Tag: mlb

Giants Watch Playoff Hopes Dwindle Losing to Diamondbacks 8-1

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San Francisco Giants Casey Schmitt who hit a third inning home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks is greeted in the dugout by teammates at Chase Field in Phoenix on Mon Sep 15, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Every game going forward is critical for the San Francisco Giants (75-74). They have to break out of their current funk after dropping two games to the Los Angeles Dodgers over the weekend. Going into Monday night’s series with the Arizona Diamondbacks (75-75) the Giants have to at the very least win the series.

It did not go as planned and San Francisco got walloped by Arizona 8-1. You could see the pain and disappointment etched on the faces of the players in the dugout. This not how they wanted to start this series.

Casey Schmitt hit a solo home run to get San Francisco on the board but that would be it for the Giants. They only had two hits in the entire game. With Monday night’s loss, Tuesday’s game takes on even more importance.

Game notes: Arizona took an early lead in this game 1-0. A pickoff error from Giants pitcher Kai-Wei Teng allowed Arizona’s Geraldo Perdomo to score for the one-run lead. The Giants answered back in the third inning to tie up the game at one apiece.

Casey Schmitt homered to center for the tie. With the game tied this was anybody’s game and San Francisco had a nice opportunity to take the lead going into the fourth inning. It didn’t even come close to happening.

Unfortunately the rest of the game was all Arizona. The Diamondbacks did not score agains until the sixth inning but they broke this game wide open in the sixth scoring 6 runs taking a 7-1 lead.

Ildemaro Vargas singled driving two runners, Corbin Carroll and Gabriel Moreno home for a 3-1 lead and they never looked back. The Diamondbacks followed that up with a Jordan Lawlar double that drove Blaze Alexander home and extended their lead to 4-1.

A James McCann 2-run home run upped their score to 6-1. Arizona was hot and showed no signs of letting up. Perdomo tripled Jake McCarthy home for a 7-1 lead.

The Diamondbacks finished San Francisco off in the eighth inning. Again it was Geraldo Perdomo at the plate doing more damage doubling. Jake McCarthy scored on that double for the 8-1 lead that turned out to be the final.

It was an awful game for the Giants managing only two hits. With the 8-1 loss Monday, Tuesday’s game takes on even more importance putting pressure on the mound and at the plate. They have to get the bats working because they were positively stagnant at the plate.

The Giants started a three-game series with the Diamondbacks only to lose a critical game at Chase Field and drop back two games in the NL Wild Card race.

Game notes: Every game going forward is crucial because of this traffic jam in the National League race for the third wild card spot. The Mets and the Reds were both off Monday night. Right now the Reds are tied with the Giants for second place in the NL Wild Card.

The Giants lost Monday’s game against the Diamondbacks. They are coming off a horrendous loss to the Dodgers 10-2 Sunday. They have to start stringing hits together if they want to have any chance to string wins together.

They do have the time, although limited, to do just that but losing now is not an option. They have to get the bats working and of course there have been some rough starts on the mound for the team. For Giants starter Kei Wei Teng pitched four innings, two hits, didn’t allow a run, one walk and five strike outs. but relievers Joey Lucchesi and Keaton Winn gave up runs in the ninth inning as the Diamondbacks piled it on.

First pitch in Tuesday’s game two is scheduled for 6:40 PM. Right now the Giants are undecided as to who will take the mound. The Diamondbacks will start Eduardo Rodriguez. He has a 8-8 win/loss record and a 4.98 ERA.

Sacramento A’s podcast Barbara Mason: A’s take momentum from sweep to Boston Tuesday

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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.

Join Barbara for the 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. 

San Francisco Giants podcast Marko Ukalovic: Giants open up series with Arizona in a bid to get back in NL Wild Card

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San Francisco Giants starter Kei Wei Teng is the starting pitcher against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Mon Sep 15, 2025 at Chase Field in Phoenix (MLB.com photo)

San Francisco Giants podcast with Marko Ukalovic:

#1 The San Francisco Giants was in the top three for the NL Wild Card after losing both Saturday and Sunday to their rival Los Angeles Dodgers dropped down to 1.5 back for the last Wild Card spot.

