Luis Morales #58 of the Athletics pitches against the Los Angeles Angels during the top of the first inning at Sutter Health Park on August 16, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Scott Marshall/Getty Images)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
WEST SACRAMENTO — After losing their series to the Tampa Bay Rays at home last week, the A’s got back into the series win column on Saturday night, defeating the Angels 7-2 and taking the first two games of the three-game set.
The A’s sent Luis Morales to the mound for just his second major league start on Saturday. Morales didn’t disappoint, as the 22-year-old right-hander from Cuba tossed five innings of one-run ball while scattering five hits and two walks.
“I thought he got better and better as he went,” Mark Kotsay said after Morales stranded the bases loaded in the first inning.
“I’m very blessed and enjoying the process,” Morales said after his first MLB win. “It’s been a long road, but I’m just enjoying the process.”
The Bullpen
The A’s bullpen was impressive once again, allowing only one run in four innings of work.
Justin Sterner pitched a scoreless sixth inning, and Tyler Ferguson came on and tossed a scoreless seventh. However, Ferguson ran into some trouble with one out in the eighth as he walked two batters. Mark Kotsay had seen enough and elected to go to Sean Newcomb for the last two outs of the inning. It worked out, as Newcomb struck out the next two batters swinging.
In the ninth, Newcomb gave up one run but was able to secure the win for the A’s. All in, Newcomb tossed one and two-thirds innings while striking out three and giving up one run.
The Bats
The A’s offense wasn’t clicking as much as on Friday, but they did enough to take care of the Angels.
Colby Thomas got the A’s going again early on Saturday as he clubbed a two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning to give the A’s an early lead.
Darell Hernaiz kept the party going in the third inning with a two-RBI single to make it a 4-1 game.
The A’s scored again in the fifth inning on Brent Rooker’s 25th homer of the season, a 421-foot shot into the Sacramento night.
They weren’t done yet. The A’s added two more runs in the bottom of the eighth thanks to Brett Harris and Rooker RBI singles. The A’s built a commanding 7-1 lead while tallying eight hits on the night.
Up Next
The A’s improved to 56-69 as they continue to try to climb back to the .500 mark.
The A’s will send Jeffrey Springs (10-8, 4.06 ERA) to the mound as they look to sweep the Angels. José Soriano (8-9, 3.84 ERA) is set to start for Los Angeles.
San Francisco 49ers kicker Jake Moody (top left) gets hoisted by teammates after kicking the game winning field goal in the fourth quarter to beat the Las Vegas Raiders in week 2 of the NFL pre season at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sat Aug 16, 2025 (AP News photo)
San Francisco 49ers podcast David Zizmor:
#1 David the 49ers got a look at back up quarterback Mac Jones Saturday night at Allegiant Stadium, Jones was 13-16, threw for 135 yards, and a touchdown. The Niners are looking for Jones to be Brock Purdy’s back up so far is he passing the audition.
#2 On ground game for rushing running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn carried nine times for 24 yards talk about how he’s been looking in camp and in this game?
#3 Brock Purdy got few snaps going throwing five for seven for 66 yards talk about how he looked in his short time under center.
#4 The 49ers had three offensive players who got hurt on Saturday, right guard Dominick Puni, running back and special teams player Patrick Taylor suffered a shoulder injury, and rookie running back Corey Kiner is hurt with a ankle injury.
Next up for the 49ers: Saturday Aug 23 49ers host the Los Angeles Chargers do you see Purdy getting more snaps in this game?
Sacramento A’s Gio Urshela breaks his bat on a swing in the seventh inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards in Baltimore on Sat Aug 9, 2025. The A’s battle the Los Angeles Angels Sat Aug 16, 2025 at Sutter Health Park in game 2 of their three game series (AP News file photo)
A’s Baseball podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson:
#1 The A’s offense has stayed hot and continued to provide run-support. Shea Langeliers and Brent Rooker have been leading the way the last week.
#2 Nick Kurtz went 3-for-5 at the plate with a home run Friday night in game one of a series against the Angels at Sutter Health Park. After struggling the last week or so, how important is that for him to get going again?
