Tag: mlb

Late Rally Falls Short as A’s Bow to Brewers 5-3

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Sacramento A’s pitcher JT Ginn delivers to the Milwaukee Brewers in the bottom of the first inning at American Family Park in Milwaukee on Fri Apr 18, 2025 (AP News photo)

Late Rally Falls Short as A’s Bow to Brewers 5-3

By Mauricio Segura

The Sacramento Athletics’ recent hot streak cooled on Friday evening, as they dropped the opening game of their weekend series against the Milwaukee Brewers by a score of 5-3 at American Family Field. Despite a late-inning push, the green and gold couldn’t overcome an early Brewers lead fueled by timely hits and solid pitching.

Brewers starter Freddy Peralta kept the A’s lineup quiet early, striking out six through five innings and scattering seven hits. His effort limited the Athletics’ damage to just one run during his tenure on the mound. Peralta improved to 2-1 with a tidy 2.31 ERA.

Meanwhile, the Athletics’ J.T. Ginn, fresh off a winning performance against the Mets last weekend, found tougher sledding against Milwaukee’s lineup. Ginn surrendered three runs on five hits and two walks through 4 2/3 innings. Christian Yelich proved to be Ginn’s toughest challenge, driving in two runs including a key RBI single in the third inning that contributed to the early Brewers advantage.

Milwaukee jumped ahead in the third when rookie Caleb Durbin recorded his first Major League hit, later scoring on Jackson Chourio’s double. Yelich’s subsequent RBI single made it 2-0. In the fifth, Yelich added his second RBI single of the game, stretching Milwaukee’s lead to 3-0 and chasing Ginn from the game.

The A’s offense, which had powered through Chicago earlier this week with nine extra-base hits in a single game, struggled to replicate that magic against Milwaukee pitching. Oakland’s batters could only muster scattered singles through most of the contest. Tyler Soderstrom, who entered leading the Majors in home runs with nine, managed two singles but couldn’t deliver the powerful swing he’s become known for this season.

Gio Urshela finally put the A’s on the board in the sixth, driving in JJ Bleday on a fielder’s choice. But Milwaukee quickly answered back with two more runs in the seventh, capitalizing on fielding errors and timely hits to push their advantage to 5-1.

Down but not out, the A’s fought back in the ninth. Brent Rooker, who had an impressive series against the White Sox going 6-for-13, doubled to score Max Muncy, and Tyler Soderstrom added a sacrifice fly to narrow the deficit to 5-3. With the tying run at the plate, Milwaukee’s Trevor Megill struck out Shea Langeliers, extinguishing Oakland’s comeback hopes and securing the Brewers’ victory.

Despite the setback, there were positive notes for Oakland. Lawrence Butler extended his hitting streak to four games and continues to impress with his recent performances. Miguel Andujar had a strong night at the plate, collecting three singles.

With this loss, Oakland’s record slips slightly to 9-11, while Milwaukee moves to 11-9. The A’s will look to bounce back Saturday with Luis Severino (0-3 ERA 4.01), seeking his first win of the season, facing Chad Patrick (1-0 ERA 1.76) at 4:10 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.

Sacramento A’s podcast Jeremiah Salmonson: Swinging A’s stay hot on road trip sweep Sox in Chi-Town

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Sacramento A’s Brent Rooker (25) congratulates Tyler Soderstrom (21) who hit his Major League leading ninth home run in the top of the seventh inning against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field in Chicago on Thu Apr 17, 2025 (AP News photo)

Sacramento A’s podcast Jeremiah Salmonson:

#1 A combination of four pitchers for the Sacramento A’s did in the Chicago White Sox in by shutting them out 8-0 at Rate Field on the South Side of Chicago Thursday. JP Sears started it off by pitching six innings, three hits, no runs and two strike outs.

#2 A’s manager Mark Kotsay used three pitchers to help combine for the shutout over the Sox, after Sears left he was relieved by Noah Murdock who went 1.2 innings, with one hit and two strikeouts, middle reliever TJ McFarland pitched one third of an inning no runs, no walks and no strikeouts, and Jason Alexander mopped up going one inning with two strikeouts.

#3 The White Sox didn’t even put up a threat with only four hits. The A’s had runners circling the bases all afternoon with one run in the fifth, two in the sixth, one in the seventh, and three in the ninth.