#2 The Giants claim their not scoreboard watching but it’s hard to ignore what the New York Mets are doing. The Mets who had lost eight in a row snapped their losing skid and defeated the Texas Rangers on Sunday taking advantage of the Giants loss on Sunday moving up a half game in the NL Wild Card.

#3 The trouble for the Giants started on Saturday when starting pitcher Logan Webb was lit up for six runs and ten hits in a six run fifth inning that started the Giants slide.

#4 Sunday the Giants Robbie Ray left some pitches up and also missed some pitches going four innings allowing five runs and six hits walking four and striking out five in a 10-2 loss to the Dodgers.

#5 Giants will try and make up some ground as they continue to chase the Mets in the NL Wild Card. The Giants open up a series with the Arizona Diamondback at Chase Field. Starting pitcher for the Giants RHP Kei Wei Teng (2-4 ERA 7.54) for the Diamondbacks RHP Zach Gallen (11-14 ERA 4.84) 6:40pm PT on Monday night.

Join Marko for the Giants podcasts Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Bats Blast Reds 7-4 in Series Closer

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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. 

Ray just doesn’t have it, as Dodgers smoke Giants 10-2 to take series

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San Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin (left) gets the ball from pitcher Robbie Ray (right) as he’s relieved in the top of he fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sun Sep 14, 2025 (AP News photo)

Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025

Oracle Park

San Francisco, California

Los Angeles Dodgers 10 (84-65)

San Francisco Giants 2 (75-74)

Win: Tyler Glasnow (3-3)

Loss: Robbie Ray (11-7)

Time: 3:09

Attendance: 40,112

By Stephen Ruderman

SAN FRANCISCO–The Los Angeles Dodgers got to Robbie Ray, and smoked the San Francisco Giants 10-2 to take this pivotal series at Oracle Park

This series began in epic fashion when Patrick Bailey sent everybody home happy with a walk-off grand salami in the bottom of the tenth inning in the series opener Friday night. The Giants then jumped out to an early 4-1 lead Saturday night, but Logan Webb was unable to hold it. The Dodgers put up a big fat six-spot to open up a 9-4 lead Saturday, and won 13-7 Sunday in what was just a wild game.

The Giants were trying to take the rubber match on a beautiful fall day for baseball at Oracle Park after their rough loss Saturday night. Robbie Ray looked to be the stopper today, and he started the day nicely with a one, two, three top of the first inning. However, he would have a rough go of things against the Dodgers’ star-studded lineup afterwards.

The Dodgers opened the scoring on a sacrifice fly by Enrique Hernandez in the top of the second. The Dodgers only scored one run in that inning, but Ray really had to work, and that would prove costly as his day went along.

The Giants responded against Dodgers’ starter Tyler Glasnow in the bottom of the second, and tied the game on a sacrifice fly by Casey Schmitt. However, the Dodgers manufactured another run to retake the lead in the top of the third.

Ray pitched a scoreless top of the fourth, but things fell apart for him in the top of the fifth. Mookie Betts walked to lead off the inning, and Teoscar Hernandez singled him over to second, Freddie Freeman then hooked a double down the right field line to make it 3-1, and Ray was done.

Bob Melvin summoned his young fireballer, Joel Peguero, but things didn’t get much better. Peguero walked Tommy Edman, and then former Giant Michael Conforto hit a pinch-hit single to right-center that scored a pair.

The Dodgers led 5-1, and they still weren’t done. Well, not with scoring at least. Peguero disengaged from the rubber three times with Miguel Rojas at the plate, and since 2023, disengaging three times from the rubber with the same batter at the plate is a balk. That meant Edman scored, and the Dodgers now led 6-1. Melvin came out to raise a stink, but to no avail.

