Category: Sacramento A’s

Sacramento A’s second baseman Max Schuemann (left) tags out Baltimore Orioles Greg Allen on an attempted steal in the bottom of the fourth inning at Camden Yards in Baltimore on Sun Aug 10, 2025 (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento A’s podcast with Barbara Mason:

#1 The Athletics took on the Baltimore Orioles over the weekend losing game one friday night but coming on strong in games two and three winning the series

#2 The Orioles won the first game of the series in a close one 3-2 which set the stage for games two and three. The Athletics were on fire in game two winning the game 11-3 and coming away with 13 hits to the Orioles 4 hits thanks in part to the pitching of starter Jack Perkins who only allowed 3 hits and the three runs going 6 innings

#3 Sunday the A’s won a close one tying up the game in the sixth inning 1-1 and finishing it off in the ninth inning scoring two runs to win the series

#4 Willie MacIver was the hero in game three hitting a double in the ninth which allowed Lawrence Butler and Darell Hernaiz to score and seal the deal. Elvis Alvarado closed out the game in the ninth inning

#5 The A’s will now head home to begin a three-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays at Sutter Health Park.

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

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in. 

Sacramento A’s catcher Willie MacIver (65) puts the tag on Baltimore Orioles Jeremiah Jackson (82) in the bottom of the fourth inning at Camden Yards in Baltimore on Sun Aug 10, 2025 (AP News photo)

Athletics Stun Orioles 3-2 with Late-Inning Heroics in Camden Yards Thriller

By Mauricio Segura 

The Athletics spent most of Saturday afternoon looking for the big hit that just wouldn’t come. For eight innings at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the A’s offense was a story of scattered singles, long outs, and missed chances. Then, in the top of the ninth, everything changed. A lineup that had been held to a single run suddenly found the clutch bats they had been searching for, and when the dust settled, the Green and Gold had stolen a 3-2 victory from the Baltimore Orioles.

For much of the day, the two clubs traded small jabs rather than haymakers. The early innings were defined by free passes and stranded baserunners. In the top of the first, Shea Langeliers popped out to start the game, Brent Rooker flied to center, and after a Nick Kurtz walk, Colby Thomas ended the frame with another pop out. Baltimore’s opening inning was equally frustrating. They drew three walks, including one to Jackson Holliday leading off, but Gunnar Henderson’s stolen base was all they had to show for it before Jeremiah Jackson struck out with the bases loaded.

Sacramento starter Luis Morales didn’t allow a hit through his first two innings but labored with control, handing out multiple walks. Tyler Ferguson came on in relief in the third and kept Baltimore quiet until the fifth, when Jordan Westburg finally broke the scoreless tie. With two outs, Westburg launched his 14th home run of the season, a fly ball that carried into the left field seats to give the Orioles a 1-0 lead.

Up to that point, the A’s only real threat had come in the third when Rooker singled, only for Kurtz to fly out and end it. That changed in the top of the sixth. Rooker, again the spark, doubled to left and moved to third on a groundout. Colby Thomas delivered the first RBI of the day for Sacramento, bouncing a sharp single into left to bring Rooker home and tie the game 1-1.

Justin Sterner and Sean Newcomb handled the sixth and seventh, but the bottom of the seventh saw the Orioles reclaim the lead. With the score still tied, Alex Jackson doubled on a ball the A’s unsuccessfully challenged for being foul. After a strikeout, pinch-hitter Coby Mayo ripped a double to center, scoring Jackson for a 2-1 Baltimore advantage. Sacramento avoided further damage thanks to Luis Urías’ unassisted double play, but the A’s trailed heading into the late innings.

Dietrich Enns and Keegan Akin kept the A’s bats silent in the seventh and eighth, and by the time the ninth rolled around, the Athletics needed a rally against Baltimore’s bullpen to avoid defeat. Darell Hernaiz worked a leadoff walk to set the table. JJ Bleday struck out, but Gio Urshela’s sharp single to left pushed Hernaiz into scoring position. Manager Mark Kotsay made the call for speed, sending in Lawrence Butler to run for Urshela. That move paid off almost immediately.

Willie MacIver, who had been active defensively all afternoon, turned the game on its head with one swing. He smoked a line drive into the left-field corner for a double, and both Hernaiz and Butler came charging home. Just like that, the A’s were up 3-2, and the dugout roared to life.

Elvis Alvarado, who had finished the eighth, handed the ninth to the A’s defense. Greg Allen struck out swinging for the first out, Dylan Carlson grounded to second for the second, and after Holliday worked yet another walk, the game ended fittingly, with Jordan Westburg, Baltimore’s earlier hero, swinging through strike three.

