Sacramento Kings Domantas Sabonis and DeMar DeRozan shake hands during practice on Fri Oct 3, 2025 (Sacramento Kings X photo)
Sacramento Kings podcast Barbara Mason:
#1 How will the coaching staff determine the pecking order among the guards Dennis Schröder, Zach LaVine, Keon Ellis, Malik Monk — what criteria will separate starters from bench roles?
#2 Who emerges as the primary backup at the center position behind Domantas Sabonis, and how might that affect the frontcourt rotation?
# 3 What is the expected role and trajectory for younger players and non‑guaranteed signees trying to make the roster?
#4 How aggressively will Coach Doug Christie experiment with alternate lineups or mismatches small ball, positional versatility during preseason?
#5 First pre season game against the Toronto Raptors Wed Oct 8 at 7:00pm PT at Golden One Center in Sacramento. The Kings have got to be excited about finally getting out on the floor and getting some game action.
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 outfielder Brent Rooker models the Sacramento uniform the A’s will use when on the road for the 2026 season. (photo by Sacramento A’s X)
MLB Notes 2025 -Giants get No Satisfaction
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
By Amaury Pi-González
The San Francisco Giants got “No Satisfaction” like the great Rolling Stones song, as they ended the season with an 81-81 record, a tie, and. a .500 mark. Not going to the postseason. The Giants last qualified in 2021. They have a lot of work to do in the next few months to try to join the “big boys” of this division, LA and SD.
Mets learned that Money is not the Answer. The New York Mets, with the highest payroll in baseball, featuring Juan Soto at $765 million and Francisco Lindor at $341 million, among others, had a shot but failed to win game #162.
They are not going to the postseason. Manager Carlos Mendoza? His job is in danger. In New York, there is always danger for managers. The Cincinnati Reds had the 22nd-largest payroll among all 30 teams, approximately $90 million, and one of the best managers, Terry Francona.
They clinched a wild-card spot in the last game of the season. The last time the Reds were in a postseason was in 2020. Cleveland Guardians (formerly the Indians) completed a historic comeback, overcoming a 15 1/2 game deficit to take the lead this month and won the AL Central Division on the last day of the season by leaving the Detroit Tigers in the rear view mirror.
The feat that makes it the largest deficit ever erased to win a division in Major League Baseball history. Manager and ex-Oakland A’s catcher Stephen Vogt, in his second season as manager, took the team to the top. Blue Jays, Oh Canada!
They won the LA East Title over the Yankees. Last time the Blue Jays were in the postseason? 2016. Again, Vlad Guerrero Jr. justifies his $500 million, multi-year contract. New York, New York, Start spreading the news.
The Yankees secured a wild-card spot and advanced to the postseason as they finished in second place behind the Toronto Blue Jays. While the Blue Jays have their eyes on their third World Series title, the Yanks are going after their 28th.
Could the #1 city in the country have another parade? As I was on vacation, I ran into their last parade in Lower Manhattan in 2009, the last World Series they won. The Seattle Mariners won the AL West division, clinching their first AL West title since 2001.
Catcher Cal Raleigh had 60 home runs, 125 RBIs, and a .248 batting average. First catcher ever to hit 60 home runs in a single season, and the 12th catcher in history to have multiple 30-plus HR seasons. Cal Raleigh holds the MLB record for most home runs by a switch-hitter in a single season, surpassing Mickey Mantle’s 1961 record of 54 home runs with his 55th of the 2025 season, and, like above-mentioned, he ended with 60 home runs.
He is one of two top candidates for the AL MVP, with Yankee Aaron Judge, who won the batting title. hitting .330 with 53 home runs and 114 RBIs, plus an OPS of 1,149. The Brewers from Milwaukee ended with the best record in baseball, 97-65, winning the AL Central Division and marking their best year in franchise history.
They have never won a World Series. In 1982, they lost their only World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals, in the battle of the “beer cities.” Four million Blue. The Los Angeles Dodgers surpassed 4 million in attendance.
The Dodgers hold the record for the longest active streak of consecutive playoff appearances in MLB, a streak that stands at 13 seasons. They were the favorites to win the World Series prior to the start. With the MLB postseason underway, the Philadelphia Phillies, Seattle Mariners, and defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers are all involved.
