Tag: Kansas City Royals

Sacramento A’s Nick Kurtz (16) stands at second after hitting an RBI double in the second inning against the Kansas City Royals. Later Kurtz drew a walk for his 19th straight game this season tying former Boston Red Sox Ted Williams for the third longest bases on balls streak. Detroit’s Roy Cullenbine in 1947 is second on the list and first is former San Francisco Giant Barry Bonds 2002-03. (AP News photo)

By Mauricio Segura

The Sacramento Athletics did not wait around to let stomachs settle after lunch to decide what kind of game this would be on Thursday afternoon.

On a clear 12:06 p.m. first pitch West Sacramento day, the Kansas City Royals opened with Maikel Garcia ripping a double to right, then pushed across the first run when Starling Marte lined a two-out single to right. It was a fast, quick punch from Kansas City, the kind that can make a home crowd shift in its seat before the nacho sauce kicks in prompting an early inning bathroom break. But the A’s answered right away, and that response set the tone for a 6-3 win built on patience, sharp contact, and just enough bullpen backbone.

Jacob Wilson, who came in riding a strong stretch at the plate and carrying the longest errorless streak by an Athletics shortstop in franchise history, opened the bottom of the first with a single. Shea Langeliers followed with a double, putting the tying run 90 feet away. After Nick Kurtz struck out and Colby Thomas walked after an upheld ABS challenge, Darell Hernaiz punched a grounder through the left side of the infield, deflected by third baseman Garcia, to bring Wilson home. Just like that, the A’s had wiped away Kansas City’s opening jab.

The Royals briefly grabbed the lead again in the second when Garcia, already a problem, launched his third home run of the season to left-center. For Kansas City, Garcia was everywhere. He doubled twice, homered, scored twice, and even stole third in the fourth. But the game turned into green and gold hues in the bottom of the second, when the A’s lineup stopped tapping on the door and kicked it in instead.

Lawrence Butler started the rally with a walk, Wilson followed with another single, and Langeliers drilled his second double of the game to left to score Butler and tie it 2-2. Then came Kurtz, whose eye at the plate has been one of the biggest stories of the Athletics’ season.

He entered the day with an ongoing Athletics-record 18-game walk streak and one of the best on-base marks in the league, but this time he did not wait for a free pass. Kurtz smashed a double to center, scoring Wilson and Langeliers, and suddenly the A’s led 4-2. Hernaiz later added another ground-ball single, bringing home Kurtz after an error by second baseman Nick Loftin helped him move into scoring position. By the end of the inning, the Athletics had scored four runs and turned a one-run deficit into a 5-2 lead.

That second inning was the day’s heartbeat. A well-built rally from an old baseball textbook: a walk, singles, doubles, pressure, and a defense forced into mistakes. Langeliers was right in the middle of it, finishing with three doubles and two runs scored. Wilson added two hits and two runs, continuing to look like one of the steadiest young bats in the lineup. Hernaiz drove in three runs, a big swing of production from the lower half of the order without needing to actually swing big.

Kansas City had chances to climb back. In the fourth, Garcia doubled again, stole third, Bobby Witt Jr. walked, and Lane Thomas was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs. But Luis Medina, who had replaced Jeffrey Springs to start the inning due to a possible injury, escaped when Salvador Perez flew out to center. Medina again had to work through traffic in the sixth after Isaac Collins singled and Witt walked, but Scott Barlow came in and got Thomas to ground out to end the threat.

The A’s added insurance in the seventh, and once again it came from the same cast. Langeliers opened with his third double, Kurtz was intentionally walked (tying none other than Ted Williams for the all-time top spot), and pinch-hitter Jeff McNeil forced out Kurtz while moving Langeliers to third. Hernaiz then beat out another grounder to short, scoring Langeliers and giving the Athletics a 6-2 cushion. It was not glamorous, but it was useful, and in baseball, useful wins a lot of afternoons.

The Royals got one back in the eighth on Elias Díaz’s first home run of the season, a fly ball to right that cut the lead to 6-3. But Brady Basso kept the damage there, and Jack Perkins handled the ninth after Jac Caglianone opened with a pinch-hit single. Perkins retired Perez on a flyout, struck out Michael Massey, and ended it when Vinnie Pasquantino lined sharply to center, where Zack Gelof put it away.

For the Athletics, the win carried a little extra weight. They entered the day two games over .500, in first place in the AL West, and trying to finish April with their best record in the month since 2014. They did it with exactly the kind of game that makes a first-place stretch feel less like a fluke and more like a team learning how to win in different ways.

