Category: Sacramento A’s

Sacramento A’s game wrap: Cold Bats Continue To Haunt A’s in Atlanta; Braves Elder and relief corp blank A’s 4-0

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Atlanta Braves Mauricio Dubon cracks a two run single in the bottom of the first inning against the Sacramento A’s at Truist Park in Atlanta on Mon Mar 30, 2026 (AP News photo)

Cold Bats Continue To Haunt the A’s in Atlanta; Braves Elder and relief corp blank A’s 4-0

By Mauricio Segura

The Sacramento Athletics came into Atlanta searching for traction after suffering a season opening sweep in Toronto, but by the end of Monday night’s game, they were still stuck in neutral. A game that began with promise on paper, with Jacob Lopez bringing strong recent interleague numbers into his first career outing against the Braves, quickly turned into a 4-0 loss defined by one rough first inning, a handful of missed chances, and an Atlanta pitching staff that never really loosened its grip.

The green and gold put men on base, sprayed a few line drives around Truist Park, and even flashed some clean defensive work, but when the night demanded one big hit, none arrived. The Braves got theirs early, then calmly shut the door.

Atlanta wasted no time setting the tone. Ronald Acuna Jr. opened the bottom of the first with a walk, Drake Baldwin followed with a single, and after Ozzie Albies popped out, Matt Olson lined a double into left to drive in Acuna and move Baldwin to third.

Austin Riley was retired, which gave the Athletics a chance to escape with only minor damage, but Lopez could not quite find the last clean landing spot of the inning. Eli White worked a walk, Mauricio Dubon lined a single to right, and suddenly two more Braves runs were home. Just like that, the Athletics were in a 3-0 hole before their offense had even found a rhythm.

To Lopez’s credit, the first inning did not snowball into a total disaster. After that early storm, he settled in and kept the Braves from blowing the game open. Acuna singled and swiped a bag in the second, but Lopez worked around it. He got through the third without damage, then caught a break in the fourth after Acuna walked again and was picked off and erased trying for second on a sharp play involving Shea Langeliers and Jacob Wilson.

That moment felt like a possible hinge in the game. Wilson, who was celebrating his 24th birthday, helped create one of the A’s cleanest defensive sequences of the night, and for a brief stretch the Athletics looked like they might still punch back.

The problem was Bryce Elder was not in a charitable mood. The Athletics did put traffic on the bases against him, but they never found the follow-through. Carlos Cortes doubled in the third, only to be stranded. In the fourth, Tyler Soderstrom and Brent Rooker hit back-to-back singles with one out, which gave the inning some real pulse, but Jacob Wilson flew out and Lawrence Butler, (playing in front of his home crowd for the first time in his Major League career) followed with another fly ball to center.

In the fifth, Cortes walked with two down, then Nick Kurtz struck out looking. By then, the pattern had become obvious. The Athletics were not lifeless, but they were incomplete. One batter reached, two reached, then nobody delivered the swing that could tilt the night. That fit an ugly early trend for a club that entered the game already buried under an embarrasing mountain of fifty total strikeouts through the opening series.

Elder finished six scoreless innings, and Atlanta’s bullpen handled the rest with very little drama. Aaron Bummer worked around Max Muncy’s seventh-inning double. Robert Suarez escaped an eighth-inning jam after Dubon’s error put Langeliers aboard and Soderstrom followed with a single, only for Rooker to bounce into an inning-ending double play.

In the ninth, Raisel Iglesias got a little help from the Braves defense when Jacob Wilson reached on another Dubon error, then Butler grounded into a replay-reviewed double play that snuffed out the last bit of daylight.

For the Athletics, the final line told a frustratingly familiar story. Seven hits, no runs, and too many innings that ended a little too quietly. There were moments to like: Lopez recovered well after the early punch, Wilson helped engineer a slick pickoff play on his birthday, and the bullpen mostly kept the game within reach until the eighth. But the offense never landed its counterpunch, and in a season-opening road swing already heavy with miles, the Braves made sure the Athletics kept carrying that weight a little longer.

The A’s will meet up again with the Braves tomorrow for Game 2 at 4:15pm PDT

Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has covered sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for various magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, The Golden Bay Times. 2026 marks his 15th season covering Athletics baseball.

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. 

