Jack Perkins #50 of the Athletics pitches against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Sutter Health Park on September 26, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory photo credit: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento Athletics were back in action on Saturday night for their final night game of the 2026 season as they faced off against the Houston Astros at 6:40 p.m. PDT. The A’s tried to play spoiler again as the Astros and Rangers were tied at the top of the division. Whoever lost the division would miss out on the 2026 MLB postseason.
The A’s weren’t able to spoil the Astros’ hopes as they wanted, as Houston had its way with them, defeating them 13-2.
The A’s sent Jack Perkins to the hill to start Game 161 for the team as he was making his 37th appearance of the year and his 17th start. Perkins pitched OK, but the fifth inning unraveled for the right-hander to tank his outing. Perkins was pitching to a 3-1 deficit as he came out for the fifth inning, and it was a three-run home run that ultimately did him in. Perkins finished the fifth inning, but his outing was over after he gave up six runs on five hits while walking three and striking out nine (ties a season high).
First out of the bullpen for the A’s was Scott Blewett, who came in to pitch the sixth inning. Blewett struggled, but he managed to bear down and leave without allowing a run. Blewett gave up two hits followed by two strikeouts before being lifted with two outs in favor of Drew Rom. Rom got the final out of the inning on one pitch to give Blewett a final line of two-thirds of an inning, allowing no runs and two hits while striking out two.
For Rom, he got that final out of the sixth inning before coming back out to pitch the seventh inning. Rom struggled mightily in the seventh as he was only able to record two outs before being lifted. Rom tossed a total of one inning during his outing and gave up three runs on five hits while walking none and striking out none.
It was Yunior Tur who came in to finish off the seventh inning as he recorded a strikeout against the only batter he faced. Like Rom, Tur came out again in the eighth inning. In the eighth, Tur struggled to throw strikes, and it cost him as he gave up three runs on three hits while walking one and striking out one. Tur also pitched the ninth inning, where he gave up a solo home run but nothing more. Yunior’s final line was two and a third innings of four-run, four-hit baseball while walking one and striking out two.
On the offensive side of things, the A’s managed only two runs on six hits while walking twice.
The A’s got their first run of the game in the fourth inning on an odd play. Zack Gelof grounded a ball to shortstop, where Jeremy Peña stepped on second for the out before making an errant throw to first base. Gelof performed some shape-shifting acrobatics to avoid the tag and was safe at first. Gelof was credited with his 55th RBI of the year on the play as Lawrence Butler crossed home and scored from third base.
The A’s second run came in the seventh inning when Tommy White singled home Zack Gelof from second base, who reached earlier on a single of his own. It was the 10th RBI of the season for White with the A’s and made it a 9-2 game at the time.
That was all the A’s could muster on the offensive end as they couldn’t mount any late-game comeback.
With the win, the Astros set up a Game 162 showdown with the Rangers on Sunday. Since Houston holds the tiebreaker over Texas, an Astros win would secure the AL West. The Rangers would need a win of their own, coupled with an Astros loss, to claim the division.
The A’s and Astros will play the final game of the regular season on Sunday at 12:05 p.m. PDT at Sutter Health Park. Neither team has announced a starting pitcher for the game. However, A’s manager Mark Kotsay did confirm it will be a bullpen game for the series finale.
