Nick Kurtz (16) of the Sacramento A’s gets a walk off walk with the bases loaded forcing in Lawrence Butler from third scoring the winning run in the tenth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Sutter Health Park on Fri Jun 19, 2026 (Sacramento A’s X photo)
Sacramento A’s podcast Tony Harvey:
#1 Tony, it was a nail biter of a game on Friday night at Sutter Health Park as the Sacramento A’s came back down 11-4 in the sixth inning to win it in the tenth 12-11 against the Los Angeles Angels.
#2 The A’s picked up a run when Zack Gelof singled scoring Lawrence Butler in the bottom of the sixth. The A’s added two runs in the bottom of the seventh when Jacob Wilson hit a 395 foot left field home run to making 11-7.
#3 The A’s turned it on in the bottom of the eighth when Max Muncy hit a two run 426 foot home run cutting the Angels lead to 11-9.. Jonah Heim tied things up when he hit a two run home run in the bottom of the ninth making it 11-11 forcing extra innings.
#4 The A’s with the bases loaded in the bottom of the tenth with Nick Kurtz at the plate walked and forced in Lawrence Butler from third base to win it 12-11. With the win the A’s remain just a half game out of first place behind the first place Seattle Mariners in the AL West.
#5 Angels and A’s continue this four game series at Sutter Health Park on Saturday at 7:05pm PDT. Starting pitcher for Los Angeles for RHP Walbert Urena (4-5 ERA 2.60) for Sacramento RHP JT Ginn (5-3 ERA 2.91)
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.
Anaheim Angels Zach Neto (right) is out by plenty as he tagged out by the Sacramento A’s shortstop Jacob Wilson (left) in the top of the second inning at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento on Fri Jun 19, 2026 (Golden Bay Times photo)
By Mauricio Segura
WESTSACRAMENTO–This game resembled a Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner cartoon, with the Sacramento A’s spending most of it chasing the Los Angeles Angels trying different strategies. But in the end, they didn’t fall off a cliff. They actually caught the bird. Somehow, after falling behind by seven runs, the Green and Gold still found a way to leave with a 12-11 win in 10 innings, finishing a game that had just about everything except a quiet inning.
For a while, this looked like Sacramento’s game from the start. Lawrence Butler gave the Athletics a 1-0 lead in the second with a solo homer to center, and the third inning turned that small lead into something stronger. Zack Gelof drew a walk, Shea Langeliers doubled him home, Tyler Soderstrom followed with a single, and Jacob Wilson doubled in Langeliers. Carlos Cortes then grounded out to score Soderstrom, pushing the Athletics ahead 4-0.
That early lead disappeared fast. The Angels turned the fourth inning into a long, ugly climb for Athletics starter Jeffrey Springs. Christian Moore scored Nolan Schanuel with a sacrifice fly, Denzer Guzman followed with a two-run homer, and Jose Siri gave Los Angeles the lead with a three-run shot to left center. Zach Neto added another homer before the inning ended, and just like that, the Angels had flipped a 4-0 deficit into a 7-4 lead.
Los Angeles kept swinging in the fifth. Jo Adell drew a walk, Oswald Peraza singled, and Logan O’Hoppe crushed a three-run homer to left center, stretching the Angels’ lead to 10-4. When Schanuel homered in the sixth, the Athletics were staring at an 11-4 hole. A deep, dark, looming hole that no one in the stadium would have bet they could climb out of. But they did, and in grand style at that.
The A’s began nibbling away like mice in a cardboard factory. Gelof singled in Butler in the sixth, extending a hitting streak that had already become one of the best in club history. Gelof entered the game riding a 22-game streak, tied for fourth longest by an Athletic in the expansion era, and he kept giving the lineup a steady spark.
Wilson made things interesting in the seventh with a two-run homer after Soderstrom drew a walk, trimming Anaheim’s lead to 11-7. In the eighth, Butler reached again, and Max Muncy, who had entered as a pinch-hitter earlier, sent a two-run homer to center. Suddenly, it was 11-9, and what had looked like a lost cause had turned into a full-blown heavyweight mess.