“All World” Ohtani hit his 55th home run during their last game of the season at Chávez Ravine. My pick for the team that could go all the way, not mentioned here, is the San Diego Padres. They have all the talent necessary to make it all the way to the 2025 World Series Champions.
A’s Big News ! The A’s biggest news at year’s end. The Athletics will be introducing a new gold/yellow alternate jersey for the 2026 season, featuring “Sacramento” written on the front, in honor of their temporary home at Sutter Health Park. Why?
Lots of people, not only in California but all over the country, had NO IDEA where the A’s were playing. I know I missed other teams that are in the postseason, but I am exhausted.
Quote: Baseball was made for kids, and grown-ups only screw it up. ~Bob Lemon Adiós muchachos!
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.
While in the Bay Area, great food and great prices. 998cuba.com
Nick Kurtz #16 of the Athletics hits a two run home run during the bottom of the eighth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Sutter Health Park on September 28, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Scott Marshall/Getty Images)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
WEST SACRAMENTO–The Athletics welcomed the Kansas City Royals to Sutter Health Park for the final game of the 2025 season on Sunday afternoon.
Earlier in the day, the famously not Sacramento Athletics unveiled a new Sacramento gold jersey they will wear in 2026. The Athletics President, Marc Badain, released a statement about the decision for the new jersey.
“It’s been an unforgettable first season in West Sacramento, and this uniform is another way to celebrate the passion we’ve already felt throughout the community.”
On Sunday, the A’s fell in 9-2 fashion to finish off the regular season 76-86.
The A’s elected to go with a bullpen game on Sunday, starting things off with opener Brady Basso. Basso struggled in his one and a third innings of work as he allowed one run on three hits while walking two.
Next out of the bullpen was Tyler Ferguson, who got the last two outs of the second inning without issue.
Elvis Alvarado pitched a scoreless third inning for the A’s as he walked one and struck out two.
Mitch Spence, who proved to be the longman for the A’s on Sunday, pitched the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings. Spence labored and didn’t have his best stuff as he allowed three runs on seven hits while striking out one Royal hitter.
Michael Kelly came on for the seventh inning and also struggled as he only managed to get one out while allowing three runs (two earned) on two hits.
Osvaldo Bido finished off the seventh inning and also pitched the eighth, giving up two runs on two hits in his one and two thirds innings of work. He also struck out two batters and walked one.
Scott McGough pitched a scoreless ninth inning for the A’s to finish off the season on the defensive side of the field.
The A’s bats struggled all game against the Royals pitching staff. The A’s tallied seven hits and three walks in the game while scoring only two runs.
The A’s two runs came courtesy of Nick Kurtz, who hit his 36th home run of the season to get the A’s on the board in the eighth inning.
Mark Kotsay spoke about the season after the game—specifically, how he felt the team played after their nearly 20 straight loss stretch.
“…the character of the group showed up, mindset changed, and I think you saw a team that fought throughout the rest of the year to try to get back to the .500 mark and we fell short, unfortunately, but I thought we played our best baseball and the show each in the last three months with winning records.”
Kotsay was alluding to the winning records the A’s posted in July, August, and September to close out the season. The A’s were not an easy opponent in the second half and gave plenty of good teams a tough time.
Brent Rooker spoke with the media after the game, saying he was proud of how the team played even after a rough stretch during the middle of the season.
“I think when you look around the room, there’s a ton of guys that kind of established themselves this year as real pieces on a roster that can compete with those teams that made the playoffs and that’s what we’re going to do. I think we performed well, specifically three months of the season, and is pretty indicative of who we are as a team and we’re excited to go back to work this off season and come into spring training with higher expectations than we have.”
Nick Kurtz, who many regard as the next star of MLB, spoke to us on how he reflects on his first season with the A’s.
“I mean, it was awesome. It was fun, it was exciting, kind saw it all. I had personal tough at bats and tough times and we had the really highs also. As a team you also have a little bit of both as well. So I think moving on, we all learned a lot about ourselves and as a unit, what we need to do to come back here next year and get a potential playoff spot and play some October baseball.”
The A’s will open their 2026 season on the road in Toronto as they take on the Blue Jays on March 26th, 2026.
