Author: Sports Radio Service

Carlos Cortes #26 of the Athletics is congratulated by third base coach Eric Martins #3 after he hit his second solo home run of the game against the Cincinnati Reds in the bottom of the eighth inning at Sutter Health Park on September 12, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

WEST SACRAMENTO — Fresh off an off day on Thursday, the Athletics welcomed the Cincinnati Reds to Sacramento on Friday night. The A’s controlled the game from the start and took game one of the three-game series 3-0.

J.T. Ginn, who has had a very up-and-down season recently for the A’s, was playing with his food all night in Sacramento. However, Ginn managed to escape without allowing any damage and tossed four and a third innings before being removed with an injury. The word from the A’s clubhouse was Ginn left with a “right calf cramp.” Ginn, who walked four and didn’t appear to have his best command, only surrendered two hits in his scoreless outing.

Kotsay was impressed with Ginn’s ability to work out of trouble, but eight three-ball counts and four walks remain an issue for him.

“I think there’s still a lot of room for growth for J.T.,” Kotsay said postgame. “We talk about it a lot, getting ’em out there, getting these starts to get more experience on what it takes.”

Ginn spoke after the game about how he thought he was pitching before the injury and shared a similar assessment to Kotsay’s.

“I thought I could’ve done better filling up the zone early, but I think I pitched out of some big situations and made pitches when I had to, so I thought it was good.”

Ginn continued on the severity of the injury that caused him to leave the game and whether he felt it would be an issue moving forward.

“The first pitch of that last at-bat there I felt it and it kind of just stuck around… I think it was just a cramp, so I think I’ll be ready to go.”

The A’s bullpen did what it has been doing for much of the last month. The bullpen came in and slammed the door on the Reds.

Tyler Ferguson relieved J.T. Ginn after the injury and recorded the last two outs of the fifth inning without incident. Ferguson then went on to toss a scoreless sixth inning for the A’s, allowing one hit and one walk across his inning and a third of relief.

Hogan Harris came on to pitch the seventh inning and allowed no runs and only one hit.

Justin Sterner wasn’t as sharp as he might normally be as he gave up two hits to the Reds but ultimately escaped unscathed in a scoreless eighth inning.

Finally, Mark Kotsay went to Sean Newcomb in the ninth inning. Newcomb, who has become accustomed to high-leverage roles after having success this season with the A’s, struck out the side in a scoreless top of the ninth inning.

On the offensive side of the ball, the A’s kept steady pressure on the Reds all night thanks to a trio of long balls.

Lawrence Butler led off the game with a laser solo shot to center field to immediately get the A’s on the board. It was Butler’s fourth leadoff homer this season and the seventh of his career.

However, the real hero of the night was Carlos Cortes. Cortes, who has had a spot-start and inconsistent role so far this year for the A’s, came up big with two solo home runs. The first came in the third inning when he launched a ball 408 feet into the Sacramento night. His second was an equally majestic 413-foot shot that put the A’s up 3-0 and sealed the victory.

Mark Kotsay spoke highly of Cortes and the preparation he brings no matter the situation.

“Yeah, great night for Carlos,” Kotsay said after the game. “It’s one of those times where it seems like baseball always rewards a guy that gets into the lineup late, and tonight was that night for Carlos with some great at-bats. He comes prepared every day. He doesn’t get a ton of opportunities. You give him some pinch-hit at-bats, he’s had a few starts, but his at-bats have always been consistent with them being good professional ab’s.”

Up Next

The A’s will take on the Reds in game two of the three-game series on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. PST at Sutter Health Park. Luis Severino (6-11, 4.67 ERA) is set to go for the A’s, while Hunter Greene (6-4, 2.59 ERA) will start for the Reds.

Mason Barnett #63 of the Athletics pitches against the Boston Red Sox in the top of the first inning at Sutter Health Park on September 10, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

WEST SACRAMENTO — The A’s avoided being swept at the hands of the Red Sox during a matinee affair on Wednesday, defeating the Red Sox 5-4 in walk-off fashion.

The A’s bats did just enough of everything during the getaway day game to emerge victorious.

Shea Langeliers, who had the day off behind the plate but was in the lineup as the DH, got the A’s going in the first inning with a solo home run to put the A’s up 1-0.

The Red Sox scored in the second inning, but the A’s answered right back thanks to a Nick Kurtz solo home run to left field to reclaim the lead 2-1.

The Red Sox came back with solo runs in both the third and fourth innings to take a 3-2 lead over the A’s.

In the fifth inning, the A’s were able to answer back once more and take the lead again from Boston. This time, it was Tyler Soderstrom who came through, driving an opposite-field two-RBI double to left field to give the A’s the 4-3 lead.

Mason Barnett, making his third major league start on Wednesday, labored but still managed to give the A’s three and two-thirds innings of three-run, seven-hit baseball. Barnett walked just one and struck out four but was hit around whenever he left pitches in the zone.

The A’s bullpen, which has been stellar as of late, continued to pitch well until late in the game when they finally surrendered the lead.

Sean Newcomb was the first arm out of the pen for the A’s as he got the last batter of the fourth inning and then pitched spotless fifth and sixth innings.

Justin Sterner followed and pitched two perfect innings in the seventh and eighth to keep the A’s in front.

After the game, manager Mark Kotsay spoke about the dominance of the bullpen in the second half.

“These two relievers you’re talking about, Newcomb and Sterner, in the second half have been a large portion of the success and rhythm that has taken place down in the bullpen.”

Trouble came in the ninth inning when Elvis Alvarado gave up a run on two hits, recording only one out. Hogan Harris, who had been warming in the bullpen all inning just in case, came in and recorded the final two outs of the ninth, giving up a walk but nothing else.

The A’s came into the bottom of the ninth tied 4-4, needing a run to win. The Red Sox brought in Aroldis Chapman, who hadn’t allowed a hit since July 23, to try to keep the game tied. Shea Langeliers led off the ninth with a double to snap that streak for Chapman and was then moved over to third by a Brent Rooker fly ball to right field.

That set the stage for Lawrence Butler, who stepped up and drove an RBI single the other way to give the A’s the dramatic 5-4 win in nine innings.

Up Next

The A’s will have an off day on Thursday in Sacramento prior to welcoming the Cincinnati Reds to town. Neither team has announced a starter for Friday’s game, scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at Sutter Health Park.