Then came the ninth, and Jonah Heim gave the Athletics the swing they needed most. Soderstrom doubled to center with one out, Wilson moved him to third, and Heim, pinch-hitting for Colby Thomas, launched a two-run homer to right. The game was tied 11-11, and the Athletics had erased all seven runs of the Angels’ advantage.
The 10th inning gave the Angels a chance to answer, starting with Moore at second base. Denzer Guzman moved him to third with a fly ball, but O’Hoppe hit into a fielder’s choice as Muncy threw home to Langeliers to cut down Moore. Wade Meckler then struck out, and the Angels missed their chance to retake control.
The Athletics did not waste theirs. Butler began the bottom of the 10th at second, Henry Bolte drew a walk, and both runners advanced on a double steal after a confirmed challenge. Max Muncy flied out, Zack Gelof was hit by a nasty pitch, and after Kirby Yates left following an injury delay, Samy Natera Jr. faced Nick Kurtz with the bases loaded. Kurtz drew the game-ending walk, forcing in Butler and sealing a 12-11 win that was wild, weird, and very baseball Twilight Zone.
The win also fit a team that entered with 20 come-from-behind victories and one of the better extra-inning records in the majors. It was not graceful. But it was a reminder that this Athletics lineup, especially with Butler, Gelof, Wilson, Soderstrom, Heim, and Kurtz all finding ways to matter, can turn a bad night into a box score nobody forgets.
Game 2 brings a steadier pitching question, at least on paper, with J.T. Ginn (5-3, 2.91 ERA, 68 K) getting the ball for the Athletics against Angels right-hander Walbert Urena (4-5, 2.60 ERA, 58 K), with first pitch set for 7:05 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.
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.
Sacramento A’s pitcher Gage Jump (61) was dealing pitching seven innings not allowing a run and just one hit before being relieved against the Los Angeles Angels at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento (AP News photo)
By Mauricio Segura
The Sacramento Athletics did not draw out Thursday night’s win. They took the first inning, did their damage, and secured a 5-0 win over the Los Angeles Angels.
After Gage Jump worked a quick top of the first, the Green and Gold went right to work against Angels starter Ryan Johnson. Zack Gelof opened the bottom half with a single to left, extending a hitting streak that had already reached 21 games before the first pitch. Nick Kurtz followed with a double to left, putting two runners in scoring position and giving the heart of the order the perfect scenario to cash in.
Shea Langeliers wasted no time doing what “Bangaliers” has been known to do. The A’s catcher drove a three-run homer to center, putting the Athletics ahead 3-0 and giving the home side instant control. Langeliers entered the game as the leading vote-getter among American League catchers in the first All-Star ballot update, and his bat gave that campaign a pretty convincing new campaign ad. His power has been a major part of the A’s season success, and this swing just proved what his bat brings to the team.
The inning was not finished. Tyler Soderstrom followed with a solo homer to left-center, turning back-to-back big swings into a 4-0 lead. Jacob Wilson then singled to right, Jonah Heim added another base hit, and Carlos Cortes moved Wilson to third with a fly ball to center. Henry Bolte finished the scoring with a sacrifice fly, bringing in Wilson and making it 5-0. By the end of the inning, the Athletics had sent ten batters to the plate and built all the offense they would need.
From there, the game became Gage Jump’s showcase. The rookie left-hander, making just his fifth major league start, did not show in any way how new he is to the show. Jump allowed only one hit over seven scoreless innings, striking out seven and working around three walks.
His best escape came in the fourth, when Nick Madrigal drew a free pass and Oswald Peraza doubled with two outs. With two Angels in scoring position, Jump struck out Christian Moore to end the threat and keep the shutout intact.
That was the Angels’ best chance against him. Jump struck out Moore three times overall, got Logan O’Hoppe looking in the fifth, and fanned both Peraza and Moore in the seventh. When Vaughn Grissom drew a free pass to start the seventh, Jump kept the inning from turning messy. After two strikeouts, Langeliers ended it by picking Grissom off first, a catcher’s dagger that kept the Angels stuck at zero.