Luis Morales #58 of the Athletics walks off the field after being pulled during the top of the fifth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Sutter Health Park on September 27, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Scott Marshall/Getty Images)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
WEST SACRAMENTO — After a thrilling walk-off on Friday night and a Mark Kotsay ejection on Saturday, the Royals got the best of the A’s by a 4-2 in game two of the series.
Luis Morales got the ball for the A’s on Saturday night in his final start of his rookie season. Morales, who has experienced a number of growing pains this year in the big leagues, pitched well to close out his season. He tossed four and two-thirds innings of three-run (two earned) baseball while giving up five hits and walking two Royals batters.
Kotsay was impressed by Morales after his final start of the season.
“I think there’s a lot of excitement that surrounds Luis and I have a full offseason now to prepare for next year and like you said, from starting out in AA to come to the big leagues and have some success and really show what he’s capable of doing in a really short time and make progress…”
“I just thank God…,” Morales said after his start in the clubhouse. “I worked really hard. To go from Double A and finish in the big leagues, for me, it’s a big win to be here.”
The bullpen
Elvis Alvarado was the first out of the pen for Kotsay and the A’s. Alvarado got the last out of the fifth inning and tossed a clean sixth, allowing a walk as his only baserunner.
In the seventh, Michael Kelly came in to relieve Alvarado. Kelly pitched a clean frame with his only blemish being a walk that he worked around with no issues.
The eighth inning belonged to Tyler Ferguson, who pitched a scoreless frame while giving up a two-out walk and a hit that he stranded.
In the ninth inning, Hogan Harris got the ball for the A’s. Harris wasn’t sharp, allowing two hits and a run, but he was able to limit the damage in his one inning of work.
Kotsay was ejected in the ninth inning after a foul tip was called by the home plate umpire that did not appear to hit the bat. This followed a hit by pitch earlier in the game that did not strike Salvador Perez but was ruled a hit by pitch.
The bats
The A’s struggled against Royals starter Michael Wacha and subsequent bullpen arms prior to the seventh inning. They began to build some offensive momentum in the seventh when Carlos Cortes hit an RBI double to get the A’s on the board, cutting the deficit to 3-1.
In the eighth inning, Shea Langeliers pulled the A’s within one with an RBI double that scored Nick Kurtz, who had walked earlier in the inning.
The A’s wouldn’t score again as they failed to mount a comeback in the ninth. They tallied six total hits and three walks on Saturday night.
Up next
The A’s will finish the 2025 season on Sunday as they take on the Royals at 12:05 p.m. PST in West Sacramento. The Royals are scheduled to start Cole Ragans (3-3, 5.02 ERA) in their season finale, while the A’s have yet to announce a starter.
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 latest look at the developments of the A’s Las Vegas ballpark located at the former Tropicana Casino and Hotel. Pilons and cement has been poured this still was taken at 5:52 on Fri Sep 26, 2025 (still photo from Athletics live stream camera)
Sacramento A’s relocation podcast Daniel Dullum:
#1 Daniel, so far no public disclosure or reporting indicates a completed “$100 million” payment in isolation.
#2 The pledge structure is more complex (equity, debt, public funds) rather than a simple lump sum.
#3 The reported pledges and financial commitments are much larger and intended to cover the full project cost, rather than a $100 million tranche.
#4 So, in short: No — there is no verified record that Fisher has made a standalone $100 million payment for the ballpark construction, at least not publicly disclosed.
#5 Fisher is working on raising additional capital via minority investors and private sources, which could reduce the Fisher-family share. But as of latest reports, the Fisher family is still expected to carry the bulk of the private financing.
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 Lawrence Butler (left) steals second base as the Kansas City Royals second baseman Jonathan India (6) tries to put the tag on too late in the bottom of the second inning at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento on Fri Sep 26, 2025 (AP News photo)
Athletics Walk Off Royals in Dramatic Finish
By Mauricio Segura
WEST SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Athletics finished Friday night’s game into a cinematic thriller, clawing back from an early three-run hole and delivering a walk-off 4-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals.
For eight innings, it felt like a strategic chess game with the pawns wearing spikes. Long stretches of scoreless ball punctuated by flashes of daring baserunning and systematic pitching changes. In the end, the Green and Gold found a way to finish what they started.
Kansas City struck first, roughing up the A’s starter in the top of the fourth with a three-run burst that briefly silenced the Sacramento crowd. The A’s offense had been held quiet until the bottom of the fifth, when the lineup finally cracked the Royals’ early momentum.
