in the eighth. Walton drew a one-out walk, Muncy followed with another, and Carlos Cortes delivered an RBI single to right to make it 4-3. But Heim grounded into an inning-ending double play, another opening gone before the A’s could pull even.

Baltimore gained breathing room in the ninth without a hit. Cowser reached on Gelof’s fielding error and raced to third when Butler’s throw also got away. Elvis Alvarado then uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Cowser to score for a 5-3 lead. The A’s still made one last run at it. McNeil singled with one out and Butler singled with two outs, then McNeil stole third while Butler took second. Tommy White grounded out to end it.

Butler’s steal was his tenth of the season, giving him 12 home runs and ten steals. He needed that one swipe to join Marcus Semien as the only Athletics this century with three straight seasons of at least ten homers and ten stolen bases. McNeil added two more hits after beginning the game batting .354 since the All-Star break, third-best in the majors among hitters with at least 100 plate appearances. Bolte also collected two hits, including a double, continuing an August in which he began the game batting .313.

The series wraps Sunday at 1:05 p.m. Pacific, with Baltimore sending Chris Bassitt (5-4, 4.74 ERA, 51 K) and Jeffrey Springs (3-12, 6.08 ERA, 92 K) for Sacramento.

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

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.