The Athletics’ defense backed Jump with steady work. Henry Bolte covered center field recording several outs in the gaps and adding a hit and an RBI at the plate. Wilson continued to look smooth at shortstop, part of a defense that entered the game with one of the best fielding marks in the majors.
The Angels’ bullpen settled things down after Johnson’s rough first inning. Brent Suter threw two scoreless frames, and Ryan Zeferjahn worked around two eighth-inning free passes. But by then, the damage had already been done. The Athletics’ early burst stood up because Jump turned the Angels’ lineup into a long evening of fly balls, strikeouts, and missed chances.
Mason Barnett took over in the eighth and worked through trouble after Denzer Guzman drew a free pass and pinch-hitter Wade Meckler singled. Barnett struck out O’Hoppe and escaped when Nick Madrigal flied to center. Hogan Harris handled the ninth, giving up singles to Grissom and Moore but striking out Jo Adell, Peraza, and Guzman to finish the shutout.
The A’s, already riding one of the best home run streaks in the majors, added two more in the first inning and then let Jump do the heavy lifting. For a team trying to stay in the American League West chase, this was a much needed win.
The sequel brings a tough mound matchup, as Jeffrey Springs (3-7, 5.13 ERA, 68 K) gets the ball for the Athletics against Angels right-hander José Soriano (8-4, 2.79 ERA, 92 K), with first pitch set for 6:40 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.
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.
Sacramento A’s left fielder Tyler Soderstrom (21) goes down to make a catch on the fly against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento on Wed Jun 17, 2026 (Golden Bay Times photo)
By Mauricio Segura
WEST SACRAMENTO–The Pittsburgh Pirates wasted no time turning the game sideways, roughing up Sacramento A’s starter Aaron Civale for five runs in the first two innings and forcing the Athletics to spend the rest of the night chasing a game that had already picked up speed without them.
The Pirates battered Civale early and never gave the Athletics much room to breathe in a 12-4 win. Civale, making his return from the injured list after right shoulder tendonitis, did not get the smooth reception he wanted. Spencer Horwitz opened the game with a double to right, Brandon Lowe drew a walk, and Bryan Reynolds bounced a ground-rule double into right to score Horwitz. Ryan O’Hearn followed with a two-run double to left, and just like that, Pittsburgh had a 3-0 lead before the Athletics had taken a swing.
Braxton Ashcraft made that lead look even bigger by setting down the A’s in order in the first. Nick Kurtz struck out, Shea Langeliers lined out, and Tyler Soderstrom also lined out, giving Sacramento no early leeway. Pittsburgh kept pecking away in the second. Jared Triolo singled, Horwitz doubled again, Lowe singled home Triolo, and Reynolds drove in Horwitz with a single to center. The Pirates led 5-0 after two innings, and the Athletics were already staring up a steep hill.
Civale’s outing ended after he issued a leadoff walk to Lowe in the fourth. José Suarez took over, but O’Hearn greeted him with a two-run homer to left, pushing Pittsburgh ahead 7-0. O’Hearn was the hammer all game, finishing with a double, homer, single, and five RBIs. Horwitz also gave the Pirates a major boost from the top of the order, reaching four times with two doubles and two walks while scoring three runs.
For the Athletics, there were a few bright spots buried in the rubble. Jonah Heim picked up singles in the fourth and sixth. Kurtz, who entered the game as one of the most productive hitters in baseball and had been on a strong June tear, singled to open the sixth.
Langeliers followed with a walk, and after Soderstrom’s grounder and a Pittsburgh error moved the action along, Jacob Wilson lined a two-run single to center. That cut the deficit to 7-2 and gave the home side a little movement, even if it was not enough to truly rattle the Pirates.