Lawrence Butler, a sparkplug all season, set the tone with his 22nd stolen base. That moment of aggression on the bases rattled the visitors and seemed to wake up the dugout. A series of timely swings and a wild pitch by Taylor Clarke brought three runs across, tying the game and wiping out the Royals’ early advantage.
Managerial maneuvering became the story from that point forward. The A’s sent Carlos Cortes up as a pinch-hitter in the fifth, and when he stayed in the game as the right fielder, it signaled Sacramento was not content to just trade zeroes.
The Royals countered with a carousel of relievers, including Hogan Harris, Jonathan Bowlan, and finally Angel Zerpa, trying to keep the home side in check. The Athletics kept matching those moves, using pinch-hitters like Max Muncy in the eighth and defensive substitutions in the late innings to keep fresh legs on the field.
From the sixth inning on, the scoreboard barely budged. Both bullpens locked in, each frame turning into a tense exercise in stranded runners. The outfield even got a late-game shuffle with Mike Yastrzemski moving from center to right, while the Royals inserted John Rave to cover center field. Every pitch after that felt like it carried the weight of the night.
By the time the ninth inning rolled around, the game was still knotted at three. That is when the home side decided to settle things. With Luinder Avila now on the mound for Kansas City, the A’s capitalized on a perfectly timed pinch-runner swap, Max Schuemann replacing Brett Harris, to inject speed and pressure. The gamble paid off as Sacramento pushed across the decisive run, sending the crowd into a frenzy and sealing a satisfying 4-3 walk-off victory.
The box score might tell you it was a game of four runs and a handful of substitutions, but the feel inside Sutter Health Park told a different story. It was a night defined by raw grit and refusal to play standard baseball in hopes it would pay off. No, tonight, Mark Kotsay put all the pieces in place unsing outside the box strategy and declared checkmate because of it.
The Green and Gold left the field to the roar of fans who have quickly made Sacramento feel like home for big-league baseball. For a franchise carving a new chapter in a new city, moments like this walk-off win offer a taste of the drama and energy they will need to keep the momentum rolling.
Starting pitchers for Saturday: For the Royals RHP Michael Wacha (9-13 ERA 4.00) for the A’s RHP Luis Morales (4-2 ERA 3.07) first pitch 1:05pm PT at Sutter Health Park.
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.
Nick Kurtz #16 of the Athletics trots around the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Houston Astros in the bottom of the six inning at Sutter Health Park on September 25, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
WEST SACRAMENTO — After winning the first two games of their series against the Astros, the A’s struggled on Thursday afternoon and failed to sweep, losing 11-5.
J.T. Ginn, who has had mixed results this season for the A’s, wasn’t sharp again. Ginn only managed to complete three and two-thirds innings as the Astros shelled him for seven runs on six hits. Making his final start of the year, Ginn also surrendered three walks while striking out four.
Mark Kotsay spoke after the game about where he felt Ginn’s issues stemmed from.
“We talk a lot about free bases really hurting us and setting the tone. And I think for J.T., that first inning he really fished his way into some trouble. And when you do that against a good team, it’s tough to maneuver and to get out of those types of jams. I think the command wasn’t there today. The pitches were up in the zone.”
The bullpen
The A’s bullpen also struggled after tossing great innings in the first two games of the series.
Brady Basso was first out of the pen to relieve Ginn in the fourth inning. Basso recorded the final out of the fourth and got two outs in the fifth before being lifted after giving up two runs on three hits while walking three.
Osvaldo Bido came in for Basso and tossed two and a third innings of solid work. Bido gave up one run on two hits while striking out three and walking one.
Scott McGough was the final arm out of the bullpen for Kotsay, pitching the eighth and ninth. McGough gave up one run on one hit while striking out two.
The bats
The A’s bats struggled against Astros starter Framber Valdez, whose only blemish was a Nick Kurtz solo home run in the bottom of the sixth to get the A’s on the board. It was the 34th home run of the season for Kurtz and a foreshadowing of things to come later in the game.
Kurtz did his best to pull the A’s closer in the eighth inning with another home run which was his 35th of the season. The second blast, a 389-foot shot to left-center field that left the bat at 105 mph, was the A’s second and third runs of the game.