Friday will see former A’s player, now Guardians manager, Stephen Vogt, bring in his boys from Cleveland for a three game weekend series. One that will no doubt include fireworks from both sides. First pitch Friday is schedule for 6:40pm with J.T. Ginn (0-0 / 3.24 ERA / 19k’s) on the mound for Sacramento against the southpaw Hawaiian Joseph Cantillo (1-1 / 2.97 ERA / 34k’s).

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. 

Kansas City Royals Bobby Witt Jr smashes a three run home run in the top tenth to help defeat the Sacramento A’s at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento on Tue Apr 28, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Mauricio Segura

WEST SACRAMENTO–For nine innings Tuesday night at Sutter Health Park, the Sacramento Athletics and Kansas City Royals played the kind of game that makes every pitch feel like it is carrying a piano on its back. There were stranded runners, stolen bases, replay challenges, defensive gems, and enough missed chances to fill a clubhouse laundry cart. In the end, Kansas City landed the one clean uppercut that mattered most, as Bobby Witt Jr.’s three-run homer in the 10th inning sent the Royals to a 4-1 win over the Green and Gold.

The A’s had entered the night riding one of their best early-season stretches in years, sitting 15-13 and holding first place in the AL West after a 4-2 road trip. They had also been living well in tight games, already piling up seven one-run wins. For most of Tuesday, it looked like another grind-it-out Sacramento special might be brewing. Instead, the game turned into a reminder that extra innings can be cruel, especially when one swing changes the whole room.

The A’s struck first in the second inning with a clean, simple rally. Zack Gelof opened the frame with a ground-ball single, moved to second on Jeff McNeil’s groundout, and came home when Jacob Wilson lined a single into center. Wilson, who came in swinging a hot bat after a strong road trip, gave the A’s a 1-0 lead and kept his early-season rebound moving in the right direction.

Aaron Civale made that run stand for a while. He worked around Vinnie Pasquantino’s first-inning double, Lane Thomas’ second-inning single and stolen base, and Bobby Witt Jr.’s stolen base in the third. Civale did not dominate with much hoopla, but he pitched like a man carefully defusing small bombs. He kept Kansas City scoreless through five innings, mixing contact, timely outs, and help from catcher Shea Langeliers, who threw behind Witt at third to kill a threat in the third.

The Royals finally got him in the sixth. Salvador Perez, who had a strong history against Civale entering the night, launched a solo homer to center to tie the game 1-1. That was the only run charged in Civale’s outing, and it was also another example of Perez being a long-running nuisance for him. Civale had allowed three career homers to Perez before the game, matching his most against any hitter, and Perez added another painful chapter here.

The A’s had chances to take the game back, but the big hit kept hiding like it owed somebody money. In the first, Langeliers singled, Nick Kurtz walked, and Colby Thomas walked to load the bases, but Tyler Soderstrom struck out to end the inning. In the fourth, Gelof walked and stole second, and McNeil walked, but Wilson grounded into a forceout. In the seventh, Langeliers doubled with two outs, only for Kurtz to ground out. Then came the eighth, the inning that may sting the most. Colby Thomas singled, Carlos Cortes followed with a single, and Darell Hernaiz walked to load the bases. Jeff McNeil flew out to left, and the game stayed tied.

Cortes still gave the A’s a spark. The newly named American League Player of the Week entered the game on a seven-game hitting streak after tearing through Seattle and Texas, and he kept finding ways into the middle of things. He was hit by a pitch in the sixth, singled in the eighth, and walked in the tenth. It was not the thunderous show he had put on during the road trip, but even on a quieter night, his fingerprints were on the A’s best rallies.

The bullpens carried the game into extras. Scott Barlow escaped the sixth by catching Lane Thomas stealing third. Mark Leiter Jr. worked a clean eighth, and Jack Perkins handled the ninth with three quick outs. But in the 10th, the automatic runner changed the math. Nick Loftin began at second, Kyle Isbel reached on a bunt single, and after Maikel Garcia popped up a bunt, Witt crushed a fly ball to right-center. Just like that, a tense 1-1 game became a 4-1 Royals lead.

The A’s still made Kansas City sweat in the bottom of the tenth. Nick Kurtz started at second, Carlos Cortes drew a walk after an overturned ABS challenge, and Gelof reached on an infield single to load the bases with two outs. But Hernaiz lined out to Michael Massey at second, ending the game and leaving the Athletics with the kind of loss that makes a dugout stare quietly at the grass.

This was not a disaster for the A’s, but it was a missed opportunity. They pitched well enough to win, defended well enough to win, and created enough traffic to win. They simply could not cash in when the registers were open. Against a Royals team that waited all night for one clean shot, that proved costly. Baseball can be beautifully unfair that way. For nine innings, the A’s held the door. In the 10th, Witt kicked it open.