Pittsburgh had its biggest burst in the seventh. Marcell Ozuna led off with a homer to center, Jake Mangum singled, Triolo and Henry Davis were hit by pitches, and the inning snowballed from there. Horwitz drew a bases-loaded walk, Lowe lifted a sacrifice fly, and O’Hearn added a two-run single to center. By the time the inning ended, the Pirates had turned the game into a 12-2 burial.
Henry Bolte gave Sacramento a quick jolt in the bottom half, launching a solo homer to center off Evan Sisk. It was a nice response from the rookie, who entered the day batting over .300 and had been one of the more interesting young bats in the Athletics’ lineup.
Zack Gelof added another swing worth remembering in the ninth, driving a solo homer to left off Isaac Mattson. Gelof’s blast extended his career-best hitting streak to 21 games, continuing one of the best individual runs by an Athletics hitter this century.
The problem was that most of the A’s offense came too late and too far apart. Sacramento struck out 11 times and managed only six hits. Lawrence Butler had a rough night with four strikeouts, while Kurtz struck out three times. Ashcraft gave Pittsburgh six strong innings, allowing two runs, only one earned, on four hits and three walks. He kept Saccramento from gathering momentum until the game was already leaning heavily toward Pittsburgh.
The loss was another reminder of the Athletics’ strange season. They have enough offense to make pitchers sweat, enough power to flip a game in one swing, and enough young talent to keep things interesting. But the pitching has been leaking runs too often, especially at home, and this one got away before the Green and Gold could make their bats matter.
For Game 1 of a new four game weekend series against the Angels Thursday, Sacramento will send rookie left-hander Gage Jump (2-1, 3.09 ERA, 23 K) to the mound against Angels right-hander José Soriano (8-4, 2.79 ERA, 92 K). This matchup has real bite if Jump can keep the ball in the yard and Soriano brings his usual trouble. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 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.
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.
The San Francisco Giants won the second game of a double-header with the Atlanta Braves 7-5. The Giants took an early lead hitting three home runs in the second inning and would not score again until the ninth inning scoring two more runs. Those two late runs made all the difference in the game. They are now 2-0 in the series.
Game recap: The Giants picked up exactly where they left off in game one scoring the first run of the game taking a 1-0 lead. Luis Arraez walked and Rafael Devers came to the plate and hit a double driving Arraez home for the game opening run. Giants starting pitcher Carson Whisenhunt gave up a walk and a single in the bottom of the first but got out of the inning.
San Francisco had a four run top of the second. Adames hit a solo home run, his second of the series. Arraez hit their second home run of the game with Eric Haase on base to extend the Giants lead to 4-0.
With two outs, San Francisco hit their third home run of the inning a Bryce Eldridge solo shot for a 5-0 lead going into the third inning. The Giants had really come out with a lot of offensive energy taking control of the game early. In the bottom of the second, the Braves left two runners stranded coming away empty.
JR Ritchie gave up a walk in the top of the third but not much else. The Braves would be looking for some production at the plate in the bottom of the third but Whisenhunt went three and out in the inning.
San Francisco had their first three and out in the top of the fourth inning. The Braves managed an Austin Riley single but not much else as the game went into the fifth inning. Through four innings, Whisenhunt was terrific giving up only three hits, and no runs.
JR Ritchie remained in the game despite giving up the five runs but did go three and out in the top of the fifth inning. Whisenhunt continued humming on a roll as he also went three and out in the inning.
So far the Giants three home runs had been the highlight of this game through five innings. There had not been a whole for Braves fans to cheer about going into the sixth inning. There had not been much offensive action for either team since the second inning.
The Braves got something going in the bottom of the sixth inning. Matt Olson started the rally with a single followed by an Ozzie Albies single. Austin Riley singled to load the bases and Atlanta had three hits in a row.
The San Francisco bullpen got really busy after the three hits. The Riley single drove Olson home and the Braves were finally up on the scoreboard. JT Brubaker would come into the game and relieve Whisenhunt who went five innings allowing six hits, one earned run with two strikeouts. Dominic Smith hit a sacrifice fly for the second out, Albies scored and we hat a 5-2 game. Brubaker was able to get out of the inning.