After the game, Kotsay spoke to the approach from Kurtz that has allowed him to succeed against both righties and lefties this season.
“He hadn’t seen a ton of Framber and for the approach to be what it was to have success, he needed to hit the ball left-center and the results would come. And I think you saw that he stuck with the approach and did a really nice job of getting the ball elevated, which was tough to do off Framber and getting a couple balls that he could handle and drive the other way.”
Whenever Kurtz gets the ball in the air the opposite way, it almost always seems to have a chance to be a home run. That was an opinion Kotsay agreed with after the game.
“When Nick touches the baseball, especially in the air opposite field, good things happen and we saw it today.”
Kurtz, who always has the same demeanor postgame, was calm and determined in his comments as if this is a normal result he expects every game.
“My power is going to the backside of the field,” Kurtz said. “I had to realize that I could still do that on inside pitches. I don’t need to try to pull.”
Kurtz went on to describe his relationship with A’s hitting coach Darren Bush, who is highly regarded among the players and in the organization.
“Oh, he’s awesome. I’m able to go to him whenever something feels a little off, whether it’s a simple mental adjustment, whether it’s a swing adjustment. We’re talking on a day-to-day basis on what I feel and what he sees, so it’s been really great to have him here throughout the whole way, especially with a bunch of young guys…”
The A’s added two more runs in the ninth thanks to a JJ Bleday RBI double and a Max Schuemann RBI groundout. They finished with five runs on 12 hits and three walks.
Up next
The A’s will begin their final series of the year on Friday at 7:05 p.m. PST at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento. They have yet to announce starters for the series against the Kansas City Royals. The Royals will send Noah Cameron (9-7, 2.90) 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.
Luis Severino #40 of the Athletics pitches against the Houston Astros in the top of the first inning at Sutter Health Park on September 24, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
WEST SACRAMENTO — During the 2025 season, Luis Severino has been mired in controversy surrounding the A’s and their temporary home at Sutter Health Park. Severino made a name for himself early in Sacramento by complaining about the ballpark’s mound, feel, and proximity to the clubhouse amenities he is accustomed to in MLB parks.
Through it all, I think Severino was largely misunderstood, but it didn’t help his image of complaining after rough starts at Sutter Health Park. Early in the season, Severino had some of the worst road/home splits in all of baseball for a starting pitcher.
So, when Severino took the mound on Wednesday night at Sutter Health Park, it felt as if he had something to prove to end the season. Severino fired six and a third innings of shutout baseball as the A’s defeated the Astros 6-0.
Severino’s final line was six and a third innings, giving up no runs on just three hits while walking only one batter and striking out five hitters.
After the game, Severino reflected on his start and the victory.
“I’m going to go to sleep really happy tonight. It feels good. I think I’m finally figuring it out… But yeah, really happy. I feel like I was in control the whole game. Shea was hitting all the good buttons and we were throwing a lot of strikes.”
Mark Kotsay was also pleased with the way Severino ended his 2025 season.
“I love the way it [the season] finished for Sevy. A tough stretch through May. We all went through it together. Obviously it impacted our season, but to turn the page, move forward and finish off the year the way he did tonight I’m really impressed and he showed that he’s a true pro coming off the injury to make a few more starts to finish off this season the way he did. It says a lot about him and the competitor he is, I know tonight meant a lot.”
Speaking on the turnaround recently for Severino, Kotsay credited his approach for the success.
“I think he’s just more aggressive. I think the confidence is there and he’s making pitches when he needs to make pitches, he’s attacking hitters and he’s on the aggressive.”
The bullpen
Hogan Harris came on to relieve Luis Severino and retired the last two batters of the seventh inning before pitching a scoreless eighth. Harris was perfect in his one and two thirds innings of work as he struck out two Houston hitters.
In the ninth, with the A’s up 6-0, Mark Kotsay elected with the sometimes unreliable ninth inning man Elvis Alvarado. Elvis, who has been solid for the A’s in his rookie season, got into a bit of trouble in the ninth inning. However, Elvis managed to escape the ninth giving up no runs after allowing two hits in the inning. A visibly excited Alvarado pumped his fist in a show of emotion after recording the final out of the game via a strikeout.
The bats
The A’s bats took advantage of everything they got going on Wednesday as they scored six runs on eight hits in the game. The A’s also drew three walks.