During that fifth inning, the Dodgers fans who made the trek up north made their presence felt. The bleachers only looked less like the visitor’s section at a college football game than usual today, but the amount of blue throughout the ballpark truly set the tone.

Tyler Glasnow settled down in the middle innings to retire 11-straight batters. While the Giants did not go down quietly in the later innings, they still only scored two runs.

You could say the most embarrassing part of the game came in the bottom of the ninth, after the Dodgers had already opened their lead to 10-2. Drew Gilbert hit a one-out double, but on appeal, he was called out for missing first base. The Giants challenged the call, obviously, but it was upheld.

The Dodgers indeed won 10-2.

Unfortunately, the Mets ended their eight-game losing streak on a walk-off home run by Pete Alonso to beat the Texas Rangers 5-2. That means the Giants fall to a game and a half back of the Mets for the third wild card in the National League with 13 games to go.

Well, here we are. There are just two weeks left to go in the Regular Season, and the Giants will head to Arizona to begin their final road trip of the season. They will have three against the Diamondbacks in Phoenix starting Monday night, and then they will go over to Los Angeles for four against these very Dodgers starting Thursday night.

Kai-Wei Teng (2-4, 7.54 ERA) will take the ball for the Giants in the series opener at Chase Field Sunday night. Zac Gallen (11-14, 4.84 ERA) will counter for Arizona.

Final Thoughts:

Series losses happen, especially against good teams like the Dodgers. The Giants wasted some opportunities to gain sole possession of the third wild card in the National League, as they went 3-4 during the Mets’ eight-game losing streak.

The good news is that the Mets remain in complete freefall, and have a much harder schedule than the Giants. The Giants have their four-gamer in Los Angeles next weekend, but the Mets have to host the Padres for three this week, and then they have to go to Wrigley Field to play the Cubs next week.

The Giants have 13 games left to play, and the Mets have 12. Assuming the Mets, who hold the tiebreaker against the Giants, go 6-6 in their final 12 games, which could be a stretch for them given how they’ve been playing, the Giants would have to go 9-4. It’s very doable, but we’ll just have to watch and see what crazy stuff happens as the final two weeks of the Regular Season play out.

National League Wild Card Standings:

  1. Cubs 85-64 +8.5

*2. Padres 82-68 +5.0

  1. Mets 77-73 —

GIANTS 75-74 1.5

Diamondbacks 75-75 2.0

Reds 74-75 2.5

Cardinals 73-77 5.0

San Francisco Giants podcast Stephen Ruderman: Giants just a half game out of the NL Wild Card face Dodger in series finale

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San Francisco Giants pitcher Logan Webb got lit up for six runs on ten hits by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sat Sep 13, 2025 at Oracle Park in San Francisco (AP News photo)

SF Giants podcast Stephen Ruderman:

#1 Los Angeles Dodgers Shohei Ohtani hit his 49th home run, and Teoscar Hernandez hit a two run double as the Dodgers scored six runs in the top of the fifth inning for a 13-7 win on Saturday night.

#2 The Giants Logan Webb got lit up Webb had been going well but every so often no matter how many starts you make you can get lit up.

#3 Scary moment was when the Dodgers Max Muncy was hit in the right flap by a pitch from the Giants pitcher Matt Gage in the top of the sixth. Muncy stayed in the ball game.

#4 The Dodgers made a come back after being down 4-1 and in the sixth it was for keeps. The Giants with the loss slip to a half game out behind the New York Mets, San Diego Padres, and the Chicago Cubs in the NL Wild Card.

#5 Take a look at the starting pitchers for Sunday’s contest for the Dodgers RHP Tyler Glasnow (2-3 ERA 3.21) for the Giants LHP Robbie Ray (11-6, ERA 3.32) first pitch slated at 1:05pm PT

Stephen Ruderman is a San Francisco Giants beat writer for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Giants to host Mexican team Sultanes de Monterrey for two games in March 2026

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Willy Adames of the San Francisco Giants will be celebrated by Gigantes Fiesta sponsored the Major League Baseball Hispanic Heritage Hall of Fame Museum (AP News photo)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

The San Francisco Giants, the Houston Astros, the Pittsburgh Pirates, five or six teams that are friendly towards Hispanic players. The Hispanic Heritage Hall of Fame Museum is exhibited here in San Francisco and over at the Oakland Coliseum when the A’s used to play there and the A’s always had a great connection with the Giants.

