Category: Sacramento A’s

Sacramento A’s starter Jefferey Springs who get lit up by the Cleveland Guardians on Sun Jul 20, 2025 is hoping for a better outcome as the A’s face the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field for a three game series against the Rangers on Mon Jul 21, 2025 (AP News photo)

Sacramento A’s podcast Barbara Mason:

#1 The A’s ran into a hot hitting of the Cleveland Guardians David Fry and Angel Martinez who were too much for the A’s and the A’s also ran into some good pitching and never catch up getting defeated on Sunday 8-2.

#2 The A’s Nick Kurtz hit a couple of doubles. Kurtz has been seeing the ball rather well for the A’s in the lineup.

#3 Tough skid for Sacramento they have now lost nine of their last ten games when playing in Cleveland.

#4 Cleveland pitcher Gavin Williams improved his record to 6-4 and went seven innings to pick up his first win since June 1st. Williams has gone 2-1 in his last nine starts.

#5 The A’s open up a three game series in Texas Monday night and will start LHP Jacob Lopez (3-5 ERA 4.20) for the RHP Rangers Jack Lieter (5-6 ERA 4.37) first pitch 5:00pm PT.

Barbara Mason does the A’s podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

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 Shea Langeliers (right) is congratulated by Jacob Wilson (left) after hitting a two run home run off Cleveland Guardians pitcher Nic Enright in the top of the eighth inning at Progressive Field on Sat Jul 19, 2025 (AP News photo)

Kurtz, Clarke and Langeliers Spark Sacramento’s Electric 8-2 Comeback in Cleveland

By Mauricio Segura

It was a quiet beginning that gave way to a symphony of power as the Sacramento Athletics staged a thrilling turnaround in Cleveland, turning an early deficit into an 8-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday night at Progressive Field.

The night started unassumingly for the Green and Gold, with the top of the order going down in order in the first inning. By the bottom of the third, Cleveland had taken a 2-0 lead thanks to José Ramírez’s two-run blast into the right field seats.

Sacramento’s bats woke up with a vengeance in the top of the fourth. Brent Rooker and Nick Kurtz each smacked sharp doubles to bring in a run, and catcher Shea Langeliers followed with another RBI double to even the score.

Miguel Andujar added the go-ahead blow with a line drive RBI single to center, giving the A’s a 3-2 lead. The three-run outburst was as sudden as it was efficient, a masterclass in execution against Guardians starter Logan Allen.

From that point forward, Sacramento’s pitching staff made sure the lead would never be threatened. Severino delivered a strong six-inning performance, allowing just two runs on four hits and striking out six.

Jack Perkins came in for relief and slammed the door over two scoreless frames, showing maturity beyond his years by inducing ground balls and staying ahead in counts. By the time Justin Sterner took over in the ninth, it was just a matter of wrapping up a win.

The real action came in the eighth and ninth innings, courtesy of some of the A’s brightest young talents. Nick Kurtz led off the eighth with his second double of the night, a rocket into the right-center field gap. Langeliers, fresh off an earlier RBI, stepped up and launched his 14th homer of the season over the right-field wall to give the A’s breathing room at 5-2.

Not to be outdone, rookie Denzel Clarke showcased his speed and flair in the ninth with a blistering triple to center. Jacob Wilson followed by unloading on a hanging pitch for a two-run homer, extending the lead to 7-2.

Kurtz capped off his monster night with a solo shot of his own, a majestic fly ball to left-center that put the exclamation point on Sacramento’s offensive explosion. With two doubles, a homer, and three RBIs, the first baseman gave a performance that not only boosted his rising profile but also proved why the A’s view him as a cornerstone of their future.

Defensively, the A’s were crisp and well-positioned throughout. Jacob Wilson turned a pair of slick double plays, Max Muncy showcased his versatility by shifting between third and second base without missing a beat, and Clarke’s glove in center saved extra bases more than once.

Even when Cleveland tried to apply pressure with aggressive baserunning, Sacramento countered with calm execution, like catcher Austin Wynns gunning down Angel Martínez in the fifth to kill a budding rally.

Manager Mark Kotsay’s decision-making was on point, from the timely pinch-hitting move to bring in Tyler Soderstrom to the defensive switches that solidified the infield late. Soderstrom made the most of his appearance, swiping second base and adding another spark to the team’s aggressive tone on the basepaths.

