Category: MLB

Sacramento A’s Relocation podcast Daniel Dullum: Sale of Coliseum on hold until 2026; AASEG looking to purchase A’s half of property

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Usher Leland Anderson greets fans at the Oakland Coliseum before the Colorado Rockies and Oakland A’s match up on May 22, 2024. The Oakland Coliseum Complex property sale is expected to be completed by February 2026 as purchased by the African American Sports Entertainment Group (AP file photo)

On the Sacramento A’s Relocation podcast Daniel Dullum:

#1 Daniel last Monday Oakland City officials held a vote to delay the closing date of sale for the African American Sports Entertainment Group share of the Oakland Coliseum complex. The delay will be until early 2026.

#2 The sale would go to a group of developers and investors AASEG who are negotiating with Alameda County officials and are in negotiations right now.

#3 If the deal is settled it would sell half of the City of Oakland’s ownership of the 112 acre property that would include the Oakland Coliseum and Arena, administrative offices, the parking lots to the AASEG. The sale was set to be close on May 30th.

#4 Will this deal get done? The deal between AASEG and Alameda County must be approved separately as the A’s own the other half of the Coliseum property. The County had met directly with AASEG in January.

#5 In 2025 AASEG made a deal to buy the A’s half of the Coliseum for $125 million. The approval of the sale needed to be approved by the Alameda county supervisors. The A’s had bought the county’s share back in 2019 for $85 million. Last fall the Oakland City Council approved the sale of the property to AASEG. Last Monday now the City Council voted to delay the sale. Council members Rebecca Kaplan and Ken Houston extended the closing date of the sale so it would align the timeline with the city and county.

Daniel Dullum does the Sacramento A’s relocation podcasts each weekend at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Despite Solid Pitching By Logan Webb-Giants Drop Game One to Angels 2-0; Halos Anderson pitches six innings of shutout ball

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San Francisco Giants starter Logan Webb delivers to the Los Angeles Angels line up in the bottom of the first inning at Angels Stadium in Anaheim on Fri Apr 18, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The San Francisco Giants (13-7) fell to the Los Angeles Angels (10-9) 2-0 in game one of their three-game series. Logan Webb had a spectacular game with no walks, 12 strikeouts stumbling a bit in the second inning.

Webb struck Mike Trout out three times. It was a tremendous outing for Webb but the Giants still got stuck with a loss. There was very little going on offensively for San Francisco coming away with only four hits.

Game recap: After a quiet first inning, the Angels had a very productive second inning. Three doubles and a Matt Chapman error had gave Los Angeles a 2-0 lead. Zach Neto doubled Nolan Schanuel home for the early 1-0 lead. Neto would go on to score when 3rd baseman Matt Chapman encountered a fielding error. Jo Adell and Schanuel also had doubles in the inning.

A pitchers duel got underway with six scoreless innings. Webb had a great start despite the two runs. He really pulled it together finishing six innings allowing four hits, one earned run, no walks and 12 strikeouts. He was relieved in the seventh inning by Randy Rodriguez. Webb had dismissed Mike Trout not once or twice but three times in the game.

The Angels Ty Anderson also had a good game going six innings allowing three hits, no runs, two walks and six strikeouts. He was relieved in the seventh inning by Brock Burke who allowed 1 hit and no runs.

Going into the eighth inning the Giants had to get something going. They were running out of time . The Giants had two walks in the inning but Matt Chapman and Willy Adames both struck out, Heliot Ramos lined out and that was the inning.

The offense for San Francisco had been extremely quiet. The Angels had five hits in the game, the Giants four. San Francisco had been on second base a couple of times in the game but their offense was for the most part pretty stagnant.

It all came down to the ninth inning for San Francisco. It was their final chance to get some offense going while Los Angeles would be looking to hang onto their 2-0 lead and finish off San Francisco.

The Angels Kenley Jansen would try to close this game out and take the first game of this three-game series. It was a three up and three out for San Francisco and Jansen got the job done for the Los Angeles win.

The Giants had wasted an incredible pitching effort by Logan Webb having trouble hitting off Angel pitcher Ty Anderson. It was just one of those night’s where not much was working.

Game notes: After splitting a series with the Phillies to start this past week, the San Francisco Giants headed out west taking on the Angels in a three game series Friday night. It was a 60 plus degree day with the promise of mid-Seventies over the weekend a far-cry from the horrendous conditions in Philadelphia.

