Los Angeles Dodgers starter Shohei Ohtani pitched six inning of shutout ball before being lifted. Dodger reilever Jack Dreyer gave up a three home to San Francisco Giants Patrick Bailey in the bottom of the seventh, (AP News photo)
San Francisco Giants podcast Stephen Ruderman:
#1 San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey belted a three run sixth inning home run after Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani left the game as the Giants went onto to defeat the Dodgers for their fourth loss in five games 3-0.
#2 Bailey’s home run was off Dodger releiver Jack Dreyer (1-1) this after Jung Hoo Lee and Heliot Ramos both got on board with singles and Drew Gilbert bunt single moved them up a base.
#3 Ohtani for the evening went six innings pitching shutout ball striking out seven left the game with the score tied 0-0. It also ended Ohtani’s on base on base streak at 53 games.
#4 Giant starter Tyler Mahle improved his record to 1-3 and struck out five hitters over seven innings and picked up his first win since becoming a Giants in January. Closer Ryan Walker closed it picking up his second save of the campaign.
#5 Starting pitchers for today’s game for Los Angeles RHP Tyler Glasnow (2-0 ERA 3.24) for San Francisco RHP Logan Webb (2-2 ERA 5.10) first pitch at 12:45pm. Stephen talk about this game three match up.
Seattle Mariners Josh Naylor front is hugged by teammate Julio Rodriguez back after celebrating Naylor’s walk off single against the Sacramento A’s at T Mobile Field on Wed Apr 22, 2026 (AP News photo)
Kurtz Cracks the Door and Seattle Slams It Shut 5-4 at T Mobile
By Mauricio Segura
The Sacramento Athletics came to Seattle riding a six-game road winning streak and sitting alone atop the American League West, and for most of Wednesday afternoon they looked ready to leave town with another gritty win. Instead, they got a reminder that baseball loves to wait until the last possible moment to break your heart dropping the third game against the Seattle Mariners 5-4 at T Mobile Field.
The A’s jumped on Logan Gilbert right away and looked sharp from the first pitch. Nick Kurtz opened the game with a walk, which fit the patient approach that has become part of his early-season identity. Shea Langeliers followed with a single, Carlos Cortes added another, and just like that the bases were crowded with trouble for Seattle.
Tyler Soderstrom lifted a sacrifice fly to center to bring home Kurtz for the game’s first run, and after Jacob Wilson flew out, Jeff McNeil lined a single to center that scored Langeliers. Julio Rodríguez misplayed the ball behind him, which allowed Carlos Cortes to move to third, and the A’s had a quick 2-0 lead before many fans had even settled into their seats.
Seattle answered in the bottom of the first, because this game had no interest in being calm. J.P. Crawford singled, Julio Rodríguez and Josh Naylor followed with base hits, and Randy Arozarena’s sacrifice fly cut the lead to 2-1. Aaron Civale managed to escape a bases-loaded jam by striking out Dominic Canzone, which felt important at the time and still did later.
The A’s stretched the lead again in the third, and Wilson was right in the middle of it. Carlos Cortes singled to start the inning, and Wilson drilled a double to left that brought him home for a 3-1 lead. Wilson has been swinging a hot bat lately, and the hit fit what the Athletics had already been seeing from him.
Wilson also entered Wednesday with a record-breaking 62-game errorless streak at shortstop, the longest ever by an Athletics shortstop, so his name was already all over the game notes before he added another extra-base hit. Nick Kurtz also came in with a walk in 11 straight games, one of the longest such streaks in franchise history, and he extended it right out of the gate. Those are not side notes anymore. They are becoming part of who these young A’s are.
Seattle kept punching back. Cal Raleigh led off the bottom of the third with his fifth home run of the season, sending a ball to right that made it 3-2. Civale then settled back down for a bit, and the A’s bullpen tried to carry the rest. Brady Basso entered in the sixth after Josh Naylor singled and Randy Arozarena popped out, but the Mariners got even when pinch-hitter Mitch Garver doubled and Rob Refsnyder lifted a sacrifice fly to center. That tied the game at 3-3 and erased the edge the Athletics had been protecting since the opening inning.
The seventh inning was where Seattle finally moved in front. Mark Leiter Jr. took over for the A’s, and Crawford singled again to set the table. Raleigh then ripped a double to right, pushing Crawford to third. Julio Rodríguez did not need a hit that time. He rolled a grounder to short, and while Wilson made the play cleanly, Crawford scored to give the Mariners their first lead at 4-3. Raleigh later stole third after a challenge overturned the original call, but Leiter escaped any further damage by striking out Naylor.
