Category: Sacramento A’s

Shea Langeliers in the game against the Phillies on Saturday night in Sacramento. (Photo: Athletics on X)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

WEST SACRAMENTO — The Athletics just can’t buy a win. The A’s battled on Saturday against one of the best teams in baseball, the Philadelphia Phillies. However, another late-inning bullpen meltdown cost the A’s in a 9-6 loss in 11 innings. The loss marked their 11th straight, and they now face the possibility of a winless 0-7 homestand if they can’t find a way to win on Sunday afternoon.

A’s manager Mark Kotsay described the emotions after the game, saying, “This game is challenging, and we’re in one of those really challenging times that tests character. And you know, you can either make excuses for it, or you can stand up and, you know, accept the accountability. And I think that these guys are doing that.”

The A’s continue to be let down by the bullpen. It’s largely the same group that helped secure wins earlier in the season. Granted, TJ McFarland is hurt and some arms have shuffled between Triple-A and the big leagues, but the core unit remains intact. Yet, once again, the bullpen surrendered a late lead on Saturday night.

The game was tied heading into the bottom of the eighth when A’s DH Brent Rooker sent a ball over the left-center field wall to give the A’s a late lead. As Rooker rounded the bases, A’s flamethrower Mason Miller could be seen getting ready in the bullpen.

In the ninth, Kotsay did indeed go to Miller to close it out. Miller, who gave up three runs just a day earlier, struck out Brandon Marsh to open the frame. It felt like order had been restored. But that feeling didn’t last, as Max Kepler launched a game-tying solo home run into the trees in right field. Miller would escape the inning without further damage, but the blown save was already in the books.

In the tenth, neither team scored, despite having chances. The A’s loaded the bases but couldn’t capitalize, as Brandon Marsh made a game-saving throw from center field to cut down Logan Davidson at the plate.

In the 11th, the Phillies broke through for three runs to all but seal the deal. The A’s couldn’t answer in the bottom half and fell by a 9-6 final.

The A’s have now dropped 11 straight games—the longest losing streak in MLB this season—and fall to 22-31 on the year.

With the win, the Phillies improved to 34-18 and have now won nine straight.

The A’s will try to avoid a sweep on Sunday as they send Gunnar Hogland (1-2, 5.06 ERA) to the mound against former Athletic Jesús Luzardo (5-0, 1.95 ERA). First pitch is set for 1:05 PM PST at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento.

Jacob Lopez during his start on Friday. (Photo: Athletics on X)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

WEST SACRAMENTO — For the second straight night, the A’s got a great effort from their starting pitcher. This time, it was Jacob Lopez who turned in a fantastic outing to give the A’s a chance to snap their losing streak. Yet, an all-too-familiar late-inning bullpen mishap spoiled the A’s chances as they lost to the Phillies 4-3 at Sutter Health Park.

Lopez was fantastic. His only blemish was a solo home run by Trea Turner to lead off the game. Otherwise, he tossed a masterful seven innings of three-hit, one-run ball, striking out eight and surrendering only one walk.

After the game, Lopez described his turnaround from his last start for the A’s: “I went back to Las Vegas and just really focused on getting ahead and being the aggressor and pounding the strike zone…”

Lopez indeed displayed his strike-throwing prowess, with his only walk coming against Kyle Schwarber in the first inning.

“This was a great night. A big performance out of Jacob. He’s going up against one of the best pitchers in the game right now and matched him inning for inning pretty much,” Mark Kotsay said of Jacob Lopez following the loss.

On the other side, Zack Wheeler stifled the A’s offense, allowing just three hits over six and two-thirds innings of work.

Justin Sterner relieved Lopez in the eighth and tossed a scoreless inning to keep the game a 1-0 affair.

In the top of the ninth, the A’s brought in Mason Miller looking to keep the game close. Unfortunately for the A’s, Miller was not sharp, surrendering three runs on four hits while recording only two outs. He was relieved by Anthony Maldonado, who recorded the final out of the frame.

Down 4-0 heading into the bottom of the ninth, the A’s didn’t give in. Brent Rooker singled to start the inning, followed by a walk to Shea Langeliers. After Miguel Andujar struck out, Nick Kurtz—who seems to be finding his power stroke—hit a booming 425-foot home run to straightaway center to bring the A’s within one. That would be the last of the scoring, however, as the A’s ultimately fell 4-3.