It’s great day to celebrate the Hispanic players. Celebrating guys like Roberto Clemente more than 33% of the players are Hispanic players and it’s a great day to be at the ballpark. The Museum ended up picking last year’s Hispanic player of the Year. The Giants Willy Adames has had a great season hitting .231, 28 homers, and 67 RBIs.

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

MLB The Show podcast Charlie O: Tigers Skubal to return Monday after left side tightness; Brewers first club to clinch for playoffs; plus more news

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Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal throws against Miami Marlins in the bottom of the first inning at LoanDepot Park in Maimi Fri Sep 12, 2025. Skubal was cleared to return Mon Sep 15, 2025 after suffering left side tightness. (AP News photo)

MLB The Show podcast Charlie O:

#1 Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal got some relief after he had to leave Friday’s game against the Miami Marlins. Skubal took an exam and did not suffer any structural damage after feeling tightness in his left side. Skubal was cleared to pitch in his next start on Monday.

#2 The wait is over the Milwaukee Brewers became the first big league club to clinch for the post season. When the New York Mets lost on Friday to the Texas Rangers 3-2 that got a post season spot in the bag for the Brewers. Deservedly the Brewers have the best record in the majors so they get the first invitation to the playoffs.

#3 Anthony Rizzo the former Chicago Cubs first baseman who played with that Cubs team that won the World Series a decade ago and making it the first Cubs team to win a World Series after 108 years announced his retirement at age 36. Rizzo had suffered a broken arm last season and had been contemplating retirement. Rizzo after speaking to his parents and wife says he will hang it up this season.

#4 Big moment for New York Yankee great Aaron Judge who hit his 362nd career home run against the Boston Red Sox on Friday night to over take former Yankee outfielder Joe DiMaggio and move into fourth place on the all time Yankees home run list for home runs as the Yankees win 4-1.

#5 The San Francisco Giants Patrick Bailey’s walk off grand slam home run won it 5-1 Friday night and placed them into third place in the NL Wild Card race with a win over one of the top contenders for the NL Division Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers would be the Giants opponents in a Wild Card if the season were ending today.

Join Charlie O for the MLB The Show podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kurtz’s 493-Foot Grand Slam Powers A’s Past Reds 11-5 on Hall of Fame Night

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Nick Kurtz #16 of the Athletics hits a grand slam during the bottom of the eighth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Sutter Health Park on September 13, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Scott Marshall/Getty Images)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

WEST SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento A’s and some of the Cincinnati Reds celebrated a special day at Sutter Health Park on Saturday night as the A’s inducted their Athletics Hall of Fame 2025 Class. The players inducted were Mark Mulder, Barry Zito, and Tim Hudson, alongside longtime broadcaster Monte Moore.

It was a special group honored during the sunset hour in West Sacramento, albeit after a 10-minute delay caused by fireworks tripping the stadium’s fire alarm systems. The stadium and all PA capabilities were temporarily disabled, presumably a protocol set up by the fire systems. However, once the teams took the field, it was business as usual as the A’s defeated the Reds 11-5.

Luis Severino didn’t pitch well in his Sutter Health Park return since coming back from injury and making two starts on the road. Severino went five innings for the A’s, giving up five runs on six hits while walking two Reds hitters. As has been the case much of the 2025 season, he was hit around at Sutter Health Park and has only been able to earn six wins so far this season with the Athletics.

Mark Kotsay spoke about the start after the game.

“…The attack into the zone is what we’re looking for and obviously the result wasn’t great, but he gave us five innings and kept us in the game.”