The Braves had gotten something going in the game and San Francisco would be looking to get a little traffic on base in the top of the seventh. While the Giants did not get that insurance run they did go three and out. Sam Hentges had relieved Brubaker in the inning.
In the bottom of the eighth inning the GIants were six outs away from the win but they were also facing the heart of the Atlanta order. With Olsen on base with no outs there was another pitching change for the Giants. Ryan Walker relieved Sam Hentges who had pitched the seventh inning giving up only the one hit. Austin Riley singled and Atlanta had two runners on base with two outs. The Braves left the two runners stranded when Rowdy Tellez struck out.
San Francisco was now three outs away from winning game two against one of the best teams in MLB. The Giants started the ninth inning with a Casey Schmitt single. Jonah Cox would run for Schmitt and would go on to steal second base.
Drew Gilbert was hit by a pitch and San Francisco had two runners on base. Eric Hasse sacrificed and the two runners advance to second and third. Arraez hit a single that drove in Cox and Gilbert giving the Giants a couple of insurance runs and a 7-2 lead.
The Braves started another rally in the bottom of the ninth putting this game in jeopardy for the Giants. Matt Gage took the mound for the ninth inning. Jair Carmago got on base followed by a Mauricio Dubon home run and the Braves were trailing 7-4.
Drake Baldwin and Olson both singled and Atlanta had runners at the corners. Another pitching change for the Giants as Tristan Beck came in to try and close out this game. Baldwin scored on a wild Beck pitch making it a 7-5 San Francisco lead with Olson on second and only one out.
Albies grounded out and Beck struck Riley out and that was the ball game.This game had gotten a little too close for comfort. San Francisco had hung on and the Giants had won the first two games of this series
Game notes: After a great start on this current road trip, the Giants took on the Braves in the night cap of this double-header Wednesday. Tueday’s game one had been suspended due to inclement weather and was finished earlier Wednesday afternoon with the Giants taking game one of the series 7-2.
This evening lefty Carson Whisenhunt took to the mound for the Giants after being elevated to the roster.Wisenhunt in the night cap pitched five ininngs allowing six hits and two earned runs.Wisenhunt was 3.65 ERA in 69 innings with 77 strikeouts and 30 walks in Triple-A Sacramento.
The Giants did get a chance to see him last season in five starts where he did struggle. This season he has looking improved and has been trying to get his changeup working for him. The Giants certainly need a more dependable starting rotation right now the sweep might influence some decisions in their search for a rotation.
The Braves who boast some of the best pitchers in the league saw starter JR Ritchie struggle pitching five innings allowed five hits and five earned runs. After first game played under sunny skies, the second game forecast was flawless weather-wise.
It was an exciting second inning for San Francisco with Adames, Arraez and Bryce Eldridge hitting home runs. They would not score again in the game until the ninth inning. The two runs they scored were the difference in the win.
The Giants got a sweep of the double-header winning both ends 7-2 in the front game and 7-5 in the night cap Wednesday night for the sweep. It is a wait and see for Thursday’s game with a tropical storm headed in around 2:00 PM Atlanta time. Landon Roupp will take the mound for San Francisco with a 5-7 win/loss record and a 4.24 ERA. The Braves will start Martin Perez. He comes into this game with a 5-3 win/loss record and a 2.90 ERA.
Sacramento A’s Jacob Wilson (right) dives in ahead of the Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe’s tag at home plate scoring in the bottom of the first inning at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento on Tue Jun 16, 2026 (Golden Bay Times photo)
Reynolds Canon Blasts Sink the A’s
By Mauricio Segura
WEST SACRAMENTO–It seemed like the Sacramento A’s had the Pittsburgh Pirates by the throat and were headed toward a second straight win. Instead, Pittsburgh raised the black flag, fired a few cannon blasts, and stole the night. Bryan Reynolds turned the ballpark into his own personal batting cage, Brandon Lowe saved his best swing for the ninth, and the Pirates edged the Sacramento Athletics 6-5 after spending the early innings trying to crawl out of a ditch.