That should have been the swing that decided it. Then Kurtz showed up again.
Leading off the ninth against Andrés Muñoz, with the A’s down to their last three outs, Kurtz drove a ball to center field for a game-tying home run. It was his fourth homer of the season and the kind of shot that changes the whole mood of a dugout.
One minute the A’s were staring at a frustrating road loss, and the next they were six outs from maybe stealing another one-run game. That would have fit their season so far. The Athletics had already shown during this stretch that they were comfortable living close to the edge.
But the bottom of the ninth belonged to Seattle. Leo Rivas opened with a single. Crawford then grounded into a double play, which looked enormous. Two outs, bases empty, tie game. Then Raleigh singled. Rodríguez singled. Naylor lined another single to left, and Raleigh scored the winner. Just like that, Seattle had a 5-4 walk-off win, and the A’s were left staring at a game they nearly stole twice and still could not finish.
It was a bruising kind of loss because the Athletics did a lot right. They scored first. Wilson delivered again. Cortes kept hitting. Kurtz worked a walk and blasted the tying homer in the ninth. But this one turned on timing, not talent. The Mariners got the last swing, and the A’s left Seattle with a lesson that every contender learns sooner or later: being tough is not always enough when the other team gets the final word.
The A’s move onto Texas to face the Rangers at Globe Life Field in Arlington on Fri Apr 24, 2026. The A’s have Thu Apr 23, 2026 off it’s the A’s first day off in 16 days. Starting pitcher for Sacramento RHP Luis Severino (0-2 ERA 6.20) Texas has 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.
San Francisco Giants’ Matt Chapman hits a single during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Wednesday, April 22, 2026 in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
By Ryan Hannagan
SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers faced off in Game 2 of a three-game set at Oracle Park, with the Giants coming off a 3-1 win in a pitchers’ duel the night before. At 10-13, the Giants were looking to keep building toward a better record, having won four of their last five. It turned into another pitchers’ battle, this time between Tyler Mahle and Shohei Ohtani and the Giants prevented Los Angeles from any scoring coming away with a 3-0 shutout on Wednesday night.
Los Angeles threatened early in the first, putting runners on the corners after a bloop single from Freddie Freeman, but couldn’t push a run across. San Francisco created some traffic of its own in the bottom half with hits from Luis Arraez and Rafael Devers, but Ohtani struck out the side to keep the game scoreless. From there, both starters settled in. Mahle worked a clean second inning and matched Ohtani’s rhythm, as both teams went quietly through the second and third innings with back-to-back three up, three down frames.
The Dodgers applied pressure again in the fourth, putting runners in scoring position, but the Giants’ defense came through in a sequence that included a rundown finished by catcher Patrick Bailey to keep the game tied. Ohtani continued to deal on the other side, cruising through the middle innings and holding San Francisco hitless for a stretch while piling up strikeouts. The Giants’ best chance against him came in the sixth when Devers doubled and Matt Chapman reached, putting two runners in scoring position, but Ohtani worked out of it to preserve the scoreless tie.
Mahle matched him every step of the way. The right-hander, who entered the night 0-3 with a 7.23 ERA, was in complete control, keeping the Dodgers off balance and working efficiently through seven shutout innings. He allowed just three hits and struck out five, putting together his strongest outing of the season and giving the Giants exactly what they needed in a tight game.
The breakthrough finally came in the seventh, and it came quickly once Ohtani exited. After a pair of singles and a sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third, Bailey jumped on a 1-2 pitch from reliever Jack Dreyer and sent it out for a no-doubt three-run home run, breaking the scoreless tie and giving the Giants a 3-0 lead.
From there, the bullpen took over. Caleb Kilian handled the eighth inning cleanly, and Ryan Walker closed it out in the ninth to secure the win. The Dodgers threatened late with a walk in the ninth, but couldn’t generate any real offense as the Giants locked down the shutout.
With the 3-0 win, the Giants secured the series and picked up their first series victory over the Dodgers since June 28-30, 2024, at Oracle Park. Mahle not only earned his first win with San Francisco, but also played a key role in ending Ohtani’s 53-game on-base streak, the longest in MLB since Shawn Green in 2000. He also became the first Giants pitcher since Sean Manaea in September 2023 to throw at least seven shutout innings against the Dodgers.
Ohtani was sharp as well, going six scoreless innings with seven strikeouts, no walks and five hits allowed, lowering his ERA to 0.38 through four starts.
The Giants will look for the sweep Thursday with a 12:45 p.m. first pitch. Starters for the Thursday matinee for the Dodgers RHP Tyler Glasnow (2-0 ERA 3.24) for the Giants RHP Logan Webb (2-2 ERA 5.40).
Sacramento A’s starter Luis Sevrino faces the Texas Rangers Fri Apr 24, 2026 at Globe Life Park in Arlington (AP file photo)
Sacramento A’s podcast Jeremiah Salmonson:
#1 Seattle Mariners Josh Taylor hit a walk off single that helped the M’s defeat the Sacarmento A’s 5-4 Wednesday night at T Mobile Field.
#2 The win helps the M’s avoid a three game sweep by the A’s but it show how much the A’s are fighting and come back to try and win games.
#3 The loss ends the A’s seven game road win streak but a remarkable run and one of the key reasons why the A’s are in first place.
#4 No matter how tough a game is for the A’s you can always count on Nick Kurtz who hit a top of the ninth inning home run off M’s releiver Andres Munoz for a 438 foot home run to center field it was Kurtz’ fourth home run this season.
#5 The A’s have Thursday off but will open up a three game series against the Texas Rangers in Arlington. Starting for the A’s Luis Severino (0-2 ERA 6.20) the Rangers have not announced a starter yet.
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.
Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell stands for the national anthem on opening day Thu Mar 26, 2026 against the Washington Nationals at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Counsell is questioning why the Los Angeles Dodgers are allowed to have one pitcher over the MLB maxium of 13 pitchers giving LA 14 (AP photo)
That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:
#1 With strikeout rates still high across Major League Baseball, are recent rule changes (like the pitch clock and shift ban) actually improving offensive production, or do pitchers still have the upper hand?
#2 Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell finds it strange that the Los Angeles Dodgers are allowed to carry 14 pitchers while the MLB maximum for pitchers on a roster is 13. The Dodgers use Shohei Ohtani as a pitcher and a designated hitter on his off days from pitching so it would seem Ohtani is not counted as being on the pitching staff. The underlying talk has been the Dodgers are an exception because Ohtani is a cash cow and huge draw for baseball so MLB looks the other way on the 13 maxium pitchers on a roster rule.
#3 With the Sacramento A’s recent success especially against some competive teams and recent series wins against a four game 2-2 split with Texas, winning two out of three with Chciago White Sox and taking the first of a three game series from the always tough Seattle Mariners and are first place in the AL West can this A’s team compete this season.
#4 The Mets continue to struggle losing their 12th straight game to the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night. Francisco Lindor defened his manager Carlos Mendoza saying he’s not the problem the team just isn’t putting it together. The players like Lindor are standing up for Mendoza.
#5 Young Stars Taking Over Players like Elly De La Cruz and Gunnar Henderson are becoming faces of the league—how important is youth movement to maintaining fan interest and growing the sport globally?
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.
LaTerraza Mexican Restaurant 1027 2nd Street in Old Sacramento give them a call at 916-440-0874
From the second you step in the front door, the sounds of Latin America will gently seduce your ears and continue as you relax outdoors with your favorite cocktail enjoying the view. The wonderful flavors and aromas of our cuisine will not disappoint.
We use only the finest, freshest, local ingredients in every dish and every dish is prepared to order. Enjoy live mariachi music weekly and on special occasions, catch balet folklorico dance performances among other live entertainment. Come visit us and have a great time! Enjoy fast, friendly service, fantastic food & cocktails, music and allow us to share our beautiful Mexican heritage with you.
LaTerraza Mexican Restaurant at 1027 2nd Street in Old Sacramento give them a call at 916-440-0874.
Apr 21 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Athletics right fielder Lawrence Butler (4) steals a base before Seattle Mariners second baseman Cole Young (2) can receive a throw during the fifth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
By Mauricio Segura
The Sacramento Athletics did not need a wild comeback this time. They built this win piece by piece, and walked out of T-Mobile Park with a 5-2 score over the Mariners Tuesday. Nick Kurtz set the tone right away when he opened the game with a walk, stole second, and came home on Tyler Soderstrom’s line-drive double to right.
Kurtz kept doing what he has been doing so often this season, getting on base and creating pressure before Seattle could settle in. The Mariners answered in the third on Josh Naylor’s sacrifice fly, but the Athletics never looked rattled and kept a steady pressure throughout the entire nine innings.