#3 JJ Bleday has also been a big addition to the A’s lineup since being recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas. He’s been making the of this opportunity since returning to the big leagues.
#4 The A’s will face Angels lefty, Tyler Anderson Saturday in West Sacramento. He’s not having the greatest of years at 2-7 with a 4.63 ERA. Going for the the A’s Luis Morales (0-0 ERA 1.99)
#5 The A’s put up a 10 spot on the Angels Friday night. They’ve been consistently scoring a lot of runs the last few weeks.
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.
Las Vegas Raiders running Sincere McCormick (28) carries against the San Francisco 49ers in week 2 of the NFL pre season at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sat Aug 16, 2025 (Las Vegas Raiders photo)
Las Vegas Raiders podcast Rich Perez:
#1 Rich talk about the job quarterback Aidan O’Connell did. O’Connell went 15-23 for 138 yards, and one interception.
#2 On rushing the Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty carried seven times for 33 yards and scored one touchdown. Talk about his chances to make it as a starter?
#3 On receiver Carter Runyon had two receptions for 29 yards and didn’t score a touchdown. Talk about his chance to make it as a starting wide receiver.
#4 Geno Smith who will be the starting quarterback threw for 55 yards in five of six passes how ready does Smith look?
#5 Next up for the Raiders the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Sat Aug 23 for a 7:00pm PT kick off.
Jack Perkins #50 of the Athletics pitches against the Los Angeles Angels during the top of the second inning at Sutter Health Park on August 15, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Scott Marshall/Getty Images)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
WEST SACRAMENTO–Looking to bounce back after a series loss to the Rays on Wednesday, Nick Kurtz and the A’s got right on Friday night as they defeated the Los Angeles Angels 10-3.
Jack Perkins got the ball for the A’s in the start after the off day in Sacramento on Thursday.
Perkins, who won his last start in Baltimore on the ninth in 11-3 fashion, went five solid innings on Friday to secure his second win in as many starts. Perkins scattered five hits and three walks in his outing, only giving up three runs to the Angels lineup. He also struck out seven in the game, a career high.
Perkins tossed 103 pitches in his outing, something he feels he can continue to do after speaking with reporters.
“I pride myself on being a big, strong guy and I take my preparation very seriously in the weight room.”
Manager Mark Kotsay praised the effort from Perkins after the game.
“Perkins is the type of pitcher he’s going to use a lot of pitches and is going to be challenging sometimes to get through five innings… he’s a swing-and-miss type pitcher. He is a strikeout guy and it’s a night I thought he did a nice job, especially getting through the fifth inning. We ran pitch count up. It’s just a challenge as we’ve kind of let him go out there. So overall I thought he did a nice job.”
The Bats
Perkins wasn’t the only player who did a nice job on Friday.
The A’s bats exploded for 10 runs off 14 hits in an all-around effort as Kotsay used his entire position player pool.
“I really like when we use the roster and we use it effectively,” Kotsay said. “I thought getting Sodi up there with the bases loaded gives a chance to kind of open the game up right there and add on and it worked out.”
Shea Langeliers led off the game in the bottom of the first for the A’s and launched a solo home run, his team-leading 25th of the season.
“Shea up there at the top… he’s obviously the best that we have in the lineup right now versus left-handed pitching,” Kotsay said postgame. “But it feels good whether it’s left or right, right now, he’s definitely swung back really well.”
In addition to the Shea homer, Colby Thomas and Nick Kurtz also each hit a three-run homer to blow things open for the A’s. Thomas’s homer in the third inning went 433 feet, and Kurtz came just short of that mark with his opposite-field shot in the eighth inning traveling 424 feet.
The Bullpen
The A’s bullpen was perfect in four innings aside from a sixth-inning walk by Michael Kelly. The combo of Kelly, Justin Sterner, Elvis Alvarado, and Ben Bowden each pitched one inning and gave up no runs and no hits, an impressive showing to say the least.
Sacramento journalist Tony Harvey asked Kotsay in the postgame press conference what he thought of Bowden’s performance late in the game, something fans have seen often recently.
“I just like the way Bowden attacks, he throws strikes, there’s confidence in him going after hitters,” Kotsay said. “He may get hit, but at the end of the day, the confidence in him going out and throwing strikes and attacking hitters, it feels good to put him out there when you have that type of situation.”
Up Next
With the win, the A’s improved to 55-69 on the season.
The A’s will try to win the series against the Angels on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. PST at Sutter Health Park. Luis Morales (0-0, 1.93 ERA) will take the mound for the A’s against Tyler Anderson (2-7, 4.63 ERA) for the Angels.
For fans attending, the game will feature a postgame fireworks show immediately following the action.
Tampa Bay Rays’ Yandy Diaz, left, celebrates with first base coach Michael Johns, right, after hitting an RBI single during the third inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Friday, August 15, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vasquez)
By Vince Cestone
SAN FRANCISCO–The San Francisco Giants were ever so close to snapping their five-game losing streak, but a disastrous eighth and ninth inning sunk them in, as they get edged by the Tampa Bay Rays 7-6 at Oracle Park on Friday night.
With the score tied at 6, the Giants had the bases loaded and nobody out in the bottom of the eighth inning after Rays reliever Edwin Uceta hit Casey Schmitt in the forearm to start the inning. Schmitt went down immediately and came out of the game. After the game, Giants Manager Bob Melvin said the X-rays were negative and he’ll probably be out a couple of days.
The next batter Jung Hoo Lee singled, and then Uceta hit Koss to load the bases. That brought up catcher Patrick Bailey who scalded a line drive but it was right at the shortstop. One out.
The next two batters grounded out–two out and three out. No runners scored and the Giants looked deflated after the Rays immediately pushed across a run in the top of the 9th inning off the bat of Yandy Diaz.
The winning run scored after he was handed first base by a Randy Rodriguez hit-by-pitch.
Giants blockbuster deadline acquisition, Rafael Devers, doubled to lead off the bottom of the 9th, but the next three batters quietly got out, and the Rays held on to win 7-6.
But before that, the Giants started off the game with optimism and full of hope.
San Francisco jumped out to a 1-0 lead with the help of a little bit of some small ball. Shortstop Willy Adames walked with 2-outs, stole second base, and came home on a Dominic Smith single.
But as they would all night, the Rays punched right back in the top of the second inning. Rays third baseman Junior Caminero homered in the top of the second to immediately knot the score at 1.
But the Giants came right back in the bottom of the second with two runs. Lee stole second base after he led off with a walk, and was doubled home by the next batter Christian Koss. Three batters later, Heliot Ramos double home Koss.
Both RBI hits in the second inning were opposite field line drives, an approach the Giants have been lacking.
The Giants were up 3-1. All was good, as they were poised to finally snap out of their funk. But here came those pesky Rays again.
In the top of the third inning, with one out, Rays ninth-place hitter Hunter Feduccia doubled. But then, an infield hit by the next batter Chandler Simpson fueled a two-run rally when Diaz had a 2-RBI single two batters later to tie the game at 3.
With the same opposite-field approach, the Giants scored three times in the bottom of the third. Adames led off the inning with a home run to right-center and Bailey had a 2-RBI double to give the Giants a 6-3 lead.
But Giants starter Landen Roupp, who just came off the injured list, gave up a walk and a single to start the fourth inning. Melvin then pulled Roupp, who ended his night with 3 innings pitched, giving up five runs and five hits. In came lefty Matt Gage.
Gage started out strong, striking out first baseman Bob Seymour but then more bad luck happened for the Giants. Rays shortstop Ha-Seong Kim appeared to hit an inning-ending double play headed right to second baseman Koss, but instead, the ball hit off Gage and became an infield hit.
After a Feduccia RBI groundout, Simpson singled to tie the game at 6.
And this all set the stage for the fateful eighth and ninth inning.