The Green and Gold did not wait around in the first inning. Nick Kurtz opened the bottom half with a free pass, Tyler Soderstrom followed with another, and Jacob Wilson loaded the bases with the third. Carlos Cortes went down swinging, but Zack Gelof made the inning matter.
He slapped a grounder toward first baseman Spencer Horwitz, and when the play turned messy, Kurtz, Soderstrom and Wilson all scored. Gelof ended up at second on Horwitz’s throwing error, and Lawrence Butler followed with a run-scoring double to left. Just like that, the Athletics had a 4-0 lead and Mitch Keller looked like a man trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube with sliding gloves.
Jack Perkins protected that early cushion nicely through three innings. He gave up a Bryan Reynolds single in the first but stranded him, then settled in with a smooth second and third. Perkins struck out Endy Rodríguez and Tyler Callihan in the second, then got Jake Mangum, Jared Triolo and Horwitz in order in the third. For a pitcher making only his third start of the season after spending most of the year in relief, his performance is exactly what manager Mark Kotsay hoped for.
Pittsburgh finally broke through in the fourth. Reynolds singled to center, Ryan O’Hearn followed with a base hit to right, and Nick Gonzales got the Pirates on the board with a groundout that scored Reynolds. The Athletics still led 4-1, but the Pirates were no longer stuck at the curb waiting for the bus.
The game tightened in the sixth. Reynolds lifted a homer to center to make it 4-2, and O’Hearn doubled moments later. Perkins was replaced by Justin Sterner, but Rodríguez greeted the new arm with a single to center that scored O’Hearn and cut the A’s lead to 4-3. The inning nearly grew worse, but Jacob Wilson helped end it with a wild-looking relay that erased Rodríguez at third after Mangum singled.
Gelof answered in the bottom of the sixth with a swing that has become part of his month-long success story. TED Talk pending! He sent a solo homer to left, pushing the Athletics back ahead 5-3 and extending what had been a career-best 19-game hitting streak entering the contest. It also continued a strong run for an A’s offense that came in swinging with a franchise-record 23 homers over its previous seven games. For a moment, the Green and Gold had reclaimed their dominant status.
Reynolds took it right back in the seventh. After Hogan Harris replaced Sterner, Horwitz drew a free pass and Lowe struck out, bringing Reynolds up with two outs. He launched his second homer of the game, this one to right, tying it 5-5. Reynolds finished 4-for-5 with two homers, three RBIs and three runs, a one-man problem the Athletics never solved.
The A’s had chances late. Alika Williams doubled to open the bottom of the seventh and moved to third on a wild pitch, but he was stranded after Kurtz struck out, Shea Langeliers grounded out and Wilson hit into a force play. In the eighth, Gelof drew a free pass and stole second, but Colby Thomas and Henry Bolte both struck out to end another opportunity.
Then Lowe delivered the swing Pittsburgh had been waiting for. Elvis Alvarado took over in the ninth, got Horwitz on a fly ball, then watched Lowe drive a line-drive homer to right for a 6-5 Pirates lead. Alvarado recovered to retire Reynolds and O’Hearn, but the damage had already been done.
The Athletics made one last push against Gregory Soto in the ninth. Kurtz singled to left, and Langeliers followed with a single to center, putting the tying run at second with one out. Soderstrom then struck out after an ABS challenge changed ball four into strike two, a brutal turn under the circumstance. Wilson lined out to right field to end the game, leaving the A’s with a loss that stung after they had played well through the first six innings.
Game 3 tomorrow closes out the series setting up a right-handed chess match, with Aaron Civale (5-2, 4.20 ERA, 39 K) scheduled for the Sacramento Athletics against Pittsburgh’s Braxton Ashcraft (5-3, 3.30 ERA, 90 K), with first pitch set for 6:40 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.