The A’s got on the board in the third inning when Tyler Soderstrom doubled home Nick Kurtz to open the scoring.
Shea Langeliers, who all in all went 4-4 in the game, added on for the A’s in the fifth inning with an RBI double that scored Brett Harris.
Brent Rooker came up later in the fifth inning and knocked home two runs on an RBI single to give the A’s the fifth inning 4-0 lead over the Astros.
The A’s final two runs both came courtesy of the long ball. In the seventh inning, Shea Langeliers and Tyler Soderstrom both hit solo home runs to give the A’s the 6-0 lead and seal the deal on the series win against the Astros.
Up next
The A’s and Astros will play the final game of a three game series on Thursday afternoon at 12:35 p.m. PST. J.T. Ginn (4-6, 4.57 ERA) is scheduled to take the ball for the A’s as the Astros have yet to announce the starter.
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.
Luis Severino makes the start for the Sacramento A’s at Sutter Health Park against the Houston Astros on Wed Sep 24, 2025 (AP News photo)
Sacramento A’s podcast Jeremiah Salmonson:
#1 How did Jeffrey Springs and the Sacramento Athletics’ bullpen perform in limiting Houston’s offense?
#2 What was the turning point or key inning that allowed Sacramento to pull ahead?
#3 How did Cristian Javier fare as the starter for Houston, and what were his main challenges?
#4 Which hitters for the A’s made the biggest impact offensively against the Astros?
#5 What are the playoff implications of this game for the Astros’ postseason hopes?
#6 Starting pitchers for Wednesday night’s game here at Sutter Health for Houston Hunter Brown (12-8 ERA 2.30) and for the A’s Luis Severino (7-11, 4.72 ERA).
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.
Jeffrey Springs #59 of the Athletics pitches in the top of the third inning against the Houston Astros at Sutter Health Park on September 23, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
WEST SACRAMENTO — The Athletics embarked on the final week of the season on Tuesday night at Sutter Health Park when they took on the Astros at 7 p.m. PST. In a game with playoff implications for the Astros as they try to gain ground on the AL West-leading Mariners, the A’s defeated the Astros 5-1.
Jeffrey Springs got the ball for the A’s and didn’t disappoint. Springs, who pitched brilliantly in his previous outing in Boston, turned in five innings of one-run, three-hit baseball against the Astros on Tuesday. Springs struck out three Astros and walked only two in his outing, which lowered his ERA to 4.11 for the season. It was good to see Springs put together a few solid outings to end the season and put himself back on solid ground after a bit of a rough stretch recently.
The bullpen
The A’s used three relievers in the game to finish off what Springs started in the victory.
Tyler Ferguson, who has been a mainstay for the A’s all season in the bullpen, tossed scoreless sixth and seventh innings for the A’s. Ferguson didn’t allow a hit or a walk in his two-strikeout appearance.
Justin Sterner came on to pitch the eighth inning for Mark Kotsay and delivered a scoreless frame, with his only blemish being a walk.
Michael Kelly came on to close things out as he tossed a scoreless ninth inning with a strikeout to end the game.
The bats
The A’s kept a stream of pressure on the Astros offensively all night, collecting nine hits and five runs in the contest.
Brent Rooker got the A’s on the board first when the Astros’ starting pitcher made an error on a popup to allow Nick Kurtz to score with two outs in the inning.
Darrell Hernaiz got the A’s their second run of the game on an RBI single that scored Jacob Wilson in the fourth inning to give the A’s a 2-1 lead.
The A’s added two more runs in the fifth inning when Tyler Soderstrom laced an RBI double, and Jacob Wilson singled him home one batter later to give the A’s a 4-1 advantage.
In the eighth inning, the A’s scored their last run when Carlos Cortes hit a sac fly to score Wilson and extend the lead to 5-1 heading into the ninth inning.
Wilson did not record an out on Tuesday as he went 2-for-2 with two walks and remained in the hunt for the MLB batting title. After play ended on Tuesday, Wilson had a .318 average, seven points back of Aaron Judge, who was at .325 heading into the final week of the season.
Up next
The A’s will take on the Astros in game two of their three-game set on Wednesday at 7 p.m. PST. Luis Severino (7-11, 4.72 ERA) is slated to go for the A’s, while the Astros will send Hunter Brown (12-8, 2.30 ERA) to the mound.
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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