The Guardians, meanwhile, never found their rhythm after Ramírez’s early homer. Carlos Santana walked twice but couldn’t produce a hit, and Daniel Schneemann was struck out twice by Severino in key spots. Cleveland’s bullpen didn’t fare much better, as both Matt Festa and Nic Enright were tagged in Sacramento’s scoring surges.

While the Athletics still sit in the thick of a long road to .500, Saturday’s game offered a tantalizing glimpse into a promising future if they remain consistent enough. Power from the corner spots, speed in the outfield, timely hitting from the middle of the order, and a bullpen that locks things down, all the elements of a competitive club were on display.

The A’s conclude the three game series Sunday at Progressive Field against the Guardians. Starting pitcher for the A’s LHP Jeffrey Springs (8-6 ERA 3.93) for Guardians RHP Gavin Williams (5-4 ERA 3.70) first pitch 10:40AM 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.

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 second baseman Max Muncy (left) puts the tag on the Cleveland Guardians Jose Ramirez (right) spoiling his base stealing attempt in the bottom of the first inning at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Fri Jul 18, 2025 (AP News photo)

Late Rally Can’t Save A’s From Another Cleveland Curse in 8-6 loss

By Mauricio Segura

The Sacramento Athletics started the second half of the season like they never left: in a hole. And not just on the scoreboard. Sacramento’s Green and Gold returned from the All-Star break with a frustrating 8-6 loss to the Guardians at Progressive Field, a ballpark that has haunted the A’s for years, and lived up to the billing again Friday night.

What began as a tight pitcher’s duel quickly unraveled into a nightmare third inning for starter JP Sears. After striking out the first two batters of the game and putting up zeros in the first two frames, the lefty ran into a paper shredder.

A leadoff double from Brayan Rocchio set the tone. One pitch later, Angel Martínez drove in Rocchio with a single. Then David Fry followed with a two-run blast to left-center. José Ramírez, who walked in his first at-bat, then tripled, and Carlos Santana’s sac fly brought him home. By the time Sears exited, the A’s were trailing 5-0 and Cleveland had all the momentum.

Sacramento’s bats, meanwhile, were asleep for most of the game, managing only a solo homer from Brent Rooker (his 21st of the season), in the fifth to break the shutout. The rest of the night was an exercise in missed opportunities until it was nearly too late.

The Guardians kept piling on, including a pair of RBI doubles in the fourth by Rocchio, again, and a run-scoring single by Nolan Jones in the fifth. Sears’ night ended after five innings, allowing eight hits and all eight Cleveland runs. The bullpen fared better, with J.T. Ginn, Hogan Harris, and Elvis Alvarado combining for three shutout innings, which helped set up a dramatic ninth.

Down 8-3 entering their final frame, the A’s unleashed a furious rally. Nick Kurtz opened the inning with a triple, followed by another triple from Rooker to bring him in. Shea Langeliers doubled to plate Rooker, then Miguel Andujar ripped a double of his own to cut the deficit to two. Just like that, the A’s had momentum and the heart of the order coming up with no outs.

But Emmanuel Clase, Cleveland’s fireballing closer, slammed the door. He struck out Max Muncy, then fanned pinch-hitter Gio Urshela to end it. The A’s came up just short of stealing one in a ballpark they haven’t won in since 2021.

There were a few silver linings amid the disappointment. Kurtz continues to look like a star in the making, adding to his rookie lead in home runs and RBI with a 3-for-5 night that included a triple and RBI single. Langeliers, who’d been mired in a post-injury slump, broke out with three hits, including a homer and a double. And Rooker, fresh off a standout All-Star break, kept rolling with his 100th career home run, part of a 2-for-5 night.

But that wasn’t enough to offset a rough start from Sears, who gave up his 20th home run of the season and fell to 7-8. It was the latest reminder of the A’s most glaring issue this year: starting pitching. Sacramento starters have thrown fewer than seven innings in 93 straight games, the longest such streak in franchise history. And once again, it left too much of a burden on the bullpen.

Defensively, the A’s were clean, no errors, but their inability to keep Cleveland off the bases early sealed their fate. With the loss, Sacramento dropped to 0-1 on the road trip and extended their losing streak in Cleveland to eight straight games.

They’ll try to regroup Saturday with Luis Severino on the mound. The veteran right-hander has been snakebitten all year, entering the game with a 2-11 record despite solid road splits. He’ll face Cleveland’s Logan Allen, a lefty the A’s haven’t seen since May.

For now, though, the post-break optimism gets shelved. Same issues. Same result. And the ghosts of Progressive Field continue to haunt the Green and Gold.

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.