That calm mattered, especially for Jacob Lopez. He worked 5.1 innings, allowed two runs, and kept the game from tilting after a few traffic-filled moments. He gave up singles, issued a pair of walks in the first, and watched Cal Raleigh tie the game at 2-2 with a solo shot in the fifth, but he never let the inning that ruins everything arrive. Instead of drowning in Seattle trouble, he kept the A’s close enough for their lineup to keep swinging.
The middle innings belonged to Jeff McNeil and Jacob Wilson. McNeil broke a 1-1 tie in the fourth with his first home run of the season, a drive to right-center that gave Sacramento a brief edge. After Raleigh answered in the fifth, the Green and Gold came right back in the sixth against Seattle’s bullpen. Soderstrom ripped his second double of the game, then Wilson punched a run-scoring double to left to make it 3-2. His hit pushed the Athletics back in front for good.
Then came Shea Langeliers going deep, again, because of course he did. Langeliers has been one of the Athletics’ most dangerous hitters, and in the seventh he punished a mistake by driving a solo homer to center. It was a clean, no-doubt kind of swing that sent the ball to the centerfield bleachers.
Suddenly it was 4-2, and Seattle was back to chasing. Carlos Cortes followed with a double, giving the Athletics yet another extra-base hit, and even though they did not cash that one in, the inning still made the point. This lineup was not living on one lucky bounce. McNeil homered. Langeliers homered. Soderstrom doubled twice. Wilson kept finding holes. The Athletics kept making Seattle pitch under stress.
The bullpen finished the job with very little drama. Scott Barlow handled the bridge work after Lopez exited and got four important outs. Hogan Harris stepped in with two men on in the seventh and got Naylor on a grounder to kill the threat.
Then Jack Perkins took the last six outs and never blinked. By the time the ninth inning arrived, the Athletics were ready to put a bow on it. Kurtz singled, Langeliers singled, Cortes moved both runners with a grounder, and after Seattle chose to intentionally walk Soderstrom, Wilson lined a single to center to score Kurtz and stretch the lead to 5-2.
For a team that came into this series carrying momentum and trying to stay near the top of the division, this was a strong kind of win. Not flashy. Not chaotic. Just good baseball. The Athletics got on base early, hit for power in the middle, played clean defense, and got the exact outs they needed from the mound. Seattle tied it twice, but the Athletics answered every time and then shut the door like a veteran team that had no interest in making the night any longer than necessary.
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.
Photo: Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee rips an RBI single against Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the first inning of a game on April 21, 2026. Photo by Jay Choi/SF Bay News Lab.
By Vince Cestone
SAN FRANCISCO — The Los Angeles Dodgers–the heavy favorites to win the NL West, coming into San Francisco at 16-6–they’re going to beat the lowly 9-13 San Francisco Giants, right?
Not so fast, as the Giants surrendered just one run and had just enough offense to beat the powerful Dodgers 3-1. The Dodgers had come into the game averaging six runs per game to start the season, but starting pitcher Landon Roupp and the bullpen held the Dodgers to just three hits in the game.
The Giants’ offense started hot right from the get-go. Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto surrendered three runs to the Giants in the very first inning. After Willy Adames started the game with a ground ball to the shortstop Hyeseong Kim, Kim airmailed the ball into the dugout, putting Adames at second with nobody out. Adames was given an infield hit on the play, advancing to second on the throwing error.
After the next batter Luis Arraez singled and then Matt Chapman walked, Rafael Devers poked a single into right-center field to give the Giants a 1-0 lead. Casey Schmitt followed with a sacrifice fly to shallow left-center field, where outfielders Alex Call and Teoscar Hernandez collided, allowing Arraez to score. Jung Hoo Lee then singled home Chapman, to give the Giants a 3-0 lead, which would prove to be more than enough to give the Giants the win.
Despite walking four batters in the fourth inning, Roupp pitched out of trouble when Alex Call hit into a 5-4-3 double pay with the bases loaded and one out. The only run the Dodgers scored in the game was a walk by Kim. Roupp ended the night going five innings, giving up just one run on one hit but escaped through five walks. He struck out seven batters.
The Giants bullpen took it from there pitching four scoreless innings. Reliever Ryan Walker, who blew a save against the Washington Nationals on Saturday, shut the door with a 1-2-3 ninth inning. Walker had two strikeouts.