“One thing I want to talk about is the fight that the club showed and the at-bats they took in the ninth inning. That says a lot about where we’re at—the focus that we have—and that we are able to continue to focus on the positives through a difficult time. There’s not a lack of effort in that locker room. There’s still fight in that locker room, and these guys will get through this,” Kotsay said about his team’s outlook during this rough stretch.

With the loss, the A’s skid balloons to 10 games as they fall to 22-30 on the season. The Phillies have now won eight straight and sit at 33-18 in 2025.

On Saturday, the A’s will try once again to snap the losing streak as they send Jeffrey Springs (5-3, 3.91 ERA) to the hill against Cristopher Sánchez (4-1, 3.10 ERA), who will start for Philadelphia. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM PST at Sutter Health Park.

Note of the day: Denzel Clarke made his major league debut on Friday, manning center field for the Athletics. Clarke, who was pinch-hit for in the ninth, went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts looking. It’s worth noting that neither of those strikeouts came on pitches that should have been called strikes—home plate umpire Bill Miller missed the mark on both strike-three calls, as replay clearly showed they were outside the zone. Clarke dazzled in the field, catching a ball in left-center that had a 20% catch probability.

After the game, Denzel spoke with the media about his debut: “The experience was awesome. Playing against guys that you grew up watching on TV on the same field as them is really, really cool… I honestly thought I would be really nervous going into today, but I felt really relaxed. Same game, just a different level. I’m just very happy to go out there and play the game I love at the highest level today.”

Seth Brown (Photo: Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

WEST SACRAMENTO — The Athletics made a flurry of roster moves on Friday following a four-game sweep at home against the Los Angeles Angels. The A’s, now losers of nine straight games, will look to get back on track against the Philadelphia Phillies, who come to Sacramento having won their last seven contests.

A’s roster moves leaving the big league club:

The Athletics optioned RHP Carlos Duran to Triple-A Las Vegas. Duran made his MLB debut just yesterday (Thursday) for the Athletics. Duran, who missed most of the 2023 season due to Tommy John surgery while with the Dodgers organization, walked three batters and gave up three runs, managing to record only one out in his debut.

The Athletics optioned C Jhonny Pereda to Triple-A Las Vegas. Pereda struggled in 42 plate appearances with the A’s this season, batting only .167 while managing just one extra-base knock.

The Athletics optioned OF JJ Bleday to Triple-A Las Vegas. JJ has struggled with the big league club this year, hitting only .204 for the A’s. He did manage six home runs up until his demotion on Friday.

The Athletics DFA’d OF/1B Seth Brown. Drafted by the A’s in 2015 out of Lewis-Clark State College, Brown made his MLB debut for the A’s in 2019. Brown was the longest-tenured Athletics player on the roster prior to Friday’s move, playing parts of seven seasons with the A’s. His best season came in 2022 when he posted a 1.9 WAR, a .230 average, and clubbed 25 homers. This will most likely be the end of Brown’s tenure with the A’s as he is exposed to waivers and may be claimed by any club.

A’s roster moves joining the big league club:

The Athletics have recalled LHP Jacob Lopez from Triple-A Las Vegas. Lopez will make the start for the A’s on Friday against the Phillies.

The Athletics have recalled INF CJ Alexander from Triple-A Las Vegas.

The Athletics have recalled OF Denzel Clarke from Triple-A Las Vegas. Clarke, who is seen as an elite defender, will take over the majority of the work in center field vacated by JJ Bleday. Per Martin Gallegos of MLB.com, A’s GM David Forst confirmed the plans for Clarke. Clarke is in the starting lineup for the A’s tonight, batting ninth and playing center field.

The Athletics selected INF/OF Logan Davidson from Triple-A Las Vegas. Davidson, selected in the first round by the A’s in the 2019 draft, plays multiple positions. He will undoubtedly serve in a utility role for the A’s and was hitting .303 with a .879 OPS for the Aviators.

The Athletics selected C Willie MacIver from Triple-A Las Vegas. Willie will serve as the replacement for Jhonny Pereda in backup duties behind Shea Langeliers.

A’s injury roster moves:

Zack Gelof was transferred to the 60-Day IL as he recovers from a fractured hamate bone. A stress reaction in Gelof’s ribs has delayed his return.