Logan Webb was on the mound for San Francisco while the Angels started Ty Anderson. The Giants have been playing some very good baseball taking early leads as well as some come from behind wins. The Giants have slipped into third place with the Padres and Dodgers holding down the first two spots in the National League West. The loss Saturday didn’t help their position against the Dodgers and Padres in the standings.

Saturday the Giants will be looking to even the series with first pitch scheduled for 6:38 PM. San Francisco will send Landen Roupp (1-1, ERA 4.80) to start this game and the Angels will feature Kyle Hendricks (0-1 ERA 4.20) on the mound.

Late Rally Falls Short as A’s Bow to Brewers 5-3

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Sacramento A’s pitcher JT Ginn delivers to the Milwaukee Brewers in the bottom of the first inning at American Family Park in Milwaukee on Fri Apr 18, 2025 (AP News photo)

Late Rally Falls Short as A’s Bow to Brewers 5-3

By Mauricio Segura

The Sacramento Athletics’ recent hot streak cooled on Friday evening, as they dropped the opening game of their weekend series against the Milwaukee Brewers by a score of 5-3 at American Family Field. Despite a late-inning push, the green and gold couldn’t overcome an early Brewers lead fueled by timely hits and solid pitching.

Brewers starter Freddy Peralta kept the A’s lineup quiet early, striking out six through five innings and scattering seven hits. His effort limited the Athletics’ damage to just one run during his tenure on the mound. Peralta improved to 2-1 with a tidy 2.31 ERA.

Meanwhile, the Athletics’ J.T. Ginn, fresh off a winning performance against the Mets last weekend, found tougher sledding against Milwaukee’s lineup. Ginn surrendered three runs on five hits and two walks through 4 2/3 innings. Christian Yelich proved to be Ginn’s toughest challenge, driving in two runs including a key RBI single in the third inning that contributed to the early Brewers advantage.

Milwaukee jumped ahead in the third when rookie Caleb Durbin recorded his first Major League hit, later scoring on Jackson Chourio’s double. Yelich’s subsequent RBI single made it 2-0. In the fifth, Yelich added his second RBI single of the game, stretching Milwaukee’s lead to 3-0 and chasing Ginn from the game.

The A’s offense, which had powered through Chicago earlier this week with nine extra-base hits in a single game, struggled to replicate that magic against Milwaukee pitching. Oakland’s batters could only muster scattered singles through most of the contest. Tyler Soderstrom, who entered leading the Majors in home runs with nine, managed two singles but couldn’t deliver the powerful swing he’s become known for this season.

Gio Urshela finally put the A’s on the board in the sixth, driving in JJ Bleday on a fielder’s choice. But Milwaukee quickly answered back with two more runs in the seventh, capitalizing on fielding errors and timely hits to push their advantage to 5-1.

Down but not out, the A’s fought back in the ninth. Brent Rooker, who had an impressive series against the White Sox going 6-for-13, doubled to score Max Muncy, and Tyler Soderstrom added a sacrifice fly to narrow the deficit to 5-3. With the tying run at the plate, Milwaukee’s Trevor Megill struck out Shea Langeliers, extinguishing Oakland’s comeback hopes and securing the Brewers’ victory.

Despite the setback, there were positive notes for Oakland. Lawrence Butler extended his hitting streak to four games and continues to impress with his recent performances. Miguel Andujar had a strong night at the plate, collecting three singles.

With this loss, Oakland’s record slips slightly to 9-11, while Milwaukee moves to 11-9. The A’s will look to bounce back Saturday with Luis Severino (0-3 ERA 4.01), seeking his first win of the season, facing Chad Patrick (1-0 ERA 1.76) at 4:10 PT.

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.

Sacramento A’s podcast Jeremiah Salmonson: Swinging A’s stay hot on road trip sweep Sox in Chi-Town

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Sacramento A’s Brent Rooker (25) congratulates Tyler Soderstrom (21) who hit his Major League leading ninth home run in the top of the seventh inning against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field in Chicago on Thu Apr 17, 2025 (AP News photo)

Sacramento A’s podcast Jeremiah Salmonson:

#1 A combination of four pitchers for the Sacramento A’s did in the Chicago White Sox in by shutting them out 8-0 at Rate Field on the South Side of Chicago Thursday. JP Sears started it off by pitching six innings, three hits, no runs and two strike outs.

