Category: Sacramento A’s

Brent Rooker on Friday in the game against the Yankees (Photo: Athletics on X)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

WEST SACRAMENTO–“We’re excited to be here for the next three years playing in this beautiful ballpark, but also being able to watch some of the best players in baseball, whether they be Athletics players or Aaron Judge and others, launch home runs out of this very intimate, the most intimate ballpark in all of Major League Baseball, for the next three years.”

That was A’s owner John Fisher during his press conference last year, speaking about the team’s temporary home at Sutter Health Park. On Friday, the A’s welcomed Aaron Judge and the Yankees for the first of a three-game series. But instead of Judge launching balls out of the yard, it was Jasson Dominguez who carried the load for New York. Dominguez, who had never recorded a multi-homer game in his career, hit three home runs—including a grand slam.

The Yankees handled the A’s with ease in a 10-2 victory, jumping out to a quick lead and never looking back.

A’s starter Osvaldo Bido gave the club five and a third solid innings but struggled to execute a few key pitches. His toughest stretch came in the third inning, when he gave up back-to-back homers to Paul Goldschmidt and Dominguez. Bido allowed eight hits and four runs (three earned), walked two, and struck out six.

The A’s offense didn’t show up until late. Jacob Wilson drove in Max Schuemann with an RBI single in the eighth inning to make it 10-1. In the ninth, Lawrence Butler—who has been in a slump—added an RBI single off the right-field wall that scored Shea Langeliers. That would be all for the A’s, who dropped the series opener to New York, 10-2.

The bullpen had a rough outing. Hogan Harris allowed four runs on four hits across two innings, striking out two and walking two. Elvis Alvarado made his MLB debut and pitched the final 1.2 innings, surrendering two runs on two hits with two strikeouts and two walks.

Despite boasting a strong road record (13-7), the A’s continued their struggles at home. Asked by John Shea about the team’s home woes, manager Mark Kotsay said, “Can’t explain it right now, John. I can’t explain it.”

Bido was tagged with the loss and now sits at 2-3 with a 4.75 ERA. The win went to Yankees starter Will Warren, who is now 2-2 with a 4.75 ERA.

The A’s will look to bounce back on Saturday afternoon in game two of the series. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 PM PST in West Sacramento. J.P. Sears (4-2, 2.93 ERA) is slated to start for the A’s against Yankees lefty Carlos Rodón (4-3, 2.96 ERA).

Note of the night: Nick Kurtz continues to take good at-bats and had two more hits tonight, including a ringing double to right-center field that left his bat at 113 MPH.

Miguel Andujar on Tuesday night in the A’s contest against the Seattle Mariners (Photo: Athletics on X)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

WEST SACRAMENTO — The A’s and Mariners faced off in the second game of a three-game series on Tuesday at Sutter Health Park. In front of 9,615 fans, the A’s dropped game two of the series to the Mariners, 5-3.

“Yeah, really tough,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “The kid comes into my office and tells me he’s good to go, and you trust the player. He’s pitched quite a bit, and tonight was his fourth night [in a row]… The at-bat that changed the inning was the pitch inside to Arozarena that hit him… He answered the bell, and it just didn’t go well tonight.”

Kotsay was referring to a taxed bullpen and, specifically, reliever Tyler Ferguson, who took the loss on Tuesday. With Mason Miller and others unavailable, the A’s turned to Ferguson to close out the ninth with a 3-2 lead. But Ferguson didn’t have his best stuff and allowed three runs on two hits, walking one and striking out one in two-thirds of an inning.

The inning began well, with Ferguson striking out J.P. Crawford swinging, but things unraveled quickly. He walked Jorge Polanco, gave up a single to Julio Rodríguez, and then hit Randy Arozarena with a sinker that ran inside, loading the bases for pinch-hitter Cal Raleigh. Raleigh, who had the night off until that point, delivered a sharp two-RBI single into right field to put Seattle ahead, 4-3. Dylan Moore followed with a sacrifice fly to right, plating another run to make it 5-3. Hogan Harris then entered and struck out Rowdy Tellez to end the inning.

In the bottom of the ninth, the A’s fought back but ultimately came up short and dropped the game, 5-3.