The A’s placed INF Gio Urshela on the 10-Day IL with a hamstring injury he suffered yesterday against the Angels.

JJ Bleday on Thursday in the Angels vs Athletics game (Photo: Athletics on X)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

WEST SACRAMENTO — The A’s got the start they needed from veteran ace Luis Severino on Thursday afternoon. Yet, the bullpen couldn’t hold the lead, as the A’s dropped their ninth consecutive game—and 13th in their last 16—in a 10-5 matinee loss to the Angels.

Looking to snap what was then an eight-game skid, the A’s had full confidence in Severino, hoping he could turn the page on his home/road splits. Severino did his part, tossing six innings of two-run ball to keep the A’s in it. He finished his outing having allowed seven hits, striking out five, and exiting with a 5-2 lead.

I asked Severino if he changed anything in his routine compared to previous home starts. “I think the main thing was rhythm. Like I said before, there is nothing I can do to change my other routine… The main thing was getting comfortable on the mound and throwing strikes.”

In the throes of a now nine-game losing streak, Mark Kotsay kept it real in his postgame remarks.

“We are in it right now,” Kotsay said following the loss. “The outing we got from Severino is what we needed. This one hurts because, you know, he threw the ball so good today—and for him to walk off the mound in the sixth and turn the ball over to Holman, who’s been great all season, and some missed locations… next thing you know, you are down.”

Grant Holman, who entered the game with a 0.61 ERA to relieve Severino, gave up a grand slam to the Angels’ Taylor Ward, and just like that, the Angels led 6-5. It was an uncharacteristic outing for Holman, who had been stellar all year in high-leverage situations. He recorded just two outs and gave up five runs on four hits, including two home runs—the second being a solo shot by Logan O’Hoppe.

Mitch Spence came in and stopped the bleeding, tossing one and a third hitless innings.

Trouble returned when Carlos Duran came in for his MLB debut. Duran, who missed most of the 2023 season due to Tommy John surgery while with the Dodgers organization, walked three batters and gave up three runs, managing to record only one out.

Hogan Harris came in to finish off the ninth, throwing two-thirds of an inning with one hit allowed and one strikeout.

The A’s bullpen has been struggling mightily during their 3-13 stretch. Over those 16 games, the relief corps owns a 9.19 ERA.

The offense for the Athletics came early. In the bottom of the first, Brent Rooker launched a two-run shot to left-center field that traveled 440 feet.

Nick Kurtz added to the lead with an RBI sac fly in the third, making it 3-0.

In the fifth, the A’s had starter Tyler Anderson on the ropes. He issued two walks, including one that forced in a run. Hunter Strickland then entered and walked Jhonny Pereda to score another, giving the A’s a 5-2 advantage. That would be all the offense the A’s could muster, despite having opportunities in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings.

The Athletics’ ninth straight loss drops them to 22-29 on the season. Grant Holman was charged with the loss. Hunter Strickland earned the win, as the Angels improved to 24-25 and extended their win streak to seven games—having swept the Dodgers before arriving in Sacramento.

The A’s will welcome the Philadelphia Phillies to town on Friday for a 7:05 PM PST start at Sutter Health Park. Zach Wheeler (5-1, 2.67 ERA) is slated to start for the Phillies. The A’s have not announced a starter as of this writing.

Note of the day: Tyler Soderstrom showed additional signs of life in the loss. He walked twice and singled. A’s manager Mark Kotsay said after the game that he was encouraged by Soderstrom’s approach. “Great session with Tyler… the second day of this series with Darren (Bush, A’s hitting coach) and him. They talked a lot about Tyler expanding and swinging at pitches that he can put in play but not do damage with. I think we saw that quick adjustment, and that shows the maturation… For Tyler, shrinking the zone and you see the success in a short amount of time, that’s pretty good growth right there.”

Lawrence Butler on Wednesday afternoon in the Angels vs A’s game at Sutter Health Park (Photo: Athletics on X)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

WEST SACRAMENTO — The A’s continued to reel on Wednesday night at Sutter Health Park, falling to the Los Angeles Angels 10-5.

There were bright spots for the A’s, including two towering home runs from Nick Kurtz, who appears to be breaking out of his slump. But once again, the pitching couldn’t support the offense, and the A’s fell behind late.

Manager Mark Kotsay addressed the growing frustration during the A’s current eight-game losing streak and noted the bullpen’s recent struggles.