#2 A’s manager Mark Kotsay used three pitchers to help combine for the shutout over the Sox, after Sears left he was relieved by Noah Murdock who went 1.2 innings, with one hit and two strikeouts, middle reliever TJ McFarland pitched one third of an inning no runs, no walks and no strikeouts, and Jason Alexander mopped up going one inning with two strikeouts.

#3 The White Sox didn’t even put up a threat with only four hits. The A’s had runners circling the bases all afternoon with one run in the fifth, two in the sixth, one in the seventh, and three in the ninth.

#4 In the series the A’s won game one by a lopsided score on Tuesday 12-3, on Wednesday a little close but a win for Sacramento 3-1, and Thursday afternoon no mercy in the 8-0 shutout for the A’s.

#5 The A’s go into Milwaukee with confidence after a sweep in Chicago. The Milwaukee Brewers are second place in the NL Central and are 7-3 at American Family Park. The Brewers have won six of their ten games. The A’s have the second best road record at 7-3 in baseball behind the San Francisco Giants who are 9-3 away.

Join Jeremiah for the A’s podcasts Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants Fall To Philadelphia 6-4 Ending In a Tie Series

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By Barbara Mason

The San Francisco Giants fell behind in the first inning 5-1 and never recovered losing to the Philadelphia Phillies 6-4 tying up their four game series at 2 apiece. Matt Chapman and Tyler Fitzgerald both had home runs, Chapman a 2-run homer and Fitzgerald a solo shot. The Phillies only had one more run in the eighth inning but it was enough for the win. Philly pitcher Christopher Sanchez was a huge part of this win striking out 12 in 7 innings in a brilliant appearance on the mound. He allowed four hits and 2 earned runs.

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Thursday afternoon the San Francisco Giants (13-6) took on the Phillies (11-8) in game four of their series looking to head off to their next series in Los Angeles Friday night in a more favorable climate and most importantly with a series win under their belt. After miserable conditions in the first three games of this series, the weather cooperated as game-time approached. The high today was forecast to be 62 degrees. Jordan Hicks took the mound for San Francisco looking to commandeer the game and take the series. The Phillies will start Christopher Sanchez in the final game of this series.

The Giant got on the board in the first inning. Matt Chapman singled Heliot Ramos home for an early 1-0 lead but the Giants would not score again until the sixth inning. Philadelphia had a very productive first inning taking a 5-1 lead. This was a great way for the Phillies to start the game however it was very early in the game with a lot of baseball still to be played. Their first five batters reached base on 4 singles and a walk. The Phillies could not have asked for a better start to the game. Kyle Schwarber had a 2-run single, Nick Castellanos had an rbi single and San Francisco pitcher Jordan Hicks threw a run-scoring wild pitch. Alec Bohm finished off the inning with a RBI triple.

It was a rough outing for Jordan Hicks who pitched through seven innings allowing 5 runs, 6 hits and four walks. After that opening inning Hicks calmed down and held Philadelphia scoreless until the eighth inning where they added one more run. Erik Miller had relieved Hicks in the eighth and allowed that additional run.

The Giants Matt Chapman hit a 2-run home run in the sixth inning and the Giants were within 2 runs of a tie game. The Phillies fought right back scoring a run in the eighth extending their lead to 6-3. They held on in the ninth inning allowing one San Francisco run winning the game by the score of 6-4 and leveling the four-game series.

Next up for the Giants will be a three-game series that gets underway tomorrow night in Los Angeles. They will take on the 9-8 Angels at Angel Stadium. Probable pitchers for the game will be Logan Webb for the Giants and Tyler Anderson for the Angels. The Giants will face Angels home run (6 home runs) leader Mike Trout. The Giants Wilmer Flores also has 6 home runs to his credit so far this season and he is always a threat when he comes to the plate. First pitch for this game is scheduled for 6:38 PM.

A’s Crush White Sox 8-0 with Power and Precision to Complete Sweep

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Sacramento A’s Tyler Soderstrom slugs a top of the seventh inning home run against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field in Chicago on Thu Apr 17, 2025 (AP News photo)

A’s Crush White Sox with Power and Precision to Complete Sweep

By Mauricio Segura

The Sacramento Athletics (9-10) arrived at Rate Field in Chicago this week with momentum and left with a sweep. Powered by a relentless offense and sharp pitching, the green and gold dominated the Chicago White Sox (4-14) 8-0 on Thursday afternoon, locking down their third straight win and continuing to turn heads around the American League.