MLB The Show podcast Charlie O: Giants can’t figure out Yankees; A’s lose twice on Jays walk off hits get swept in 3

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New York Yankees Aaron Judge (99) circles the bases against San Francisco Giant pitcher Ryan Boruki (47) in the fifth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Sat Mar 28, 2026 (AP News photo)

MLB The Show podcast Charlie O:

#1 How concerned should the San Francisco Giants brass of CEO Larry Baer and team president Buster Posey be. It’s been just three games but the New York Yankees swept the Giants in three games and the Giants could only muster a run in the three game series.

#2 Is these loses based on just some rookie decisons by Giants manager Tony Vitello or were the Yankees just ready for the Giants?

#3 For the second night in a row the Sacarmento A’s lost on walk off hits. The Jays Ernie Clement slugged a walk off base hit to win it in the bottom of the 11th inning beating the A’s 8-7.

#4 Tough loss for A’s reliever Luis Medina who came close to getting out of the inning but ghost runner Nathan Lukes scored from second on a base hit by Clement. For Medina 0.1 innings, one hit, one walk and one strike out.

#5 Charlie talk about Netflix taking over the national broadcasts for MLB. How costly is it for the fans and is the network competant in their national coverage?

Join Charlie O for the MLB The Show podcasts Sundays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento A’s game wrap: Springer Sets the Tone as Blue Jays Hold Off Late Push in 5-2 win over A’s

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Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Jeff Hoffman (23) and catcher Tyler Heineman (left) exchange congratulations after defeating the Sacramento A’s at Rogers Centre in Toronto on Sun Mar 29, 2026 (Canadian via AP photo)

Sacramento A’s game wrap

Springer Sets the Tone as Blue Jays Hold Off Late Push

By Mauricio Segura

The afternoon at Rogers Centre opened with a jolt, and the Toronto Blue Jays never really let the Sacramento Athletics recover from it. Toronto rode early power and steady pitching to a 5-2 finale, controlling the game from the first inning while fending off the A’s only real surge midway through.

It didn’t take long for the tone to be set. After Eric Lauer struck out the side in a dominant top of the first, George Springer stepped in and wasted no time getting the Jays airborn. His solo shot to left, his first of the season, gave Toronto a quick 1-0 lead and immediately put the green and gold on their heels. That early punch turned into a trend, as the Athletics struggled to solve Lauer and the Blue Jays’ pitching staff all afternoon.

Through the first four innings, the A’s offense was quiet to the point of frustration. They didn’t record a hit until the fifth and struck out repeatedly against a Toronto staff that looked sharp and confident. Lauer set the bar high with command and swing-and-miss stuff, retiring nine of the first ten hitters he faced while piling up strikeouts.

Meanwhile, Toronto bats kept building. In the third inning, Jesús Sánchez extended the lead with a two-run homer to center, scoring Tyler Heineman and pushing the margin to 3-0. The Blue Jays weren’t just hitting for power; they were capitalizing on opportunities. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. added a single in the same inning, keeping traffic on the bases and pressure on the Athletics’ pitching.

An inning later, Kazuma Okamoto added another blow, launching his first career home run to right-center. That made it 4-0 and gave Toronto a comfortable cushion. At that point, the game had the feel of one slipping away from the A’s, who still had yet to mount any kind of consistent threat.

Finally, in the fifth, the Athletics showed life. Jacob Wilson sparked the inning with a line-drive double to center, and Max Muncy followed with a towering two-run homer to right. In just a few pitches, the deficit was cut in half, 4-2, and the energy shifted slightly. For the first time all afternoon, Toronto looked slightly vulnerable.

But the Blue Jays answered immediately in the bottom half. After a pair of walks and a single loaded the bases, Addison Barger drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in Tyler Heineman, restoring a three-run lead at 5-2. It wasn’t flashy, but it was effective, and it halted any momentum the Athletics had started to build. A double play from Okamoto ended the inning, but the damage had already been done.

From there, the game settled into a quieter rhythm. The A’s had chances to chip away but couldn’t deliver the key hit. Nick Kurtz singled in the sixth, and Shea Langeliers reached in the eighth, but each time Toronto’s bullpen tightened the screws. Braydon Fisher, Tommy Nance, Mason Fluharty, and Jeff Hoffman combined to keep the Athletics in check, preserving the lead without much drama.