The Giants will somehow stay only five games out in the National League Wild Card race as the New York Mets lost again and the Cincinnati Reds blew a seven-run lead, falling to the red-hot Milwaukee Brewers.
In a year where the Wild Card was gettable with a struggling National League field competing for the last playoff spot, the Giants will appear to miss out on the postseason yet again–for the eighth time in nine years.
Fans at Oracle Park booed the Giants after Tyler Fitzgerald popped out to second base to end the game. And rightfully so, as a playoff-starved Giants fan base will most likely have to be told yet again that next year will be better as the players speak after the last game of the season.
The Giants will try to get right on Saturday night as Justin Verlander (1-9, 4.53 ERA) will take the hill for the Giants. The Rays will counter with Adrian Houser (6-4, 2.84 ERA).
Will the Giants win another game at home in 2025? Of course they will, but in times like this, it feels like the Giants won’t ever hear the soothing tones of Tony Bennett after a game for the remainder of the year.
Athletics’ Shea Langeliers scores on a wild pitch by Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Shane Baz (not shown) during the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall)
A’s Baseball podcast with Lincoln Juarez:
#1 The A’s offense has stayed hot and continued to provide run-support. Shea Langeliers and Brent Rooker have been leading the way the last week.
#2 Nick Kurtz went 3-for-5 at the plate with a home run Friday night in game one of a series against the Angels at Sutter Health Park. After struggling the last week or so, how important is that for him to get going again?
#3 JJ Bleday has also been a big addition to the A’s lineup since being recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas. He’s been making the of this opportunity since returning to the big leagues.
#4 The A’s will face Angels lefty, Tyler Anderson Saturday in West Sacramento. He’s not having the greatest of years at 2-7 with a 4.63 ERA. Going for the the A’s Luis Morales (0-0 ERA 1.99)
#5 The A’s put up a 10 spot on the Angels Friday night. They’ve been consistently scoring a lot of runs the last few weeks.
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 rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the bottom of third inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Health Park West Sacramento on Wed Aug 13, 2025 (AP News photo)
Sacramento A’s podcast Jeremiah Salmonson:
#1 The Tampa Bay Rays Brandon Lowe and Junior Caminero both hit home runs against the Sacramento A’s on Wednesday night at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento 8-2.
#2 Lowe’s home run was his 24th of the year off A’s starter JT Ginn who drops his record to 2-5 that made the score 6-0.
#3 The Rays who got the six run win over Sacramento 8-2 picked up their first road series win over the A’s since May 2-4, 2022 when they won that series at the Oakland Coliseum.
#4 The Rays got good starting pitching from Drew Rasmussen who went six innings, allowed three hits and one run and five strike outs.
#5 The Athletics host the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night starting pitchers for the Angels LHP Yusei Kikuchi (6-7, 3.37) for the Sacramento A’s RHP Jack Perkins (1-2, 4.08) at Sutter Health Park first pitch at 7:05pm PT.
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.
San Francisco Giants starter Landen Roupp gets the call against the Tampa Bay Rays at Oracle Park on Fri Aug 15, 2025 (AP file photo)
San Francisco Giants podcast Morris Phillips:
#1 San Diego Padres Nick Pivetta pitched 6.2 innings and allowed just a run as the Padres won in a laugher on Wednesday afternoon at Oracle Park 11-1.
#2 The Padres also got offensive help from Ramon Laureano who had three hits. The Padres had 14 hits in their three game sweep of the Giants.
#3 The Padres with the win have won five in a row. With the win the Padres now move a game over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West. With the loss the Giants are on five games out for the last spot for the NL Wild Card.
#4 Dominic Smith had his hit streak come to an end at 15 games which was the longest in the Majors. The longest hit streak for a Giants hitter since former Giant Donavan Solano did it in 2020 with a 17 game streak.
#5 Starters on Friday night at Oracle Park for the Tampa Bay Rays RHP Joe Boyle (1-2 ERA 3.82) and for the San Francisco Giants RHP Landen Roupp (7-6 ERA 3.11) first pitch 7:15pm PT.