It took only two batters to make it clear the Athletics meant business. Lawrence Butler opened the game with a ground-rule double to right and Jacob Wilson immediately followed with an RBI double, giving the A’s a 1-0 lead before the White Sox could blink.

It was a fitting start for Wilson, who has been a steady force for the Athletics lineup all season. Already boasting a hit in 16 of the team’s first 18 games, Wilson continues to lead by example with his consistency at the plate.

While the first-inning fireworks set the tone, the A’s continued to chip away patiently. Brent Rooker and JJ Bleday kept the pressure on with smart at-bats, and although a few early rallies fizzled, the green and gold showed they were just getting warmed up.

In the fifth inning, Lawrence Butler struck again. This time, he launched a no-doubt solo home run to right field, pushing the Athletics’ lead to 2-0 and sending a jolt of energy through the dugout. Butler’s performance was another chapter in his growing story as a key figure in the A’s youthful core.

The sixth inning is where the A’s broke the game open. Brent Rooker led off with a single and JJ Bleday followed by blasting a two-run home run into the right-field seats. It was Bleday’s second homer of the season and a much-needed boost for the A’s offense, which has found its rhythm in recent games. By the time the sixth ended, the Athletics were up 4-0 and showing no signs of letting the White Sox back into the game.

Meanwhile, JP Sears was quietly delivering one of his best outings of the year. Sears, who had previously struggled against Chicago in his career, flipped the script with six scoreless innings. He worked efficiently, mixing speeds and locations to keep the White Sox hitters off balance.

Sears did not allow a single runner past second base during his outing, and when he exited after six, the A’s bullpen kept the shutout intact with precision work from Noah Murdock, T.J. McFarland, and Jason Alexander.

In the seventh inning, the Athletics continued their barrage. Tyler Soderstrom, the breakout star of the early season, crushed a solo home run to right, marking his Major League leading ninth homer of the year. Soderstrom’s power has been a difference-maker for the A’s, leading the majors in home runs and producing runs at a historic pace for a player so early in his career.

The Athletics were not done yet. In the ninth, Max Schuemann tripled to start the inning and was immediately driven home by Jacob Wilson’s second RBI double of the game. Not wanting to be left out of the late-inning fun, Brent Rooker then launched a two-run homer of his own, his fifth of the season, capping off the A’s scoring at eight runs and putting the White Sox away for good.

The A’s offense finished the afternoon with 13 hits, four of them for extra bases, and showed the type of balanced attack that has defined their recent surge. Wilson, Butler, Rooker, Bleday, and Soderstrom all had key contributions, a sign that the lineup is becoming increasingly dangerous from top to bottom.

Defensively, the A’s were equally sharp. Solid outfield play from Bleday and Butler helped preserve the shutout, while first baseman Tyler Soderstrom anchored several key outs with sure hands and smart positioning.

For a team that spent much of the early season at the bottom of the standings, the sweep over Chicago is a statement. The A’s have now won five of their last six games and are beginning to look like a team ready to climb out of the basement. Their road record, a sparkling 7-3, is the second-best in the majors and shows a level of resilience that could prove critical as the season unfolds.

Next, the A’s head to Milwaukee for a three-game series against a strong Brewers team. With JT Ginn scheduled to start and the offense firing on all cylinders, the green and gold will look to keep the momentum going and continue surprising those who counted them out early.

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.

MLB podcast Michael Duca Thu Apr 17, 2025: Pirates Skenes will he have another Cy Young type season?; Braves Strider returns after missing last season; plus more news

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Pittsburgh Pirates Paul Skenes (30) pitches to the Washington Nationals in the first inning on Mon Apr 14, 2025 in Pittsburgh (AP News photo)

MLB podcast Michael Duca Thu Apr 17, 2025

#1 There is a lot of talk about the Pittsburgh Pirates Paul Skenes who is now considered an All Star. During the 2024 season Skenes had himself a season going 11-3 ERA 1.96 and so far this season is 2-1 ERA 2.96. Skenes says that he does focus when he gets some quite time and that brings him out on the field to make those starts. Can you talk about his skill as a pitcher and can he repeat the kind of season he had last year?

#2  Atlanta Braves right handed pitcher Spencer Strider faced the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday and threw five plus innings allowed two runs, struck out five, walked one and hit one batter in an 3-1 loss and it was Strider’s first appearance since he had surgery to repair an ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.