Defensively, both teams had their moments, but Toronto’s pitching carried the day. The Blue Jays racked up strikeouts throughout, including a stretch that highlighted just how difficult it was for the A’s to make solid contact. Even when the Athletics put the ball in play late, it rarely turned into anything meaningful.

In the ninth, the A’s made one last push. Jacob Wilson singled with two outs to bring the tying run a little closer to the plate, but Max Muncy struck out swinging to end it, sealing Toronto’s win and capping a game that was defined by early control and timely responses.

The A’s offense never found a rhythm in this series finale across the border. Too many strikeouts and too little pressure allowed Toronto to dictate the pace from start to finish. For the Blue Jays, it was a complete effort, highlighted by power, patience, and pitching that never let the game slip away.

The A’s now head to Atlanta for a three game series Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday, before heading back to Sacramento to open up before the home fans on Friday.

Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has covered sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for various magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, The Golden Bay Times. 2026 marks his 15th season covering Athletics baseball.

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 game wrap: Late Chaos Ends with Second Jays Walk-Off Stinging A’s 8-7 in 11 innings

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Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Vladimir Guerrero Jr slides in safely to score in front of Sacramento A’s catcher Shea Langeliers (23) in the bottom of the sixth inning at Rogers Centre in Toronto on Sat Mar 27, 2026 (Canadian Press via AP News)

By Mauricio Segura

What started as a quiet, tightly wound pitcher’s duel turned into a full-blown nail biter by the time the Sacramento Athletics and Toronto Blue Jays staggered into extra innings for the second consecutive day. In the end, again, Toronto walked it off in the 11th, escaping with an 8-7 win after a game that flipped momentum so many times it felt like neither team ever truly had control.

The early innings belonged to the arms. Both lineups came out swinging but found little success, combining for just a handful of baserunners through the first two frames. The Athletics threatened in the third when Nick Kurtz walked and later reached third, but a Soderstrom strikeout ended the chance.

Toronto finally broke through in the bottom half of that inning, stringing together three straight hits capped off by George Springer’s RBI double to give the Blue Jays a 1–0 lead. Even then, it could have been worse, but a sharp defensive play from Tyler Soderstrom in left cut down Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at third to limit the damage.

Toronto’s slim lead held until the sixth, when the Athletics finally cracked through. Kurtz walked, stole second, and came home on Tyler Soderstrom’s RBI double to tie the game at one. The response from the Blue Jays was immediate. After Guerrero Jr. drew another walk, Daulton Varsho delivered a go-ahead RBI single in the bottom half to push Toronto back in front, 2–1.

The seventh inning changed everything.

The Athletics loaded the bases with a mix of singles and aggressive baserunning. With one swing, Shea Langeliers flipped the game on its head, launching a knuckleball grand slam 420 feet to center field. Just like that, a one-run deficit became a 6-2 Green & Gold lead. It was the kind of blow that usually seals a game, the kind that sends fans toward the exits. However…

Toronto didn’t leave. Nor did the fans.

Instead, the Jays chipped away. Guerrero Jr. drove in a run in the seventh to make it 6-3. In the eighth, they took advantage of walks and timely hitting, getting RBI singles from Jesús Sánchez and Andrés Giménez to pull within one. Suddenly, the pressure shifted back to the A’s bullpen, and the once-comfortable lead was hanging by a thread.

It snapped in the ninth.

Down to their final outs, the Blue Jays got a jolt from Alejandro Kirk, who lifted a solo home run to left field to tie the game at six. The stadium came alive, and what had looked like a missed opportunity earlier in the game was now a full reset heading into extras.

The 10th inning delivered more drama. With the automatic runner in place, Brent Rooker came through with an RBI single to give the Athletics a 7-6 edge. But Toronto answered again in the bottom half, tying the game on Addison Barger’s sacrifice fly after moving the runner into scoring position. Neither side could land the knockout punch, and the game marched on.

By the 11th, both teams looked exhausted, running on fumes and instinct. The Athletics failed to capitalize in their half, stranding a runner after a key strikeout. That opened the door for Blue Jays to take advantage of their bottom of the inning quest.