It was a tough finish for the A’s, who got strong contributions throughout the night.

Starter Jeffrey Springs pitched five innings of two-run ball, allowing five hits while striking out four. He walked two and gave up a solo homer to Julio Rodríguez in the first inning.

The bullpen—aside from Ferguson—was excellent. Noah Murdock, T.J. McFarland, Justin Sterner, and Hogan Harris combined for 3.1 scoreless innings.

Offensively, the A’s answered right away after Rodríguez’s homer in the top of the first, tying the game in the bottom half on a Miguel Andujar RBI single that scored Brent Rooker. In the third, trailing 2-1, the A’s tied it again on a Rooker RBI single that brought home Nick Kurtz, who had walked earlier in the inning. The A’s last run came in go-ahead fashion in the eighth when Andujar singled home Rooker to make it 3-2. Unfortunately for A’s fans, the rest is history.

With the loss, the A’s dropped to 20-17 on the season, good for second place in the AL West, two games behind the Mariners.

The two teams will meet in the rubber match Wednesday at 12:35 p.m. at Sutter Health Park. The A’s will send Gunnar Hoglund (1-0, 1.50 ERA, 7 K, 6 IP) to the mound against Seattle’s Bryan Woo (4-1, 2.58 ERA, 38 K, 38.1 IP).

Note of the night: A’s first baseman Nick Kurtz remains homerless through 13 games and 42 at-bats in the majors but walked twice Tuesday night. After the game, I asked manager Mark Kotsay what he’s seen from Kurtz’s recent approach.

“I think his at-bats have been good,” Kotsay said. “You don’t just come up here and dominate from day one. I think Nick’s at-bats continue to get better, and the walks are an indication that he’s laying off pitches he was chasing earlier when he got called up. These were good at-bats tonight, and he continues to build off of them.”

A’s fans continue to wait with bated breath for the first Nick Kurtz home run. However, Mark Kotsay doesn’t seem worried one bit. 

Jacob Wilson celebrates his walk-off hit on Monday night at Sutter Health Park (Photo: Athletics on X)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

WEST SACRAMENTO — Jacob Wilson is unbelievable! Monday, Jacob went 3-6 with three RBI and had the game tying hit in the 10th inning to go along with the walk-off knock in the 11th. 

The A’s, after Jacob Wilson tied the game with an RBI single in the 10th, proceeded to load the bases with no outs and a chance for three batters to win it. Lawrence Butler, Brent Rooker, and Tyler Soderstrom all struck out to end the threat and send the game to the 11th inning. Hogan Harris held the Mariners scoreless in the top half, giving the A’s another chance to walk it off.

Soderstrom began the bottom of the 11th as the designated runner at second base. Gio Urshela dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move him to third with one out. That’s when the madness began for Mariners skipper Dan Wilson. He chose to walk Shai Langeliers—an understandable decision to set up a potential inning-ending double play. What came next, however, defied logic.

The Mariners manager intentionally walked A’s center fielder JJ Bleday to load the bases for Jacob Wilson. On paper, the move could be justified by setting up a force at any base, but it ignored Wilson’s elite skill set and his scorching numbers this season. Entering the at-bat, Wilson was hitting .419 with runners in scoring position—an outrageous figure.

With the table set, Wilson did what he does best—he lined a ball into center field for a base hit and the game-winning RBI, lifting the A’s to a 7–6 victory. He was mobbed by teammates near second base as they celebrated their 20th win of the season and another thrilling moment in their strong turnaround after a slow start.

A’s starter Luis Severino went six innings, allowing four runs on five hits while striking out five and walking four.

In addition to their 10th and 11th inning heroics, the A’s scored in the first, second, fourth, and seventh innings. Miguel Andujar drove in a run with a sac fly in the first, and Jacob Wilson added an RBI single in the second. In the fourth, Shai Langeliers homered and Butler delivered an RBI single. Langeliers added another RBI with a sac fly in the seventh.

The A’s bullpen was once again excellent, tossing five innings of two-run ball while surrendering just three hits.

Sacramento will go for the series win Tuesday night as game two of the three-game set begins at 7:05 p.m. PST from Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento.