The Boston Red Sox clubhouse was spraying the bubbly after defeating the Detroit Tigers at Fenway Park in Boston on Fri Sep 26, 2025 to advance to the playoffs. (AP News photo)
MLB The Show podcast Bruce Magowan:
# 1 Did the Red Sox’s walk‑off clincher on Friday finally end their postseason drought?
#2 Can the Astros still salvage a wild‑card spot after their gut‑punch loss to the Angels?
#3 Will Shohei Ohtani’s jersey stay at No. 1 in MLB sales—for a 4th straight year?
#4 Is Aaron Judge being shortchanged in AL MVP debates?
#5 How many more teams will the Red Sox or Yankees displace in the AL wild‑card race today?”
A Fenway Park groundskeeper helps prepare the field before the Sacramento A’s and Boston Red Sox Wed Sep 17, 2025. The A’s and Sox completed their three game series on Thu Sep 18, 2025. (AP News photo)
A’s Hold Steady in 5-3 Win Over Red Sox
By Mauricio Segura
The Sacramento A’s wasted no time setting the tone, launching an early offensive surge that carried them to a 5-3 win over the Boston Red Sox. Lawrence Butler got the Green and Gold rolling with a leadoff double in the top of the first, and Brent Rooker followed with his 30th home run of the season, a no-doubt shot into the left-field seats that put Sacramento ahead 2-0 before many fans had settled into their seats.
Nick Kurtz added a double, and Tyler Soderstrom’s RBI single pushed the lead to three runs. Though the Red Sox scratched one back in the bottom half on a Trevor Story sacrifice fly, J.T. Ginn settled in and delivered a composed start, working into the seventh inning and handing the game to a bullpen that has quietly become one of the best in the majors since the All-Star break.
Boston briefly threatened in the second when David Hamilton’s solo homer cut the lead to 3-2, but Sacramento’s defense and Ginn’s efficiency quieted the bats through the middle innings. Jacob Wilson’s RBI single in the third widened the gap to 4-2, and in the seventh Butler manufactured a run with a single, stolen base, and hustle around the bases, scoring on a Trevor Story error.
That insurance tally loomed large after Story went deep in the eighth to trim the deficit to 5-3, but Hogan Harris slammed the door in the ninth, striking out Nick Sogard to seal it.
For Sacramento, the formula was clear: timely power, clean defense, and steady pitching. Rooker’s 30th blast gave the A’s three players at or near the 30-homer plateau, a reminder of how dangerous this lineup has become in the second half.
Ginn’s line, six innings, two runs, wasn’t flashy, but it was exactly what manager Mark Kotsay needed from a rotation that has struggled with length all season. The bullpen, with Harris earning the save, continued its dominance since the All-Star break, a stretch in which it owns one of the best ERAs in baseball.
The victory reflected the resilience of a team that once lost 20 of 21 games earlier this year but has since played above .500 ball. The Athletics are 30-24 since the All-Star break, their best second-half showing since 2019.
The offense, now among the league leaders in doubles and slugging, looks nothing like the light-hitting squad from the past five years. Sacramento’s road record has climbed back to .500, ensuring their best showing away from home since 2021.
Butler’s speed and all-around game, Kurtz’s rookie power numbers, Wilson’s steady bat, and Rooker’s consistency have created a balanced attack that opposing pitchers can’t take lightly. Even as the standings show the A’s with a sub .500 record, the trajectory is upward.
Thursday’s win in Boston was another snapshot of a team starting to find its identity, a group no longer defined by its rebuilding struggles but by its growing core and knack for grinding out wins.
It’s onto Pittsburgh as the A’s will face the Pirates on Friday night at PNC Park and the A’s will start RHP Luis Severino (6-11 ERA 4.82) the Pirates have not announced a starter yet.
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.
Sacramento A’s reliever Michael Kelly took the loss against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Wed Sep 17, 2025 (AP file photo)
Sacramento A’s podcast Jeremiah Salmonson:
#1 Boston Red Sox pinch hitter Nick Sogard hit a tenth inning infield ground ball to knock in Nate Eaton off Sacramento A’s pitcher Michael Kelly for a walk off hit to defeat the A’s in the bottom of the tenth inning at Fenway Park in Boston on Wednesday night.
#2 In a back and forth game the Red Sox never gave up and with Sogard’s game winning base hit the Red Sox lead the American League with 11 walk off hits for 2025.
#3 Boston pitcher Chris Murphy picked up his third win of the season pitching one third of an inning in relief. It was a tough loss for Kelly who drops his record to 4-4.
#4 In the top of the fifth the A’s Lawrence Butler walked Darrell Hernaiz hit a two run single. The did lose by a run but Hernaiz has been key for the A’s run production of late.
#5 A’s and Red Sox going at it Thursday RHP J.T. Ginn (3-6, 4.69 ERA) for Sacramento, RHP Brayan Bello (11-7, 3.25) makes the start of Boston. A’s currently currently in front early in the ball game at Fenway Park.
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.
Boston Red Sox Nate Eaton slides underneath Sacramento A’s catcher Shea Langeliers for the game winning run in the bottom of the tenth inning at Fenway Park in Boston on Wed Sep 17, 2025 (AP News photo)
Athletics Fall Short in Extra Innings 5-4 at Fenway
By Mauricio Segura
The Sacramento Athletics found themselves locked in another razor-thin battle in Beantown. From early long balls to late-inning strategy, and ultimately heartbreak in extras, the game provided plenty of edge of your seat excitement.
Unfortunately, after clawing their way through nine innings of back-and-forth baseball, the Green and Gold dropped a 5-4 decision to the Boston Red Sox on a frustrating walk-off fielder’s choice in the tenth.
Mason Barnett made his fourth career start and, consistent with his brief track record, worked in and out of trouble before turning things over to the bullpen. Boston wasted little time drawing first blood in the first inning when Masataka Yoshida singled home Trevor Story after a passed ball advanced the runner into scoring position.
Barnett’s uneven command left him exposed again in the second, as Rob Refsnyder hammered a solo homer to give the Sox a 2-1 edge. The Athletics had briefly tied it in the top half on a Lawrence Butler run manufactured by a Carlos Cortes double and a Darell Hernaiz sacrifice fly.
Sacramento’s offense threatened in the third when Nick Kurtz singled and Shea Langeliers drew a walk, but they came up empty after Brent Rooker’s flyout and Tyler Soderstrom’s strikeout. Jacob Wilson added a base hit, but Butler went down swinging to strand the bases loaded. That missed opportunity loomed large, as Barnett labored through the bottom half, yielding a Jarren Duran single and wild pitch before escaping further damage.
The A’s briefly found rhythm in the fifth. Langeliers and Rooker both reached base, setting the table for Soderstrom and Wilson. A walk forced in a run to tie it 2-2, and Hernaiz followed with the biggest swing of the night, a two-run single that put Sacramento ahead 4-2.
For a moment, the Fenway crowd hushed as the Green and Gold seized momentum. But the Red Sox quickly responded in their half, capitalizing on a defensive miscue at second base. Duran and Story reached, and Yoshida’s infield single plated a run. By the end of the inning, the margin was cut to 4-3.
From there, the bullpens took over. Tyler Ferguson, Justin Sterner, Elvis Alvarado, and Michael Kelly were summoned in succession, and each found themselves in high-leverage moments. In the sixth, Trevor Story tied the game with a sharp RBI single to center, and suddenly it was 4-4 heading into the late innings. The A’s had no answers for Boston’s relief corps, striking out frequently and failing to advance runners in scoring position. Wilson and Soderstrom combined for four hits, but timely execution was lacking.
The ninth inning embodied the night’s frustration. With two outs, Soderstrom singled and Wilson followed with another sharp liner to right, putting runners on the corners. Butler lofted a fly ball to left that died in Jarren Duran’s glove, ending the threat.
The game drifted into extras, where the A’s simply could not manufacture the big hit. Colby Thomas reached to start the tenth, but consecutive strikeouts and a pop out left Butler stranded at third.
That opened the door for Boston. With Nate Eaton placed at second under the new rules, the Red Sox bunted him to third, then watched as Nick Sogard chopped a grounder to second. Zack Gelof’s only play was to first, allowing Eaton to score the game-winner. Just like that, Sacramento’s bid for a third straight win in Boston vanished.
For the Athletics, the loss was another in a season filled with one-run battles. They fell to 18-21 in such games, with both of their victories against Boston this year decided by a single run. Despite offensive firepower, with Nick Kurtz, Shea Langeliers, and Brent Rooker all pushing toward 30-plus home run seasons, the club remains plagued by inconsistent pitching and stranded baserunners.
Barnett’s line reflected the struggle: multiple innings cut short by missed execution and an early hook that forced the bullpen into heavy duty. Overall, it was a great showing of traditional baseball.
Starting pitchers for Thursday for Sacramento RHP JT Ginn (3-6 ERA 4.69) for the Boston Red Sox RHP Brayan Bello (11-7 ERA 3.25) first pitch 10:35am 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.
Soderstrom and Harris Spark Athletics to Narrow 2-1 Win at Fenway
By Mauricio Segura
The Sacramento Athletics keep finding ways to make things interesting. Tuesday night’s pendulum swung between frustration and redemption, the Green and Gold leaned on timely hitting from Tyler Soderstrom and Brett Harris to beat the Boston Red Sox 2–1 at Fenway Park.
It wasn’t pretty, but it was enough to extend a September surge that has kept the club competitive despite being mathematically eliminated from the postseason.
The night began with little to celebrate for Jeffrey Springs. The veteran left-hander, making his 31st appearance of the year, struggled again with efficiency. Springs surrendered the first run of the game in the third when Rob Refsnyder worked a walk and came around on Carlos Narváez’s double that deflected awkwardly off Lawrence Butler in center.
That lone blemish stung given the A’s inability to generate offense early. Shea Langeliers and Jacob Wilson reached in the first inning, but both were left stranded. By the middle of the fourth, Sacramento had more strikeouts than baserunners.
The game flipped in the sixth inning when the offense finally found an edge. Wilson singled to start the inning, and after Nick Kurtz went down swinging, Boston went to the bullpen. That decision cracked the door for Soderstrom, who came off the bench with two outs and promptly ripped a double into left field to score Wilson and tie the game.
A pinch-hit walk from Carlos Cortes kept the pressure on, and Harris delivered the dagger with a line drive single that brought Soderstrom across to give Sacramento its first lead at 2–1.
From there, the bullpen took over and protected the slim advantage with an efficiency that has become a late-season trademark. Mitch Spence, called up again from Triple-A, navigated through the middle innings and handed things off to Hogan Harris, who picked off Nick Sogard to escape the eighth.
The ninth belonged to Zack Gelof defensively, as the second baseman entered on a double switch and immediately turned a crisp game-ending double play with Jacob Wilson.
While the scorebook highlights Soderstrom and Harris as the heroes, the bigger story remains Sacramento’s ability to outlast opponents despite offensive inconsistencies. The club entered the night ranked third in the majors in slugging since the All-Star break. Not bad, it leaves hope for next season for sure!
Starting pitchers for Wednesday’s game for the A’s RHP Mason Barnett (1-1 ERA 8.53) for the Red Sox RHP Lucas Giolito (10-4 ERA 3.31) first pitch 3:45pm 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.
The Cincinnati Reds Gavin Lux (2) is thrown out sliding into home plate in the fourth inning by Sacramento A’s catcher Willie MacIver (left) at Sutter Health Park on Sun Sep 14, 2025 (Dennis Lee-Imagn Images photo)
Sacramento A’s podcast Barbara Mason:
#1 Sacramento A’s rookie Nick Kurtz hit one of four of the Athletics home runs that put Sacramento ahead in the bottom of the fifth 7-4 over the visiting Cincinnati Reds 7-4 on Sunday afternoon.
#2 The A’s wound up sweeping the Reds and the loss pushes the Reds 2.5 back in the NL Wild Card as the A’s played spoiler.
#3 The A’s Jacob Wilson, Colby Thomas, and Brent Rooker hit home runs as the A’s came back from being down 3-0. The win also passes their 2024 win total with 12 regular season games remaining.
#4 Wilson and Thomas hit home runs in the bottom of the fourth. Nick Kurtz hit a home run with two out in the fifth inning for his 32nd of the season.
#5 Sacramento heads to Boston to open up a three game series against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Starting pitcher for the A’s LHP Jefferey Springs (10-11 ERA 4.28) the Sox have not announced a starter for Tuesday night’s game first pitch 3:45pm 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.
Sacramento A’s reliever Michael Kelly (49) shuts the door on the Cincinnati Reds in the ninth inning at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento on Sun Sep 14, 2025 (Athletics X photo)
Sacramento Bats Blast Reds in Series Closer
By Mauricio Segura
WEST SACRAMENTO–For three innings on Sunday afternoon, it looked like the Sacramento Athletics were about to limp into another quiet loss. The Cincinnati Reds came out swinging, tagging rookie starter Luis Morales for an early barrage and silencing the home crowd with a pair of long balls.
But if the 2025 Athletics have proven anything, it’s that they can take a punch, reset, and then slug their way right back into a fight. By the time the dust settled, the Green and Gold had out-homered Cincinnati, flexed the depth of their power, and stormed to a 7-4 win that completed a series sweep and gave fans another taste of why this late-season stretch has been worth watching.
Cincinnati wasted no time getting on the board. Noelvi Marte ripped a solo homer in the first, his 13th of the season, and two innings later, Will Benson’s two-run shot off Morales had the Reds sitting pretty with a 3-0 lead. Morales, making just his seventh career start, looked rattled early. His command wavered, and although he settled down to induce some ground ball outs, the Reds appeared in control, capitalizing on every mistake he left over the plate.
In the bottom of the fourth, Jacob Wilson, who continues to flirt with a batting title in his rookie campaign, stepped up and launched a solo homer into the left-field seats, sparking life in the dugout. Moments later, Colby Thomas followed suit with his sixth homer, this one a laser to left-center that brought Sacramento within a run. Suddenly, Lodolo’s early strut turned into a careful grind.
The fifth inning delivered the decisive moment. After Wilson was hit by a pitch, Nick Kurtz stepped in, and as he’s done so many times this year, turned the game on its head with one violent swing. His two-run shot, a towering drive to left, gave Sacramento its first lead of the day at 4-3. For Kurtz, it was his 32nd of the season, putting him further ahead of the rookie leaderboard and reaffirming what scouts have been saying since spring: this is a cornerstone bat in the making.
With momentum firmly in their favor, the A’s added insurance in the sixth when Thomas singled and Brett Harris laced a double down the line to make it 5-3. Brent Rooker then joined the power parade in the seventh, belting his 29th of the year to dead center. By then, Cincinnati’s bullpen looked shell-shocked, and Sacramento’s confidence was on full display. Thomas capped his afternoon with another hit in the seventh, part of a three-hit day that showcased his knack for producing in the middle of rallies.
The Reds tried to claw back in the eighth, with Sal Stewart cutting the deficit to 7-4 on a solo homer, but the A’s bullpen had enough answers. Brady Basso, Tyler Ferguson, Sean Newcomb, and Justin Sterner combined to bridge the gap before Michael Kelly closed things out in the ninth.
Morales, despite his shaky start, was backed up perfectly by a relief corps that has quietly transformed itself since the All-Star break. Once one of the shakiest units in baseball, Sacramento’s bullpen has carried a 3.01 ERA since late June, among the best in the majors.
The win carried significance beyond the box score. By sweeping Cincinnati, the Athletics improved to 69-80 on the season, officially eliminating them from AL West contention but keeping a flicker of Wild Card math alive, at least for another day.
More importantly, the team continued to prove it can hang with opponents by out-homering them, a formula that has worked like clockwork. Sacramento is now 44-9 when it clears the fences more often than its opponent, a staggering .830 winning percentage that underscores just how central power has become to its identity.
That reliance on the long ball might not always be sustainable, but this September surge is giving fans glimpses of the future. Kurtz, Wilson, and Thomas are all rookies. Together, they combined for four hits, three runs, and three home runs in Sunday’s victory.
It’s the kind of production that hints at a foundation being built, not just a streak of hot bats. Wilson, hitting .318, continues to press Aaron Judge for the AL batting crown, something an Athletic hasn’t won since Ferris Fain in 1952. Kurtz, meanwhile, already has more home runs than any A’s rookie since Yoenis Céspedes, and Thomas is quickly proving he can be more than just a depth piece.
Rooker, the veteran presence among the mashers, keeps doing his part too. His seventh-inning homer not only gave Sacramento breathing room, it also put him among the league leaders in doubles and extra-base hits. If the rookies are the promise of tomorrow, Rooker is the reminder that established power can still set the tone today.
It wasn’t a perfect afternoon. Morales lasted just 4.2 innings and was tagged for three early runs, raising questions about how many more innings his arm can handle this year. But even that storyline had a silver lining. Morales is just weeks removed from pitching in Double-A, and for all the lumps he’s taken, the A’s are 4-2 in his starts. That kind of trial by fire is how young rotations are forged.
By the time Kelly induced TJ Friedl’s final out in the ninth, the 8,778 fans in attendance were on their feet, savoring a series sweep that carried the weight of both momentum and meaning. It’s been a long, uneven season for Sacramento, one defined by brutal losing streaks and flashes of promise. Sunday’s win leaned hard into the latter, a young team showing fight, flashing power, and sending a message that the future might not be as far away as it sometimes feels.
As the A’s now pack their bags for Boston, they do so with a swagger that only comes from beating a team at its own game. Cincinnati brought the early thunder, but Sacramento answered with a storm of its own. And if this weekend was any indication, the Athletics’ blueprint is clear: keep swinging, keep slugging, and let the long ball carry them wherever it can.
Sacramento heads to Boston to open up a three game series against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Starting pitcher for the A’s LHP Jefferey Springs (10-11 ERA 4.28) the Sox have not announced a starter for Tuesday night’s game first pitch 3:45pm 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.
Sacramento A’s Lawrence Butler (4) and teammates jump for joy after Butler’s game winning RBI in the bottom of the ninth inning at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento to beat the Boston Red Sox on Wed Sep 10, 2025 (AP News photo)
Sacramento A’s podcast Jeremiah Salmonson:
#1 Nick Kurtz is one of three A’s now to have hit 30 home runs joining former A’s Bash Brothers Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco. Quite an accomplishment for someone who just joined the A’s two months after the season had started.
#2 The A’s were coming off two tough loses against the Boston Red Sox losing by shutout scores of 7-0 and 6-0 Monday and Tuesday back with a 5-4 win on Wednesday.
#3 Jeremiah talk about Lawrence Butler and his walk off home run that won it for the A’s and ended Boston Red Sox pitcher Aroldis Chapman’s seven week hitless streak?
#4 Kurtz is on a roll he now becomes the 32nd rookie to hit 30 home runs as a rookie. Canseco did it in 1986 with 33 home runs and McGwire did it with 49 in 1987.
#5 Lets see if that win can inspire the A’s as they open a series against the Cincinnati Reds at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento Friday night. Starting pitcher for the Reds RHP Brady Singer (13-9 ERA 3.98) starting pitcher for the A’s has not been announced yet by manager Mark Kotsay.
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 against the Boston Red Sox in the top of the first inning at Sutter Health Park on September 09, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
WEST SACRAMENTO — The Red Sox finalized a series victory over the Athletics on Tuesday in a 6-0 win over the A’s at Sutter Health Park.
In what has become commonplace this season for A’s starter Jeffrey Springs, he gave up runs in the first inning as the game got out of hand early.
The Red Sox jumped all over Springs in the first inning as he wasn’t able to get an out until the fifth batter he faced. By that time, it was already a 4-0 Red Sox lead thanks to two home runs. However, Springs was able to give a little length as he managed to go five innings in the game. By the end of the outing, Springs gave up five runs on eight hits while giving up two home runs.
Mark Kotsay spoke to the early inning issues that Springs has faced after the game.