Shohei Ohtani, who went 1-for-4 in the game with two strikeouts, was left on deck as the potential tying run. Ohtani has now reached base 53 straight games, tying him for the longest streak in Los Angeles Dodgers history. Former Dodger Shawn Green had the previous 53-game streak.
Unfortunately for the Giants, outfielder Jung Hoo Lee got injured in the sixth inning when he tried to score from first on a base hit by Heliot Ramos. Lee appeared to try to take advantage of a slow relay from the Dodgers defense, but he was thrown out by plenty at home. Jerar Encarnacion replaced Lee in right field in the top of the eighth inning. The Giants have not yet said what his injury was.
Up next, the Giants will try to win the series against the Dodgers on Wednesday night. Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani (2-0, 0.50 ERA) will oppose Tyler Mahle (0-3, 7.23 ERA) at 6:45 p.m. at Oracle Park.
The Giants are now 10-13, and a series win against their heated rival would do wonders for their confidence as they try to climb over .500.
New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza walks in the dugout before the Mets meeting with the Chicago Cubs on Sun Apr 19, 2026 at Wrigley Field in Chicago (AP News photo)
MLB The Show podcast Lincoln Juarez:
#1 What factors have contributed to the New York Mets’ 12-game losing streak, and what changes might be necessary to turn their season around?
#2 How could the inconsistency of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ bullpen impact their chances of competing in a tight NL Central race this season?
#3 What are the potential economic and competitive implications of the Kansas City Royals’ proposed $1.9 billion ballpark project and public funding approval?
#4 Which standout individual performances from April 20 (such as multi-home run games or breakout hitting performances) could signal emerging stars or lineup changes?
#5 How might key pitching matchups and scheduled games (like Yankees vs. Red Sox or Dodgers vs. Giants) shape early-season momentum for contending teams?
LaTerraza Mexican Restaurant 1027 2nd Street in Old Sacramento give them a call at 916-440-0874
From the second you step in the front door, the sounds of Latin America will gently seduce your ears and continue as you relax outdoors with your favorite cocktail enjoying the view. The wonderful flavors and aromas of our cuisine will not disappoint.
We use only the finest, freshest, local ingredients in every dish and every dish is prepared to order. Enjoy live mariachi music weekly and on special occasions, catch balet folklorico dance performances among other live entertainment. Come visit us and have a great time! Enjoy fast, friendly service, fantastic food & cocktails, music and allow us to share our beautiful Mexican heritage with you.
LaTerraza Mexican Restaurant at 1027 2nd Street in Old Sacramento give them a call at 916-440-0874.
Sacramento A’s shortstop Jacob Wilson (right) jumps for joy in front of A’s first baseman Nick Kurtz (16) after Sacramento defeats the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Field in Seattle on Mon Apr 20, 2026 (AP News photo)
Sacramento A’s podcast Mauricio Segura:
#1 Sacramento A’s Carlos Cortes Nick Kurtz, and Shea Langeliers all stepped up to the plate and hit solo home runs against the Seattle Mariners to come back three runs down at T Mobile Field in Seattle to win it 6-4 on Monday night.
#2 Cortes went four for five, slugging a fourth inning home run as the A’s worked to catch up with the M’s. Do you see Cortes developing into that key hitter in the A’s lineup.
#3 The A’s got back to back home runs from Kurtz and Langeliers and that forced a 3-3 tie and it shows why this team is getting clutch hitting and why their in first place in the AL West.
#4 The A’s Max Muncy in the top of the eighth hit a bases loaded sacrifice fly with no one out and that put the A’s in front and for insurance runs Lawrence Butler hit a two run base hit to put the A’s in front 6-3.
#5 The A’s and M’s continue this AL West Divisional battle Tuesday night at T Mobile starting for Sacramento LHP Jacob Lopez (1-1 ERA 6.38) for Seattle RHP Luis Castillo (0-1 ERA 5.40) first pitch 6:40PM PDT.
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 Tyler Soderstrom (21) greets teammate Lawrence Butler (left) after scoring on a Max Muncy sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth inning at T Mobile Field in Seattle on Mon Apr 20, 2026 (AP News photo)
Sacramento A’s game wrap: Athletics Silence Mariners 6-4 with Back to Back Space Needle Shots
By Mauricio Segura
The Sacramento A’s got a couple rocket shot home runs to beat the Seattle Mariners 6-4 Monday night. The Athletics spent the first few innings looking like a team dragging an old problem back onto the field with them. They came into Seattle having scored just one first-inning run all season, and T-Mobile Park wasted no time reminding them how ugly that trend can look.