The bullpen

The bullpen, which has turned into a strength for Kotsay and his staff this season, came in and pitched lights out once again. Michael Kelly relieved Severino and tossed a scoreless sixth inning, giving up just a hit and a walk while striking out one.

Brady Basso pitched the seventh for the A’s and tossed a perfect frame, retiring the three hitters he faced without incident. Following Basso, Kotsay gave the ball to Elvis Alvarado to pitch the eighth inning. Alvarado pitched well in a scoreless inning, allowing just one hit.

The ninth inning belonged to Hogan Harris, who pitched a clean frame with the exception of a walk he stranded on the bases.

“I love talking about the success of the bullpen right now,” Kotsay said after the game. “It’s funny, Rollie Fingers was standing next to me before the ceremony started and he said, ‘Hey, I’ve got a story for you. I went into the clubhouse today and was kind of asking around, “Who’s the closer?” And they all went, “We all are!”’ That was great. That’s the mindset down there. There’s a group of guys down there that are thriving on their opportunity, prepared for it, and when they get the ball, they’re going in and having success.”

The bats

The A’s bats chased the Reds starter early after putting up five runs on four hits against flamethrower Hunter Greene.

The A’s got on the board with a Brent Rooker solo homer to left-center in the second inning, cutting the deficit to 2-1. Only three batters later, Friday night’s hero Carlos Cortes stepped up and homered of his own. On the 12th pitch of the at-bat, Cortes sent a ball 398 feet to right field to give the A’s a 3-2 lead.

The offense added on in the third inning when Jacob Wilson hit a two-RBI ground-rule double off the leg of Greene, putting the A’s up 5-2.

The bats weren’t done, continuing to pile on against the Reds bullpen. In the seventh, Wilson hit his second RBI double of the game, scoring Shea Langeliers. One inning later, Lawrence Butler drove in Darell Hernaiz with an RBI single.

Nick Kurtz capped the scoring with a booming eighth-inning grand slam that traveled an eye-popping 493 feet to dead center. Kurtz cleared the batter’s eye with his mammoth shot, sending Sacramento into a frenzy.

“I really can’t speak any more about Nick. I don’t know if there’s words that can describe that at-bat… he continues to just impress,” Kotsay said. “The impact on that baseball was one, like I’ve seen with a couple guys that showed up today and were part of that Hall of Fame ceremony, and I think you guys know who I’m talking about. Canseco and McGwire used to hit walls like that—in a different era. Nick’s not in that era.”

Severino and many of the Athletics joked about the state of their vehicles following the power display from Kurtz.

“Hopefully my car is alright. I mean, my car was parked right behind that, but hopefully it’s good,” Severino said. “It’s unbelievable. I can’t imagine anybody else going deep center field 500 feet. That’s crazy.”

“I think we’re going to have to make up a new word for what he did to that ball,” Lawrence Butler said. “That was insane. He’s done insane stuff all year. I don’t know what else he has to do to top everything he’s done this year. I mean, this is one of the greatest rookie years I’ve ever seen.”

Overall, the A’s offense put up 11 runs on 12 hits while walking seven times against the Reds pitching staff.

Fact of the Game

Lawrence Butler became the first Athletics player to have a 20-homer/20-stolen base season since fellow No. 4, Coco Crisp, did it in 2013.

Theo Derosa asked Butler after the game how it feels to be the first player since Crisp to achieve the milestone. 

“Yeah, that feels really good. That’s amazing. He wore number four. I wear number four too, so that’s pretty cool to hear that.”

Up next

The A’s will take on the Reds in the series finale Sunday at 1:05 p.m. PST at Sutter Health Park. Luis Morales (3-1, 2.73 ERA) is slated to start for the A’s against Nick Lodolo (8-7, 3.10 ERA) for the Reds.

⚡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. 