“For Jeffrey, I think early on [in the season] there was some struggle in the first inning and we overcame that. So I think again, it’s a matter of him getting out there, executing better in the first inning.”
The A’s bullpen came in and pitched well after the departure of Springs.
Tyler Ferguson came in and pitched the sixth inning without allowing any runs or hits. Jose Alvarado came in for the seventh inning and pitched a clean inning other than a walk. The trouble for the bullpen came when Michael Kelly came on in the eighth inning. Kelly gave up one run on one hit in the eighth. Osvaldo Bido was the last bullpen arm in the game as he tossed a scoreless ninth inning.
The A’s bats, which have gone cold against the Red Sox, did manage to put up 10 hits. However, the A’s weren’t able to cash in on any scoring opportunities. The biggest missed opportunity for the Athletics was in the fourth inning when they loaded the bases with one out and failed to score. Granted, the A’s have been facing some tough pitching but the offense has been uncharacteristically unable to score.
Mark Kotsay spoke about the offensive woes after the game.
“I mean to get shut down on back to back nights. It’s tough. Our offense has been great all year, like you said, the last time we’ve gotten shut out twice you mentioned was June and we’ve faced tough pitching,” Kotsay said after the game. “You get 10 hits and you don’t score any runs. It says a lot about our opportunities with runners in scoring position.”
Up Next
The A’s will try and avoid a sweep at the hands of the Red Sox on Wednesday at 12:35 PM at Sutter Health Park. Mason Barnett (1-1, 9.00 ERA) is slated to go for the A’s as the Red Sox 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.
Luis Morales #58 of the Athletics pitches in the top of the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Sutter Health Park on September 08, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
WEST SACRAMENTO — The Red Sox made a statement early on Monday as they defeated the Athletics 7-0 in front of 10,073 fans at Sutter Health Park.
Athletics starter Luis Morales gave up a run in the first inning to the Red Sox on a Trevor Story home run and it didn’t stop at that.
Morales, who had pitched really well in his last few starts for the A’s, gave up five runs on seven hits on Monday as he couldn’t keep the Red Sox in check. Luis tossed four and two thirds innings while giving up two home runs on the night and only striking out two batters.
“Morales today, the sweeper wasn’t really working great early in the game,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said after the game. “He made some mistakes. The story of the fastball was supposed to be out a third and it leaked back to the middle. Overall, I think that this stuff probably wasn’t as sharp tonight. The mistakes just got hit.”
Brady Basso relieved Morales and pitched two and a third very good innings. Basso recorded the final out of the fifth inning by way of the strikeout and went on to toss two more scoreless innings in the sixth and seventh. Basso gave up only one hit while walking no one en route to four strikeouts in his appearance.
Scott McGough came on to pitch the eighth and ninth innings for the A’s. McGough wasn’t sharp and was hit around in the eighth inning as he gave up four hits and two runs in the inning. However, the ninth was a different story as he retired the side in order and struck out Jarren Duran in the process.
Mark Kotsay spoke on the bullpen after the game praising the outing from Brady Basso.
“…those guys, those back end guys, Basso threw the ball really well. It was a great outing for Brady two and a third and to get out of that inning showed a lot of poise and maturity for him.”
The A’s offense really struggled all night long. The A’s managed to only tally three hits all night as they were blanked by Garrett Crochet and the Red Sox bullpen. Crochet went seven strong innings giving up three hits all night while striking out 10. The Red Sox bullpen tossed hitless eighth and ninth innings to send the A’s out to pasture quietly.
One bright spot on Monday was the defensive play from Max Schuemann at third base. Schuemann made a number of tough backhanded plays deep at third base look routine during the game. Mark Kotsay praised his efforts after the loss.
“Yeah, coming off a couple of balls in Anaheim, Max is a good defender and he has been for us all season,” Kotsay said postgame. “So tonight he showed how he can play third base, he played really well. A few nice back hands, he did a nice job.”
Up Next
The A’s will take on the Red Sox in game two of the three game series on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. PST at Sutter Health Park. Jeffrey Springs (10-10, 4.13 ERA) is slated to start for the A’s Tuesday and will be countered by the Red Sox and Dustin May (7-11, 4.96 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.
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