Cal Raleigh launched a first-inning homer to left-center, Julio Rodríguez swiped second after a single, and Josh Naylor lined a run-scoring double to right to put the Mariners up 2-0 before the A’s had much of a chance to breathe. When Dominic Canzone opened the second with a home run to right-center, Seattle had a 3-0 lead, Emerson Hancock was in rhythm, and the game had the feel of one that could drift away in a hurry.
Instead, the Green and Gold hung around and flipped the game like a Sunday morning flap jack.
J.T. Ginn did not have a smooth beginning, but he did something that matters just as much on nights like this: he stopped the bleeding. After the Mariners tagged him for three early runs, the right-hander settled himself and gave the Athletics room to fight back. He worked around a double by Naylor in the third, stranded Canzone at third in the fourth, and rolled through a clean fifth before striking out Randy Arozarena to begin the sixth. It was not dominance, but it was toughness, and those are not the same thing. Ginn kept the game from turning into a Seattle parade.
The Athletics lineup, meanwhile, took a while to find the right wrench to unlock Hancock. Carlos Cortes finally cracked the silence in the fourth, driving a solo homer to right to cut the deficit to 3-1. It was a needed jolt for an offense that had spent the first three innings getting very little done besides a first-inning single from Cortes and a second-inning knock from Jacob Wilson. Even when the Athletics did scratch out a bit of traffic, Seattle had an answer. Hancock erased Lawrence Butler with a pickoff at second in the fifth after Butler had singled and stolen a base, which felt like the sort of play that can bury a rally and a mood all at once.
In the sixth, the whole game changed on back-to-back swings resulting in the A’s once again taking the top spot on the AL West Standings.
Nick Kurtz led off the inning by hammering a game-changing homer to center. One batter later, Shea Langeliers followed him with another shot to center, and just like that a 3-0 Seattle lead had vanished into the Northwest night.
Baseball can spend five innings pretending it is a quiet, methodical game, and then in two pitches it turns into fireworks. Kurtz’s blast fit the shape of the player he has been all month. He came into the night on a ten-game walk streak and with the most walks in the majors, and he added to the pressure all evening, later drawing another free pass in the seventh. Langeliers, whose bat has been one of the Athletics’ most reliable weapons dating back to last season’s second half, did what dangerous hitters do when a pitcher leaves even a little room for error. He punished it.
From there, the game became a bullpen and timing contest, and the Athletics finally won both. Hogan Harris, who entered the night with a spotless road ERA, took over after Ginn and handled the middle innings with authority. He struck out Rob Refsnyder to end the sixth, blew through the seventh, and helped hand the late innings to Mark Leiter Jr. with the game still tied. Leiter then walked a tightrope in the eighth after Rodríguez and Naylor put pressure on the defense, but he struck out Arozarena and got Refsnyder to fly out, preserving a lead that had only just been built.
That lead arrived in the top of the eighth, and it arrived with force. Tyler Soderstrom started the inning by ripping a double to left. Wilson followed with a single to right, continuing his strong work against Seattle, and Jeff McNeil worked a walk to load the bases with nobody out.
Max Muncy lifted a sacrifice fly to right to bring home Soderstrom and push the Athletics in front 4-3. That alone would have been enough to change the inning. Butler made sure it became something bigger. He shot a sharp single to right, scoring both Wilson and McNeil, and the Athletics suddenly had the kind of breathing room that had looked impossible two innings earlier. Butler later got picked off again, which was not exactly a textbook night on the bases, but by then the damage he had done with the bat was the bigger story.
Seattle made one last push in the ninth when Cole Young singled and Leo Rivas doubled him home, trimming the lead to 6-4. But Joel Kuhnel closed the door from there, getting J.P. Crawford to pop out and Raleigh to fly out to right to end it.
That final out wrapped up a win that felt bigger than one April game. The Athletics came in off a shaky homestand, facing a Mariners club that has given them headaches for years, and spent the first two innings looking ready to add one more to the pile. Instead, they answered with poise, power, and one loud eighth inning that turned a flat night into a sharp one.
The A’s and M’s continue this AL West Divisional battle Tuesday night at T Mobile starting for Sacramento LHP Jacob Lopez (1-1 ERA 6.38) for Seattle RHP Luis Castillo (0-1 ERA 5.40) first pitch 6:40PM PDT.
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.
Sports Radio Service 