#3 Veteran umpire Hunter Wendelstedt who was working first base took a line drive that hit him in the face. Wendelstedt the son of former umpire Harry Wendelstedt hit the ground after being hit off the bat by New York Mets center fieldr Tyrone Taylor in the seventh inning. Taylor and Minnesota Twins pitcher Louis Varland reacted in shock after seeing the ball hit Wendelstedt.

#4 The Chicago White Sox who got lit up by the Sacramento A’s 12-3 on Tuesday night at Rate Field designated right hand pitcher Mike Clevenger for assignment on Wednesday. Clevenger allowed three runs in the top of the ninth inning in Tuesday’s game. He had been struggling with an 0-2 record and an ERA of 7.94 in five appearances so far this year. He was 9-14 in 28 starts and eight relief appearances for the Sox.

#5 Miguel, finally talk about the job that San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee has been doing he’s hitting .333, 21 hits, 3 home runs, and 12 RBIs. He’s played some outstanding defense and went two for three with two hits and two runs scored in his last game on Wednesday night in Philadelphia.

Join Michael Duca for the MLB podcast Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips: Giants looking to sweep four game series against Phils at Citizens Bank

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San Francisco Giants Heliot Ramos (front) and Jung Hoo Lee (back) share congratulations with teammates following Wed Apr 16, 2025 win over the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Ballpark (AP News photo)

On the San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris:

#1 San Francisco Giants Jung Hoo Lee hit for single, double, and had two RBIs as the San Francisco Giants clobbered the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Ballpark 11-4. Little doubt that Jung Hoo has been a big contributor.

#2 San Francisco continues to roll they are now 13-5 and picked up their third win in this current four game series.

#3 The Giants got RBI help from Mike Yastrzemski, Wilmer Flores, and Patrick Bailey each hit for two RBIs. They’re getting the hitting production.

#4 Phillies starter Aaron Nola got lit up and his record dropped to 0-4, he surrendered six earned runs and nine hits he was no mystery to the Giants.

#5 The Giants move onto game four of the series and will start Jordan Hicks (1-1 ERA 5.87) starting for the Phillies Christopher Sanchez (1-0, ERA 3.12) first pitch 1:05pm PDT. Morris how do you like the Giants chances at sweeping four games it’s one of the more difficult things to do in the Majors.

Morris Phillips does the Giants podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary:A’s not selling out a 14,014-seat park?

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Sutter Health Park on Apr 4, 2024 the day the Sacramento A’s announced they will play all their home games in Sacramento at a press conference. The A’s have hosted two homestands into the 2025 season and have won two out nine home games so far. (AP News file photo)

A’s not selling out a 14,000-seat park?

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Although A’s players will not speak about it publicly, I am sure they will be pleased when they go on the road. It is not good business for any team not to sell out home games than when they play on the road, especially in a 14,014 capacity park, in Sacramento. MLB’s gate revenue (ticket sales) is typically split roughly 95-5 between the home and visiting teams.

The home team keeps approximately 95% of the gate, while the visiting team receives approximately 5%. So this could be terrible revenue news for the Athletics, win or lose, because when you go on the road to play, even if you win the game, you never win in money/ticket sales, that is ‘to be expected’, but at home?

Throughout decades in this business, I have learned that players usually like to win at home, where they get the most respect from fans and the best following, where generally more people come to see you play. It is only normal, this is your home park, you sleep on the same bed for 81 games, home cooking most of the time.

But not for the ATH playing at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, at least not this 2025 season. However, the A’s will not be embarrassed this year for having the lowest attendance in baseball. Why is that? Because the Tampa Bay Rays are playing this 2025 season at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, their temporary home while Tropicana Field in St Petersburg is under repair from damage during Hurricane Milton, their capacity is only 11,026.

By the way, Steinbrenner Field is the spring training home of the New York Yankees. My good friend and Spanish broadcaster for the Tampa Bay Rays, tells me that although a small park is kept in “beautiful condition”, in his words.

Rare situation: While it is not the first time an MLB team has played in a minor league park, it’s unusual for two major league teams to do so simultaneously this season, for different circumstances. One is a temporary relocation, the other an act of God.

So, why are the A’s not selling at home regularly? There are many factors. It is a new city(never been a Major League town) with a smaller population and a much smaller park than Oakland. The A’s are not a team favorite to win anything this year. They share the field with the Triple-A Sacramento Rivercats.