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
Three Sacramento A’s leap for joy Tyler Soderstrom (left), Lawrence Butler (4), and Henry Bolte (right) after defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento on Mon Jun 15, 2026 (AP News photo)
Sacramento A’s podcast Tony Renteria:
#1 Tony, the Sacramento A’s opened up on the Pittsburgh Pirates with an 11-2 win at Sutter Health Park on Monday night after getting beat by the Colorado Rockies Sunday 23-9. It was quite the turnaround for the A’s to open the series.
#2 The A’s Nick Kurtz also hit his 17th home run of the season a 407 foot two run shot that gave the A’s a two run 3-1 lead in the bottom of the second inning.
#3 Jeff McNiel slugged a 359 foot home run scoring Lawrence Butler ahead of him for a two run home run that gave the A’s a 5-1 lead.
#4 Kurtz hit another home run in the bottom of the seventh inning a three run home run a 380 foot shot that put the A’s way ahead 11-1 with the final score ending up 11-2 A’s.
#5 Starting pitchers for Tuesday in game two of the series: Starter pitchers for Pittsburgh RHP Mitch Keller (5-4 ERA 5.14) for Sacramento RHP Jack Perkins (2-3 ERA 6.25) first pitch slated for 6:40pm PDT.
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.
Sacramento A’s slugger Nick Kurtz (16) rounds the bases after hitting one of his two home runs against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento on Mon Jun 15, 2026 (Golden Bay Times photo)
Kurtz and McNeil Turn Pirates Into Plank Walkers
By Mauricio Segura
WEST SACRAMENTO–Nick Kurtz gave the Sacramento Athletics exactly what they needed after a missed chance in the first inning: a reminder that baseball is finicky and rewards on its own terms instead of when most expected. The A’s deafeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-3 at Sutter Health Park on Monday night.
Sacramento loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the first on singles by Kurtz, Shea Langeliers and Tyler Soderstrom, only to see three straight strikeouts leave them stranded like Tom Hanks on a pacific island, minus the volleyball. That could have turned into a sour opening. Instead, the A’s simply waited one inning before turning the game in their favor for good.
Henry Bolte started the second with a double to right, and Jeff McNeil followed with an RBI single to left that scored Bolte and snapped his 0-for-20 skid. Kurtz then delivered the real damage, driving a two-run homer to left-center that put the Athletics ahead 3-0 and gave J.T. Ginn room to work.
Ginn used that room well. He handled traffic and kept Pittsburgh from building anything dangerous. Bryan Reynolds singled in the first, Endy Rodríguez reached in the second, and the Pirates put two aboard in the third before Ginn got Ryan O’Hearn looking to end the inning.
Pittsburgh’s only run against him followed a Zack Gelof fielding error in the fourth. Nick Gonzales reached, Rodríguez singled, and Jake Mangum dropped a run-scoring hit into left. But Ginn quickly stopped the inning from growing, getting Esmerlyn Valdez to bounce into a pitcher-to-second-to-first double play. Ginn finished six innings, allowing six hits, one unearned run, two walks and three strikeouts.
The Athletics added another burst in the bottom of the fourth. Lawrence Butler singled, Bolte moved him over, and McNeil launched a two-run homer to right, ensuring his slump stayed buried. Suddenly, the same player who entered searching for a hit had three RBIs by the fourth inning. For Sacramento, the runs were starting to roll off the assembly line.
Soderstrom and Jacob Wilson opened the fifth with back-to-back hits, including Wilson’s ground-rule double down the right-field line. Gelof then extended his career-best hitting streak to 19 games with an RBI single to center, scoring Soderstrom and pushing the lead to 6-1. Gelof’s streak had already been one of the better runs in the majors, and even with an error earlier in the game, he still found a way to add another mark to it with his bat.
The seventh inning turned the game from comfortable to completely out of reach. Gelof reached on an error by Brandon Lowe, Butler doubled him home, Bolte added an infield single, and McNeil singled to right to score Butler. Then Kurtz returned for his second big swing of the game, sending a three-run homer to left.