With Tuesday night’s loss, the A’s are one game in front of second-place Seattle. Wednesday, they will match up Luis Severino (1-2 ERA 5.17) against Michael Wacha (2-1 ERA 2.51) for a 6:40 p.m PDT. Game 2 start.

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. 

Sacarmento A’s Brent Rooker has returned from his injury and will face the Kansas City Royals Tue Apr 28, 2026 at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento (AP News photo)

Sacramento A’s podcast Mauricio Segura:

#1 Can Brent Rooker make an immediate impact in his return? With Brent Rooker expected back from injury and likely slotted into the heart of the order, will his power bat spark the A’s offense right away after missing time?

#2 Will Carlos Cortes stay hot at the plate? Carlos Cortes has been one of the A’s most productive hitters recently—can he continue his surge against Royals pitching and solidify his role in the lineup?

#3 Talk about Lawrence Butler he’s batting only .186, two home runs, nine RBIs, with 16 hits at one time was the lead off hitter but has dropped to eighth in the line up. How surprising is it that his average has fallen off since last season.

#4 Can Shea Langeliers and Max Muncy lead the middle-of-the-order production? With Shea Langeliers providing power and Max Muncy swinging a strong bat early, will they capitalize on scoring opportunities against Kansas City’s pitching?

#5 Will the A’s pitching—possibly led by Jacob Lopez—contain the Royals? If Jacob Lopez gets the start, can he deliver a quality outing and give Sacramento a chance to control the game from the mound?

Mauricio Segura is a Sacramento A’s reporter for 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 Lawrence Butler (left) steals second base as the Kansas City Royals second baseman Jonathan India (6) tries to put the tag on too late in the bottom of the second inning at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento on Fri Sep 26, 2025 (AP News photo)

Athletics Walk Off Royals in Dramatic Finish

By Mauricio Segura

WEST SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Athletics finished Friday night’s game into a cinematic thriller, clawing back from an early three-run hole and delivering a walk-off 4-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals.

For eight innings, it felt like a strategic chess game with the pawns wearing spikes. Long stretches of scoreless ball punctuated by flashes of daring baserunning and systematic pitching changes. In the end, the Green and Gold found a way to finish what they started.

Kansas City struck first, roughing up the A’s starter in the top of the fourth with a three-run burst that briefly silenced the Sacramento crowd. The A’s offense had been held quiet until the bottom of the fifth, when the lineup finally cracked the Royals’ early momentum.

Lawrence Butler, a sparkplug all season, set the tone with his 22nd stolen base. That moment of aggression on the bases rattled the visitors and seemed to wake up the dugout. A series of timely swings and a wild pitch by Taylor Clarke brought three runs across, tying the game and wiping out the Royals’ early advantage.

Managerial maneuvering became the story from that point forward. The A’s sent Carlos Cortes up as a pinch-hitter in the fifth, and when he stayed in the game as the right fielder, it signaled Sacramento was not content to just trade zeroes.

The Royals countered with a carousel of relievers, including Hogan Harris, Jonathan Bowlan, and finally Angel Zerpa, trying to keep the home side in check. The Athletics kept matching those moves, using pinch-hitters like Max Muncy in the eighth and defensive substitutions in the late innings to keep fresh legs on the field.

From the sixth inning on, the scoreboard barely budged. Both bullpens locked in, each frame turning into a tense exercise in stranded runners. The outfield even got a late-game shuffle with Mike Yastrzemski moving from center to right, while the Royals inserted John Rave to cover center field. Every pitch after that felt like it carried the weight of the night.

By the time the ninth inning rolled around, the game was still knotted at three. That is when the home side decided to settle things. With Luinder Avila now on the mound for Kansas City, the A’s capitalized on a perfectly timed pinch-runner swap, Max Schuemann replacing Brett Harris, to inject speed and pressure. The gamble paid off as Sacramento pushed across the decisive run, sending the crowd into a frenzy and sealing a satisfying 4-3 walk-off victory.

The box score might tell you it was a game of four runs and a handful of substitutions, but the feel inside Sutter Health Park told a different story. It was a night defined by raw grit and refusal to play standard baseball in hopes it would pay off. No, tonight, Mark Kotsay put all the pieces in place unsing outside the box strategy and declared checkmate because of it.

The Green and Gold left the field to the roar of fans who have quickly made Sacramento feel like home for big-league baseball. For a franchise carving a new chapter in a new city, moments like this walk-off win offer a taste of the drama and energy they will need to keep the momentum rolling.

Starting pitchers for Saturday: For the Royals RHP Michael Wacha (9-13 ERA 4.00) for the A’s RHP Luis Morales (4-2 ERA 3.07) first pitch 1:05pm PT at Sutter Health Park.

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.