Sacramento’s win was built less on offensive fireworks and more on patience, timely hitting, and keeping the Orioles from breaking the game open when they had the chance. Pitching depth was key, seven different A’s pitchers combined to hold Baltimore to just six hits, with the bullpen striking out eight in relief of Morales. Brent Rooker’s multi-hit afternoon set the tone offensively, and Colby Thomas’ sixth-inning RBI kept the A’s in striking distance. But the lasting memory will be MacIver’s two-run double in the ninth, the hit that turned a frustrating afternoon into a statement of patient triumph.

The A’s return to Sutter Health Field in West Sacramento Monday night starting pitchers for theTampa Bay Rays RHP Ryan Pepiot (7-9 ERA 3.77) for the A’s RHP Jefferey Springs (10-7 ERA 3.89) first pitch 7:05pm PT.

Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in. 

A’s Bats Erupt Early to Power Past Orioles 11-3 in Statement Win

By Mauricio Segura

The Sacramento Athletics didn’t waste any time reminding the Baltimore Orioles crowd that this wasn’t going to be an ordinary night at Camden Yards as the A’s blasted the O’s 11-3 on Saturday.

The first two pitches they saw didn’t even matter, Lawrence Butler worked a leadoff walk, and on the very next at-bat Shea Langeliers unloaded on a Brandon Young fastball, sending it on a low, screaming line into the left field seats. Just like that, the Green and Gold were up 2-0, and the tone was set.

Of course, the Orioles had an answer of their own in the bottom half. Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg opened with back-to-back singles before Gunnar Henderson launched a center-field shot that flipped the score in Baltimore’s favor, 3-2. For a moment, it looked like we might be in for one of those punch-counterpunch slugfests that test the stamina of both teams.

But instead, the Athletics turned it into a one-sided hitting clinic.

Langeliers got the rally started again in the third with a sharp single, and Nick Kurtz followed with another hit to set the table for Brent Rooker. Rooker didn’t miss, swatting his 24th home run of the season into the Baltimore night and reclaiming the lead, 5-3. Tyler Soderstrom, who seems determined to hit in every game he plays, doubled to extend his streak to ten straight, eventually scoring on a Darell Hernaiz sacrifice fly.

By the time the fifth inning rolled around, the Sacramento lineup decided it was time to bury Baltimore under a mountain of hits. Kurtz and Rooker kicked things off with another one-two punch, Rooker’s double plating a run.

The inning snowballed from there, JJ Bleday drew a walk, Hernaiz reached on a pitcher’s error, and Luis Urías brought home another with a single. That chased Young’s replacement Yaramil Hiraldo from the game, but the fresh arm didn’t slow the A’s.

Gio Urshela drilled a two-run double, Langeliers banged a ground-rule double to plate another, and the scoreboard blinked an eye-popping 11-3 by the time the Orioles could stagger back to the dugout.

Jack Perkins, meanwhile, quietly steadied the game for Sacramento after a bumpy first inning. Once he got the ball with a lead, he went to work, forcing weak contact and letting his defense back him up. The Orioles, who’d looked ready to slug along early, were suddenly reduced to a string of harmless fly balls and frustrated strikeouts.

Baltimore’s biggest problem wasn’t just that Sacramento was hitting, it was that the A’s lineup spread the damage around. Langeliers was a menace at the plate with three hits, including the opening home run, and drove in four.

Rooker was equally destructive with a homer and a double. Kurtz chipped in two singles, Urshela added a two-run double, and Urías joined the fun with two hits and two RBIs. Even the outs had sting to them, as several lineouts were ripped right at Baltimore fielders.

After the offensive explosion, the A’s bullpen kept things airtight. Michael Kelly took over in the seventh and, aided by a fine grab from Soderstrom in foul territory, kept the Orioles from building even a whisper of a rally. Hogan Harris slammed the door in the ninth with two strikeouts, ensuring the Athletics didn’t need to sweat the late innings.

For Sacramento, this was the blueprint game, patience at the plate, punishing mistakes, and pitching that tightens as the night goes on. They made an Orioles team fighting to stay in the playoff picture look like they were still in spring training mode.

The win also underscored the balance in the Athletics’ lineup. No single player carried the load; instead, they produced an assembly line of base runners and timely extra-base hits. They scored in four different innings, tallied 15 hits, and walked five times, giving their pitchers a cushion big enough to land a jumbo jet.

The Orioles, for their part, had no answer after the first inning. Henderson’s three-run blast was their only real highlight. Once Perkins and the bullpen adjusted, Baltimore went down in order in four separate innings and never truly threatened again. Even when they did put a man on, The A’s defense snuffed it out.