His second blast gave him three hits, two home runs and five RBIs, and it fit neatly with the tear he has been on. Kurtz entered riding a seven-game hitting streak and ranked among the league’s best in on-base percentage, walks, OPS and run production. Against Pittsburgh, he looked every bit like a hitter pitchers cannot treat casually.
Pittsburgh found one final run in the eighth when Rodríguez homered to left-center off Mason Barnett, but Justin Sterner’s scoreless seventh and Barnett’s two-inning finish kept the Pirates from making the score interesting. Spencer Horwitz doubled with two outs in the ninth, but Brandon Lowe flied out to left to close an 11-2 Athletics win.
The A’s finished with 15 hits, including three from Kurtz, three from McNeil, two from Soderstrom and two from Bolte. Butler also scored twice and drove in a run, while Wilson’s double helped set up the fifth-inning push. After a rough loss in their previous game, the Green and Gold responded with the kind of complete win that gives a team a little swagger back.
Game 2 brings another right-handed duel, with Jack Perkins (2-3, 6.25 ERA, 43 K) taking the ball for Sacramento against Mitch Keller (5-4, 5.14 ERA, 58 K) for Pittsburgh, with first pitch scheduled for 6:40 p.m. Pacific Tuesday night.
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.
Las Vegas A’s hitter Carlos Corez connects with a two RBI single in the bottom of the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Las Vegas Ballpark on Sun Jun 14, 2026 (AP News photo)
Las Vegas A’s podcast Barbara Mason:
The Las Vegas Athletics had a great start in their series with the Colorado Rockies in Las Vegas. Sunday they were going for the sweep but the Rockies had vastly different plans as the A’s soon saw getting clobbered 23-9.
2. This series was littered with home runs coming from both teams making it a lot of fun for the fans who braved the 100 degree plus temperature to come out to the ball park. A lot of happy fans caught coveted souvenirs that flew into the stands in this series.
3. The A’s struggled on the mound in game three of this series from A’s starting pitcher Jeffrey Springs down to the relief pitching from Luis Medina, Brady Basso, and Scott Barlow. The A’s had something that is not the norm with position player Carlos Cortez on the mound in the ninth inning.
4. The work at the plate for the A’s was really working with double digits in every game in the series but the problem in game three despite 15 hits for the A’s the Rockies finished the game with 24 hits for the lopsided score.
5. The A’s will continue their home-stand although they will be back at Sutter Health in West Sacramento to start a three-game series Monday with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Both teams almost have identical records the Pirates are 36-36 and the A’s have a 35-36 recor first pitch 6:40pm PDT.
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.
Sacramento A’s Tyler Soderstrom (21) is greet by Nick Kurtz (16) after scoring on a single in the bottom of the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Las Vegas Ballpark in Summerlin NV on Sun Jun 14, 2026 (AP News photo)
Las Vegas A’s podcast Daniel Dullum:
#1 Do the math three touchdowns in football is 24 points and in baseball that’s a record for runs in Colorado Rockies franchise history and they avoided getting swept by the Las Vegas A’s Sunday with a 23-9 rout to conclude the A’s homestand for the week at Las Vegas Ballpark in Summerlin NV.
#2 The A’s won the first two games of the series but in this one the pitching absolutely brokedown surrendering three runs in the fourth, six in the fifth, four in the seventh, and five runs in the eighth.
#3 A’s starter Jeffery Springs got pounded by the Rockies line up going four innings allowing seven hits, six runs, striking out five batters. Despite the pounding the A’s are just a half game back of the Seattle Mariners for first place in the AL West.
#4 The Rockies fell on hit short of setting an all time hit record in a game ending the contest with 24 total hits. The Rockies set the record back on Sep 25, 2011 when they got 25 hits.
#5 The A’s are back in Sacramento on Monday and the drawing board as well as they prepare to face the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates have struggled in their own right losing seven of their last ten games and are 8.5 games back of the NL Central. Starters for Pittsburgh RHP Jared Jones (1-0 ERA 4.73) for Sacramento RHP JT Ginn (4-3 ERA 4.15) first pitch at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento 6:40pm (PDT)
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.
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