“I think each of our leverage guys, if you look back over the last two weeks, has had a rough one,” Kotsay said. “These are stretches you go through as a club. You don’t want it to continue, obviously. We had a couple games where we pitched well and didn’t hit. The last couple nights we’ve had 10–12 hits and scored runs, but we haven’t thrown the ball well. So it’s kind of a perfect storm in this eight-game stretch.”

The bullpen combined for four innings of six-hit, four-run baseball—unable to keep the game close. Tyler Ferguson relieved JP Sears in the sixth and tossed two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out one. But things unraveled when Michel Otanez came in. After two solid innings earlier in the series, Otanez couldn’t record an out on Wednesday, giving up two runs on two hits and walking two.

Matt Krook followed and had mixed results, surrendering two runs on three hits over an inning and a third. Anthony Maldonado wrapped things up by striking out both batters he faced.

As for Sears, Kotsay credited the Angels with a solid approach.

“I think the Angels had a great game plan,” Kotsay said. “They waited him out and got the sweeper up in the zone. He lacked a bit of fastball command, and they took advantage of sitting soft and jumping on pitches close to or in the zone. The result was a few home runs.”

Sears gave up four homers over five innings, allowing eight hits and six runs in total. It felt as if it was feast or famine for the Angels, as nearly every swing against Sears seemed to either result in a home run or an out.

Offensively, there were encouraging signs for the A’s—though the team stranded 13 runners, a number that needs to improve.

Lawrence Butler launched a three-run homer in the second inning to give the A’s an early 3-2 lead. But they quickly surrendered the lead and never got it back. Nick Kurtz provided the rest of the offense with solo home runs in the fifth and seventh innings, both pulled to right-center and combining for 866 feet per Statcast.

With the loss, the A’s have dropped eight straight and now sit at 22-28. JP Sears (4-4, 4.00 ERA) took the loss, while Hector Neris (2-1, 12.71 ERA) earned the win.

The A’s will turn to Luis Severino (1-4, 4.22 ERA) on Thursday as they look to halt the skid. Severino will need to overcome his own struggles at home. The Angels will counter with Ty Anderson (2-1, 3.04 ERA). First pitch is set for 12:35 PM PST.

Lawrence Butler on Tuesday in the game against the Angels (Photo: Athletics on X)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

WEST SACRAMENTO — There was an air of desperation Tuesday night at Sutter Health Park. The A’s entered the game riding a six-game losing streak and were 2-8 over their last 10. The Angels extended that skid to seven with a 7-5 victory.

The A’s continue to struggle, unable to put together consistent pitching and offense in the same game. On Tuesday, starter Gunnar Hogland lasted just 4.2 innings and took the loss. Hogland was sharp through three innings before hitting a snag in the fourth when Logan O’Hoppe launched a solo homer to left to tie the game at one. Though it seemed like a minor setback at the time, trouble returned in the fifth. After a grinding at-bat by Luis Rengifo, Yoan Moncada followed with a three-run shot to right-center, tying the game at four. Hogland gave up a double to the next batter and was pulled. He finished with six hits and five earned runs allowed, along with five strikeouts and two walks.

The bullpen held things down until the ninth, when Anthony Maldonado surrendered two runs on three hits in his lone inning. Between Hogland and Maldonado, Justin Sterner, Hogan Harris, and Grant Holman combined for 3.1 innings of scoreless relief.

The A’s offense came out swinging early but failed to build momentum late. Luis Urías opened the scoring in the second with an RBI single. In the fourth, Shea Langeliers crushed a solo homer to center, followed by a two-run opposite-field shot from Nick Kurtz to give the A’s a brief 4-1 lead. Their only other run came in the ninth, when Seth Brown delivered a pinch-hit RBI single to cut the deficit to 7-5. That’s where the rally ended.

Hogland took the loss, while Kyle Hendricks earned the win for the Angels. Closer Kenley Jansen locked down his 10th save of the season.

The series wraps up Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. PST at Sutter Health Park. The A’s will send JP Sears (4-3, 3.31 ERA) to the mound against Jack Kochanowicz (3-5, 4.71 ERA) for the Angels.

Note of the day: A’s first baseman Nick Kurtz snapped an 0-for-21 skid with a single in the second inning — his longest hitless stretch of the season.