Dodgers knock out Webb early in monstrous 13-7 win

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San Francisco Giants pitcher Logan Webb, center, hands the ball over to manager Bob Melvin, left, as he exits during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vasquez)

By Lincoln Juarez

SAN FRANCISCO – The Los Angeles Dodger offense powered LA past the San Francisco Giants 13-7 to play spoiler on a night the Giants could’ve earned a playoff spot. Webb nor Kershaw had their stuff Saturday night as both offenses ruptured.

Saturday evening at Oracle Park in front of another sell-out crowd the Giants took the field, this time with a chance to pass the New York Mets in the NL Wild Card Standings and take sole possession of the final spot. 

Logan Webb (14-9, 3.12) was set to face Clayton Kershaw (10-2, 3.27) in what was supposed to be another great pitching matchup, instead we saw the opposite. 

In the top of the first, Shohei Ohtani led off the game with a groundball single just deep enough into the 5-6 hole for Adames to not even try making a throw after fielding it. Mookie Betts was next and he hit a soft ground ball back to Webb, whose only play was to first base, advancing Ohtani to scoring position. 

The Dodgers got on the board the next at-bat when Freddie Freeman singled down the left field line. Ohtani came around to score as Freddie Freeman tested his luck trying to turn his base-hit into a double. Heliot Ramos nailed Freeman at second for the second out of the inning, but only after the Dodgers took a 1-0 lead. Webb got Max Muncy to ground out to Casey Schmitt at second to end the top of the first. 

The theme of this Giants run they’ve gone on has been responding in the next half inning after the opposing team scores. Saturday night they put up four runs in the home first after trailing 1-0, two of which came before Clayton Kershaw could record an out. Adames, Chapman, Encarnacion, and Matos picked up rbi’s and all nine Giants in the order got an at-bat in the bottom of the first. 

The Dodgers opened up the top of the second with three straight singles loading the bases for Miguel Rojas. Tensions rose in the ballpark as Rojas stepped in. On the sixth pitch of the at-bat Webb got Rojas to pop one up to Casey Schmitt for the first out. The bases remained loaded for Dodger catcher Ben Rortvedt who grounded into an inning-ending 3-6-1 double play. Logan Webb pumped his fist after finishing the play at first base and keeping the momentum on their side. 

After that there wasn’t much that went the Giants’ way. The Dodgers scored two runs off of Webb on Ohtani’s 49th home run of the season and a Teoscar Hernandez rbi-double which made it 4-3 Giants. 

San Francisco bumped Clayton Kershaw out of the game after three innings. He threw 67 pitches while allowing four earned runs on five hits. Edgardo Henriquez relieved Kershaw of his duties and struck out the Giants in order in the fourth. 

Mookie Betts led off the fifth inning with a walk and Freddie Freeman followed with a single. Webb walked Max Muncy who was the last hitter he faced. 

Webb totaled 4ip, 10h, 6er, 2bb, and 5k and dropped his record to 14-10. 

Jose Butto entered with the bases loaded and nobody out. Teoscar Hernandez doubled on the fourth pitch Butto threw, scoring two to give the Dodgers a 5-4 lead. The next batter, Michael Conforto hit a sac-fly to right field, scoring Max Muncy and the Dodgers had a 6-4 lead. Later in the inning Ben Rortvedt doubled home two more and Mookie Betts singled him home to finish off a six-run fifth inning for LA. 

San Francisco scored three in the home half of the fifth but it wouldn’t be enough as the Dodgers went right back into attack mode getting those three runs back in the top of the sixth. 

Shohei Ohtani came around to score in the ninth making it 13-7 Dodgers. It was his 134th run scored of the season, matching the Dodger record he set just last season. 

13-7 was the final score Saturday night in a game where the Giants could’ve made their way into the final NL Wild Card spot. Should the Mets lose again on Sunday, the Giants could have another chance to pass them in the Wild Card standings. 

RHP Tyler Glasnow (2-3, 3.21) will face LHP Robbie Ray (11-6, 3.32) in the rubber match of this three game series at Oracle Park Sunday afternoon. 

First pitch at 1:05pm.