Athletics owner John Fisher announces the A’s will have a “Las Vegas” logo on players uniforms during a press conference announcing a marketing partnership with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority at the Las Vegas Convention Center Friday, March 7, 2025. (K.M. Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Why is the A’s owner hated?
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
By Amaury Pi-González
We have all heard this phrase: “The customer is always right”, emphasizing the importance of customer satisfaction and prioritizing their needs. Many fans believe that A’s owner John Fisher has unfairly blamed the fans for the team’s struggles, thereby fostering considerable animosity. Baseball is a business; the A’s product is baseball, and the fans who attend the games and purchase their merchandise are the customers.
The A’s fans are correct to have certain expectations about the team; they pay to see the team play, and they expect to have a cohesive plan by management that, after a few years, you can finally have a team that performs well enough to be a competitive team, maybe worthy of a playoff birth, but not this season, as they looked like they will finish last, this would be the third time in the last five years they finish in last place.
While the phrase “the customer is always right” originated in the retail sector, it’s widely applied to various industries to encourage businesses to focus on meeting customer expectations. In September 2024, Mr. Fisher apologized for the team’s departure from Oakland in a letter addressed to fans. This letter was appropriately issued one day before the A’s open their final home series in Oakland, where they spent 57 years. That letter was not a hit with the fans; actually, it was more of a strikeout, with many fans believing it was an insult.
During the games in Oakland, after completing my preparation for the broadcast, which includes gathering statistics, reviewing starting lineups, and conducting interviews, I walk from the broadcast booth down to the seats and start conversations with fans.
The anger toward Mr. Fisher was evident to me from many fans during the last home stand in Athletics history at Oakland, September 2024. I have spoken to A’s fans through the years at the park before games, and I would be conservative to say that 98% have shown great displeasure and animosity for the A’s departing Oakland and their desire for the owner to SELL.
From those who told me “How can we build a winning team, when he trades the good players, because he didn’t want to pay them,” to others who told me “he doesn’t care for Oakland, so Oakland should not care for him”. Other comments, I heard, would not be prudent for me to write here; let me say, it is the type of language you can see every day on social media. Where the “F word”is commonly used, before the owner’s name. I am not a fan of the “F” word, but it seems the youngest generation uses it with great frequency in our culture today.
KTVU CH 2 FOX Bay Area (FOX News) which is frequently cited as a top-rated news station in the San Francisco Bay Area, reported along with other news sources, the team is promising a $1 million fund for Coliseum workers impacted by its departure.
However, there have been reports from some workers who say they haven’t received assistance from this fund. reports indicate that some of the workers who expected to receive assistance from this fund were denied, leading to disappointment and anger among some former employees.
The A’s stated that the fund was created to provide meaningful support during the transition for the team leaving town. There is nothing like stiffing people that work very hard by the hour. In my world this is “immoral” some would call it “unethical”, dishonest, just pick one, they all fit very well..
The Oakland A’s relocated their entire broadcast operation this season, encompassing both radio and television, from Oakland to Sacramento, which included play-by-play announcers, commentators, producers, broadcast coordinators, directors, and other personnel.
However, they did not take their Spanish crew that they had for years in San Francisco, on station KIQI 1010AM, which also has a repeater station in Sacramento, 990AM. The Spanish crew consisted of three people. The only broadcast people that the A’s did not take to Sacramento were the Spanish broadcast crew. The team decided to “outsource “the Spanish to another station in Sacramento.
My friends at the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce note that over 560,000 residents in the greater Sacramento region (including El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo, and Yuba counties) identify as Hispanic.
Someone in the A’s organization never gave Mr. Fisher the memo that California is not like Maine or Vermont, where there are no Spanish speakers. During the first of three years in Sacramento, the new digs have not been a great success for the ATH, selling just over 9,000 tickets per game, with approximately 20 home games left this season. Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento is a minor league park, with 14,000 capacity.
According to the website DIMERS, John Fisher is today the most hated owner in baseball.
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
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.
Sports Radio Service 