With a runner already in scoring position, the Blue Jays stayed patient. After a strikeout and an intentional walk, Ernie Clement stepped in and delivered the final blow, ripping a sharp single to left field that scored the winning run and sealed an 8-7 victory.

It was a game defined by swings in momentum, by missed chances and clutch hits, and by a refusal from either side to back down. The Athletics looked like they had it won after Langeliers’ grand slam, then again after Rooker’s go-ahead hit in extras. Each time, Toronto answered.

In the end, the difference wasn’t one big moment, but a series of them stacked together. The Blue Jays simply had one more answer left, and that’s what ultimately wins games in this beautiful game of baseball.

Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has covered sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for various magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, The Golden Bay Times. 2026 marks his 15th season covering Athletics baseball.

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 game wrap: Langeliers’ Late Heroics Stolen in Blue Jays Walk-Off Thriller 3-2

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Sacramento A’s Shea Langeliers (23) celebrates his home run with Tyler Soderstrom (21) as the Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk (right) looks on at Rogers Place in Toronto on Fri Mar 27, 2026 (Canadian Press via AP)

Langeliers’ Late Heroics Stolen in Blue Jays Walk-Off Thriller 3-2

By Mauricio Segura

For much of Friday night’s Season Opener, it felt like a pitching clinic wrapped in a tense, low-scoring chess match as the Toronto Blue Jays edged the Sacramento A’s at Rogers Place 3-2 to open the regular season between both clubs. Then the late innings arrived, and everything flipped.

The A’s and Blue Jays spent the early innings trading zeros, with Kevin Gausman and Luis Severino setting the tone. Gausman was sharp from the outset, striking out the side in the first inning and piling up swings and misses with his splitter. Through three innings, the Green and Gold had little to show but strikeouts and weak contact, unable to solve his mix of velocity and late movement.

Severino matched him pitch for pitch early on. Toronto’s lineup, featuring George Springer and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., struggled to generate anything beyond a walk starting out. Balls were put in play, but rarely with authority, as Severino worked efficiently and kept the Blue Jays off balance through the first four innings.

The game’s first crack came in the top of the fourth, and it came with catcher finesse. Shea Langeliers stepped in and launched a 375-foot home run to left field, breaking the scoreless tie and giving the Athletics a 1-0 lead. It was a moment that briefly shifted momentum, especially given how dominant Gausman had been to that point.

Toronto, like a good poker hand saw the A’s single run and raised it in the fifth. After a walk and a double set the table, Andrés Giménez delivered the biggest swing of the night to that point, ripping a triple to left field that brought in two runs. In a blink, the Blue Jays had flipped the game, taking a 2-1 lead and energizing their dugout.

From there, the game tightened again. The A’s bullpen held firm, with Scott Barlow and Hogan Harris combining to keep Toronto off the board over the next few innings. At the same time, the Athletics offense struggled to mount a response. A promising seventh inning fizzled when a double play erased a potential rally, and by the eighth, the sense of urgency was unmistakable.

Still, baseball has a way of saving its drama for the final act.

In the top of the ninth, down to their last outs, the Athletics turned once again to Langeliers. With one out, he delivered in stunning fashion, crushing a 414-foot home run to center field to tie the game at 2-2. It was his second homer of the night, a solo blast that breathed life back into the Athletics and silenced the Toronto crowd, at least momentarily.

The inning had a brief flicker of more. Tyler Soderstrom reached first after striking out on a wild pitch, but the rally stalled there as the next two hitters went down swinging. Still, the damage was done. The game was tied, and momentum had swung.

That set the stage for a tense bottom of the ninth.

After two quick outs, it looked like the Athletics might force extra innings. But the Jays wanted to shut the cage and fly coop for the night. Masataka Okamoto kept the inning alive with a single, and Ernie Clement followed with a clutch double to left, putting runners at second and third and bringing the winning run just 90 feet away.

Giménez, already responsible for Toronto’s earlier breakthrough, stepped in again with a chance to end it. He did not miss. Lacing a single to right field, he drove in Okamoto from third, sealing a 3-2 walk-off victory for the Blue Jays and completing a night where timely hitting made all the difference.

For the Athletics, the loss stung, especially after Langeliers’ heroics gave them a second life. His two home runs accounted for all of the team’s scoring and were easily the standout performance of the night. But outside of those swings, the offense struggled to sustain pressure against Gausman and Toronto’s bullpen.