For fans of the Green and Gold, it was the kind of night that offers both entertainment and reassurance. Sacramento didn’t just win; they dictated every inning after the first. If this version of the Athletics shows up consistently, they’re going to make life miserable for opposing pitchers from now until the season’s final day.

Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in. 

Baltimore Orioles Gunnar Henderson tosses the bat away after drawing a walk as Sacramento A’s catcher Shea Langeliers holds ball four in his glove in the bottom of the first inning at Camden Yards in Baltimore on Fri Aug 8, 2025 (AP News photo)

Orioles Fly Away From Athletics 3-2 in Weekend Series Opener

By Mauricio Segura

The A’s spent much of Friday night at Oriole Park trying to solve Baltimore’s pitching. The game that started with a thunderous roar from the Orioles ended with a quiet pop to left, leaving the A’s just a run shy of evening the score 3-2.

The tone was set almost immediately. After a scoreless top of the first where Carlos Cortes, Brent Rooker, and Nick Kurtz were retired in order, J.T. Ginn took the mound and looked sharp early, striking out the first two hitters he faced. But what appeared to be a smooth inning unraveled quickly.

The O’s Gunnar Henderson drew a two-out walk, and Adley Rutschman made the most of it, launching his ninth homer of the season into the right-center seats to give Baltimore a 2-0 lead. Before Ginn could regroup, Ryan Mountcastle added another long ball to center, and the A’s were suddenly staring at a 3-0 deficit.

The second inning brought no relief for Sacramento’s bats, as Shea Langeliers grounded out, Tyler Soderstrom struck out, and Darell Hernaiz’s two-out walk went nowhere after Lawrence Butler lined out to right. Ginn, however, bounced back, striking out two in a perfect bottom of the frame to keep the game within reach.

Sacramento had its first real chance in the top of the third. Gio Urshela and Luis Urías started things off with back-to-back singles, putting runners on first and second with no outs. But a sharply turned double play by Baltimore’s middle infield killed the momentum, and the rally fizzled when Rooker was hit by a pitch but Kurtz struck out for the second time in the game.

Ginn continued to navigate trouble, working around another Gunnar Henderson single in the third and holding Baltimore scoreless through the fourth and fifth. Meanwhile, the A’s offense finally scratched the scoreboard in the top of the fifth. Butler led off with a double to left, moved to third on Urshela’s groundout, and came home on a sacrifice fly from Urías, trimming the deficit to 3-1.

The sixth brought more scattered opportunities. Kurtz singled, Soderstrom followed with another hit, but a fielder’s choice ended the inning without a run. The bullpen took over from there, with Ben Bowden delivering a clean sixth and Tyler Ferguson erasing a seventh-inning walk with a double play ball to keep Baltimore stuck at three runs.

In the eighth, Sacramento made its move. Facing Yennier Cano, Rooker flied out before Kurtz picked up his third hit of the night, a single to right. Langeliers grounded out, moving Kurtz into scoring position, and Soderstrom came through again, driving a single to left to score Kurtz and cut the Orioles’ lead to 3-2. Hernaiz grounded out to end the inning, but the Green and Gold had life.

Elvis Alvarado set Baltimore down in order in the bottom half, setting the stage for one last chance in the ninth. Keegan Akin took over for the Orioles, and the A’s sent up pinch-hitter Colby Thomas for Butler. Thomas swung through strike three, Urshela grounded back to the mound, and Urías put a good charge into a fly ball but found Dylan Carlson’s glove in left to end it.

Saturday in Baltimore, the A’s send RHP Jack Perkins (0-0 ERA 3.97) to the mound to matchup against Orioles RHP Brandon Young (0-5 ERA 5.88).

Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.

Athletics’ Nick Kurtz is called out on strikes during the third inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Friday, Aug. 8, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Alyssa Howell)

Sacramento A’s podcast Lincoln Juarez:

#1 A’s starter J.T. Ginn surrendered back-to-back home runs in the first inning of the series opener in Baltimore that ended up costing the A’s the win.

#2 Tyler Soderstrom drove in Nick Kurtz on an RBI single to make it a one-run-game in the eighth inning and continues to stay more consistent at the plate.

#3 The A’s put up seven hits but got held to just two runs Friday night in Baltimore. How good of a sign is it, though, to see the offense continue to rack up hits the last few weeks?

#4 Saturday in Baltimore, the A’s send RHP Jack Perkins (0-0 ERA 3.97) to the mound to matchup against Orioles RHP Brandon Young (0-5 ERA 5.88), what can we expect from the A’s starter in game two of the series?

#5 Friday morning the A’s released photos of concrete being poured at the stadium site in Las Vegas to try and excite fans. How far along, really, are the A’s on this process of the relocation?

Lincoln Juarez does the A’s podcast weekly 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.