What is already happening is embarrassing. More people attending the A’s game in Sacramento are rooting for the visiting team, which is not “normal” in baseball. It did happened in Oakland during the last few years, but ‘let’s face it’ when you play in a 14,014-seat stadium and 10,000 are rooting for the Cub and not the A’s, the Giants and not the A’s, the Yankees and not the A’s and so on during the whole season and that in any language is Embarrassing. The A’s are the most toxic franchise today in all sports, so this should not surprise anybody.

Such is the story for the 2025 A’s/ATH in Sacramento, originally one of eight franchises that founded the American League in 1901. The United States Steel Co. was created the same year, becoming the first billion-dollar corporation.

1901 Trivia: Nap Lajoie of the Philadelphia Athletics achieved the highest batting average in a single season, a record still standing today, a .426 batting average. He also became the first American League player to win the Triple Crown, leading in batting average, home runs, and RBIs.

FAMILY FUN THIS SUMMER – MAY TO SEPT  –   AQUA ADVENTURE WATER PARK @ 40500 PASEO PADRE BLVD, FREMONT  (880 S./ Stevenson Blvd E)

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame.

Sacramento A’s game recap: Gio’s Triple the Difference as the Green and Gold Stay Hot in Chicago and upend Pale Hose 3-1

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Sacramento A’s Gio Urshela swings for a two RBI triple in the top of the sixth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field in Chicago on Wed Apr 16, 2025 (AP News photo)

Gio’s Triple the Difference as the Green and Gold Stay Hot in Chicago

By Mauricio Segura

It took one jolt from the Sacramento A’s Gio Urshela to tilt the scales, and that was all the A’s needed.

On a chilly Wednesday night at Rate Field, the green and gold edged past the Chicago White Sox 3-1 in a tight and scrappy contest, fueled by timely hitting, gutsy pitching, and a bullpen that continues to lock things down late. Urshela’s two-run triple in the sixth was the game-winner, erasing an early 1-0 deficit and sealing the A’s second straight win to open the three-game series.

The early part of the night belonged to the pitchers. Osvaldo Bido, making his fourth start of the season, gave the A’s five innings of one-run ball. His only blemish came in the third inning, when Brooks Baldwin jumped on a pitch and sent it over the right field wall for a solo shot. But Bido, who entered the game with a 3.00 ERA and had yet to allow a home run in 2025, kept things from unraveling. He stranded two runners later that inning and finished with a solid line: five innings, six hits, one earned run, and no walks.

That composure on the mound bought the offense just enough time.

After going quiet through the first five frames against White Sox rookie Jonathan Cannon, the A’s came alive in the sixth. Tyler Soderstrom, who leads the majors in home runs, kicked things off with a single. JJ Bleday followed with a game-tying RBI single, then came Urshela’s moment, a sharp liner into the right field corner that brought home two and gave the A’s a 3-1 lead they would never relinquish.

Urshela, who had struggled early in the season, now has hits in five of his last six games and is showing signs of the veteran presence the A’s hoped for when they brought him aboard this offseason.

Lawrence Butler added to his steady stretch with two hits and two stolen bases, bringing his season total to four. He’s now reached base safely in 13 of the A’s 14 games he’s started, and his late-inning speed proved critical in applying pressure on the Sox bullpen.

And once again, the A’s bullpen did not blink.

T.J. McFarland, José Leclerc, and Tyler Ferguson tag-teamed to cover innings six through eight. Ferguson, in particular, impressed with a high-pressure groundout to escape a bases-loaded jam in the seventh. That handed the ball to fireballer Mason Miller for the ninth, and Miller slammed the door with authority.

The hard-throwing righty struck out the side, flashing triple-digit heat that has become his signature. Miller now has four saves on the season and remains unscored upon through six appearances. He’s also struck out 12 of the 21 batters he’s faced. According to team stats, Miller owns nine of the 17 fastest pitches in the majors so far this year.

For the Athletics, this win marks their sixth on the road this season, and with a 6-3 away record, they now rank among the best traveling teams in the majors. This is no small feat for a club still working to find its footing in a new market while carrying the weight of relocation rumors and a turbulent fanbase transition.

It also doesn’t hurt that this team, despite being under .500 at 8-10, is hitting .290 with runners in scoring position, second best in all of baseball, and doing it with contributions up and down the lineup.

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.