On the other side, the Blue Jays leaned on situational hitting and patience. Giménez’s triple and walk-off single highlighted a lineup that capitalized when opportunities finally appeared, even in a game dominated by pitching.

Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has covered sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for various magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, The Golden Bay Times. 2026 marks his 15th season covering Athletics baseball.

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. 

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: A’s Second Season in Sacramento “It is what it is”

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Sacramento A’s opening day pitcher Luis Severino goes to the mound against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre in downtown Toronto on Fri Mar 27, 2026 (AP News photo)

A’s Second Season in Sacramento: “It is what it is”

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

The Athletics open their 2026 season on March 27 in Toronto against the American League Champions, the Blue Jays, on a five-game road trip to open the new season, three in Toronto and two in Atlanta, then return home on April 3 for their first home game of the new season against the Houston Astros.

The city of Sacramento during its first season (2025) was not what the team expected. The team drew 768,464 fans at their 2025 Sacramento debut, the lowest in MLB, averaging 9,487 fans per game at Sutter Health Park. Note: LA Dodgers Stadium parking lot regularly accommodates 18,000 cars.

Seems like the A’s never took Sacramento seriously, scheduled to play there for only three years, like leasing a car, for 2025-26-27, and then move to the very hot confines of Las Vegas, Nevada. The A’s never joined the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce (English or Spanish).

The people of Sacramento are “lukewarm” about this team. The media coverage of the Athletics writes about a team that has not obviously embraced the area, and they often report on that lack of enthusiasm. Some expected A’s fans to travel from Oakland and other Bay Area cities/areas to see the A’s play at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento..

Some A’s fans might have left the Bay Area for Sacramento, seeking a cheaper cost of living, but there are not enough of those fans to fill seats in Sacramento. A’s team performance on the field was about what I expected, an exciting offense and…that’s it. Not a serious contender.

When your ace in the starting rotation is Luis Severino (I like Luis he is a good guy), they are totally exposed at their level of pitching, which is not at the level of a serious contender. Players have complained about the facilities in Sacramento, but they get paid to wear a major-league uniform and play in a minor-league park.

The largest minority group in the Sacramento area is Hispanic, representing roughly 24–30% of the population. Within the City of Sacramento specifically, Hispanic residents are the largest minority. In 2025, A’s reduced the Spanish radio broadcast to one broadcaster, pure tokenism, so the team can say: “yes, we have a Spanish broadcast”, disrespect to a sport whose some of their biggest stars are Hispanic and over 30% of all players in MLB are Latinos.

Spanish is the second language of baseball and in the US overall. But for the A’s, they might as well be playing in West Virginia, the smallest Latino population in the US. There is little local excitement, and ticket sales for the 2026 season were immediately met with flash sales, such as “No Fees” promotions for April and May, highlighting a lack of demand.

So, in simple language, it is a bleak situation The very common phrase “it is what it is” signifies acceptance of an unchangeable, difficult situation, used commonly in business, politics, and sports, and sometimes bad news in medical reports, since the 1990’s, and in the case of the 2026 version of the Athletics, It is what it is.

SF Gate recent headline: The A’s pitiful attendance now hurting Sacramento’s other baseball team.

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.

LaTerraza Mexican Restaurant 1027 2nd Street in Old Sacramento give them a call at 916-440-0874

From the second you step in the front door, the sounds of Latin America will gently seduce your ears and continue as you relax outdoors with your favorite cocktail enjoying the view. The wonderful flavors and aromas of our cuisine will not disappoint.

We use only the finest, freshest, local ingredients in every dish and every dish is prepared to order. Enjoy live mariachi music weekly and on special occasions, catch balet folklorico dance performances among other live entertainment. Come visit us and have a great time! Enjoy fast, friendly service, fantastic food & cocktails, music and allow us to share our beautiful Mexican heritage with you.

LaTerraza Mexican Restaurant at 1027 2nd Street in Old Sacramento give them a call at 916-440-0874.

A’s Defeat Reds 12-4 as Rotation Competition Heats Up

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Mandatory Photo Credit: Athletics on X

By Jeremiah Salmonson

MESA, ARIZONA — The Athletics were in session for some more Cactus League action on Sunday afternoon at Hohokam Stadium. The A’s defeated the Reds in resounding fashion 12-4 on Sunday in the matinee affair.

The A’s had rotation hopeful J.T. Ginn go for them on the mound in what was his second start of the spring. In his first start, Ginn was solid, going two innings of no-hit, no-walk baseball and striking out three.

On Sunday, Ginn impressed again as he tossed three innings of no-run, no-hit baseball as he struck out two and walked two in the outing. Ginn, who has had control issues at times, certainly wasn’t happy with the two walks. However, limiting the damage and keeping the Reds off the board certainly had to be a good feeling.

“I just think he built off his last outing,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said after the game to the media. “Obviously velo might’ve been a tick less this outing that’s going to happen in spring training, but really, really we were hoping he’d get three full innings. He did and got a little work in, there was a little test there. He had to pitch out of the stretch for the first time. So all in all I think it was a good outing for J.T.”

Ginn, who was in and out of the A’s rotation last season, looks to cement himself a rotation spot for an A’s club who certainly has a few spots in limbo. Jeffrey Springs, Luis Severino, and offseason acquisition Aaron Civale certainly will slot into the top three rotation spots come the season. Jacob Lopez, who is recovering from an elbow strain from last season, is expected to be ready for Opening Day and will almost certainly command attention for a rotation spot to begin the year.

For guys like Ginn, that leaves the last two spots up for grabs in the Athletics rotation come the end of March and the beginning of the season. Luis Morales, J.T. Ginn, and Jacob Lopez all seem to be the favorites to fill those final two spots as guys like Jack Perkins and Mason Barnett seem to be on the outside looking in that conversation. Luis Morales seems to be the odds-on favorite around camp to fill the A’s fourth spot, which leaves Ginn and Lopez to fill the fifth and final spot. Ginn’s efforts on Sunday certainly furthers his case for consideration if he can keep up his performance through spring.

In Sunday’s game on the offensive side, the A’s bats woke up and flipped the script after their poor performance on Saturday.

The A’s tallied 11 hits and scored 12 runs on Sunday in a breakout game that saw some of the A’s mainstays get going. A’s All-Star shortstop Jacob Wilson tallied a hit and reached base twice in three at-bats as Nick Kurtz recorded a walk in the contest. A’s starting catcher Shea Langeliers was 2-2 with a hit by pitch and three RBIs in the game as he hit a two-run homer and an RBI double in the game.

I asked Mark Kotsay after the game his thoughts on how locked in Shea looked at this point in the spring.

“When I saw Shea for the first time this spring, I felt like he was right where he needed to be building off last season. So I think a lot of our starters, a lot of our guys that you’re going to see play every day when the season starts, look good.”

The A’s continue camp this week prior to a trip to their near-future home in Las Vegas where they will play the weekend of the 6th in Las Vegas, where the Aviators play their home games.

To open the week, the A’s will travel to Peoria to take on the San Diego Padres at 12:10 p.m. PST as the A’s will send Mason Barnett to the hill.

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. 

Giants Defeat A’s 8-2 as Morales Struggles in Spring Start

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Mandatory Photo Credit: Athletics on X

By Jeremiah Salmonson

MESA, ARIZONA — The Athletics welcomed the San Francisco Giants to Mesa on Saturday afternoon for the A’s seventh game of the spring. The Giants, led by strong pitching and timely offense, defeated the A’s 8-2 on Saturday.

One of the A’s main focuses this spring has to be on their pitching corps heading into opening day. The A’s already have what is certainly considered one of the more feared lineups in baseball this season. The real question is with the pitching staff. Can the A’s piece together a bullpen good enough to keep them in contention in 2026? During the A’s struggles in May, the bullpen posted the worst ERA in the league, over the 8.00 mark. Granted, the bullpen pitched much better later in the season, but the damage was done.

The key in many ways for the Athletics going into 2026 will be the pitching staff.

On Saturday, the potential woes for the A’s pitching staff were on full display.

The A’s started the game with projected rotation hopeful Luis Morales.

Morales struggled in his outing, with his initial appearance lasting one and a third innings, as he gave up four runs on five hits while walking one and striking out one. Morales was lifted for Eduarniel Nunez to finish the second inning. Nunez did so, allowing two runs on one hit in two-thirds of an inning of work. In a rare move you don’t see all that often, A’s manager Mark Kotsay elected to go back to Morales for the third inning. Morales gave up another hit and another walk and recorded just one more out in his outing. As the dust settled on his outing, Morales finished going one and two-thirds innings, allowing four runs on six hits while striking out two and walking two.

After the game, Mark Kotsay spoke his thoughts regarding Morales’s start.

“Just lack of fastball command really,” Kotsay said. “He left a lot of balls up, breaking balls up. I still feel like it’s early. I definitely want to get that pitch count up. That’s the reason to take him out and put him back out there. I think the biggest thing for Luis is going to be being able to get ahead of hitters with his fastball and be able to locate it.”

Like Kotsay said, it’s certainly early in the spring. Morales has many more opportunities this spring to get himself right, and the A’s will give him all the opportunities to do just that.

The A’s staff after Nunez pitched pretty well. A few base hits aside, the A’s held the Giants off the board until the eighth inning, as JJ Goss, Tyler Ferguson, Hogan Harris, Scott Barlow, and Justin Sterner all had scoreless outings through the seventh inning.

In the eighth, Kade Morris came on for the A’s and struggled. Kade worked the eighth and ninth innings, giving up two runs on four hits while striking out one and walking one. It was the A’s lone blemish for the pen after the rough start to the game for the A’s pitching staff.

On the offensive side of the ball, the A’s also struggled.

The A’s didn’t get their first hit of the game until a fourth-inning Tyler Soderstrom single.

In terms of scoring runs, the A’s managed two runs in the game; one run came in the seventh and the other in the ninth for the A’s. Michael Stefanic had an RBI single in the seventh inning, and Cade Marlowe scored on a throwing error in the ninth inning. Those two plays were the only runs the A’s would score in the game. The Giants outhit the A’s 15-8 in the game, as the A’s failed to secure their second win of the spring, falling to 1-6 in Arizona.

The A’s will stay home to take on the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday at 1 p.m. MST at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa.

Sacramento A’s podcast Jeremiah Salmonson: Former A’s announcer Glen Kuiper controversal hire with Giants; Looking at the A’s primary goals for 2026

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Former Oakland A’s TV play by play announcer Glen Kuiper who was fired by the A’s for using the N word on live TV has been hired to do play by play for the San Francisco Giants as of Thu Feb 26, 2026. The hiring has social media talking and some objecting to his being back on the air. (Michael Zagaris / Getty Images file)

Sacramento A’s podcast Jeremiah Salmonson:

#1 What are the A’s primary goals for 2026 Spring Training, and how is the club addressing expectations for a return to postseason contention?

#2 Who are the key non-roster invitees or young players competing for major-league roster spots at spring camp, and what standouts have emerged so far?

#3 How is the A’s early spring training performance win-loss record or pitching struggle shaping perceptions of the team’s readiness for the regular season?

#4 What impact might contract extension negotiations — especially involving rising star players like Nick Kurtz — have on the club’s preparations and morale heading into spring?

#5 How is the team handling its branding and local engagement — including the use of “Sacramento” on alternate jerseys and continued play in Sutter Health Park — amid preparations for Spring Training and the upcoming season?

Jeremiah Salmonson is a Sacramento A’s beat writer for 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 Kings podcast Barbara Mason: Kings skid continues at five in a row

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Sacramento Kings guard Dennis Schroder (17) works his way to the basket against the Detroit Pistons forward Isaiah Stewart (28) at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Sun Jan 25, 2026 (AP News photo)

Sacramento Kings podcast with Barbara Mason:

1. The Sacramento Kings suffered another loss this time at the hands of the Detroit Pistons 139-116. This was their fifth loss in a row as the trade deadline grows closer.

2.The Kings starters have struggled prompting changes in the lineup-meaning a lot more minutes for the bench and they have not disappointed.

3.The Pistons Cade Cunningham did most of the heavy lifting but had a lot of support from teammates in this win as well as some great work from their bench.

4.The Pistons are sitting on top in the Eastern Conference 5 1/2 games ahead of the second place Celtics.

5.The Kings will now head into New York Tuesday night for a matchup with the Knicks after beating them a few weeks ago at Golden One.

Join Barbara Mason for the Sacramento Kings 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.