#4 In the series the A’s won game one by a lopsided score on Tuesday 12-3, on Wednesday a little close but a win for Sacramento 3-1, and Thursday afternoon no mercy in the 8-0 shutout for the A’s.

#5 The A’s go into Milwaukee with confidence after a sweep in Chicago. The Milwaukee Brewers are second place in the NL Central and are 7-3 at American Family Park. The Brewers have won six of their ten games. The A’s have the second best road record at 7-3 in baseball behind the San Francisco Giants who are 9-3 away.

Join Jeremiah for the A’s podcasts Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants Fall To Philadelphia 6-4 Ending In a Tie Series

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By Barbara Mason

The San Francisco Giants fell behind in the first inning 5-1 and never recovered losing to the Philadelphia Phillies 6-4 tying up their four game series at 2 apiece. Matt Chapman and Tyler Fitzgerald both had home runs, Chapman a 2-run homer and Fitzgerald a solo shot. The Phillies only had one more run in the eighth inning but it was enough for the win. Philly pitcher Christopher Sanchez was a huge part of this win striking out 12 in 7 innings in a brilliant appearance on the mound. He allowed four hits and 2 earned runs.

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Thursday afternoon the San Francisco Giants (13-6) took on the Phillies (11-8) in game four of their series looking to head off to their next series in Los Angeles Friday night in a more favorable climate and most importantly with a series win under their belt. After miserable conditions in the first three games of this series, the weather cooperated as game-time approached. The high today was forecast to be 62 degrees. Jordan Hicks took the mound for San Francisco looking to commandeer the game and take the series. The Phillies will start Christopher Sanchez in the final game of this series.

The Giant got on the board in the first inning. Matt Chapman singled Heliot Ramos home for an early 1-0 lead but the Giants would not score again until the sixth inning. Philadelphia had a very productive first inning taking a 5-1 lead. This was a great way for the Phillies to start the game however it was very early in the game with a lot of baseball still to be played. Their first five batters reached base on 4 singles and a walk. The Phillies could not have asked for a better start to the game. Kyle Schwarber had a 2-run single, Nick Castellanos had an rbi single and San Francisco pitcher Jordan Hicks threw a run-scoring wild pitch. Alec Bohm finished off the inning with a RBI triple.

It was a rough outing for Jordan Hicks who pitched through seven innings allowing 5 runs, 6 hits and four walks. After that opening inning Hicks calmed down and held Philadelphia scoreless until the eighth inning where they added one more run. Erik Miller had relieved Hicks in the eighth and allowed that additional run.

The Giants Matt Chapman hit a 2-run home run in the sixth inning and the Giants were within 2 runs of a tie game. The Phillies fought right back scoring a run in the eighth extending their lead to 6-3. They held on in the ninth inning allowing one San Francisco run winning the game by the score of 6-4 and leveling the four-game series.

Next up for the Giants will be a three-game series that gets underway tomorrow night in Los Angeles. They will take on the 9-8 Angels at Angel Stadium. Probable pitchers for the game will be Logan Webb for the Giants and Tyler Anderson for the Angels. The Giants will face Angels home run (6 home runs) leader Mike Trout. The Giants Wilmer Flores also has 6 home runs to his credit so far this season and he is always a threat when he comes to the plate. First pitch for this game is scheduled for 6:38 PM.

MLB podcast Michael Duca Thu Apr 17, 2025: Pirates Skenes will he have another Cy Young type season?; Braves Strider returns after missing last season; plus more news

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Pittsburgh Pirates Paul Skenes (30) pitches to the Washington Nationals in the first inning on Mon Apr 14, 2025 in Pittsburgh (AP News photo)

MLB podcast Michael Duca Thu Apr 17, 2025

#1 There is a lot of talk about the Pittsburgh Pirates Paul Skenes who is now considered an All Star. During the 2024 season Skenes had himself a season going 11-3 ERA 1.96 and so far this season is 2-1 ERA 2.96. Skenes says that he does focus when he gets some quite time and that brings him out on the field to make those starts. Can you talk about his skill as a pitcher and can he repeat the kind of season he had last year?

#2  Atlanta Braves right handed pitcher Spencer Strider faced the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday and threw five plus innings allowed two runs, struck out five, walked one and hit one batter in an 3-1 loss and it was Strider’s first appearance since he had surgery to repair an ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.

#3 Veteran umpire Hunter Wendelstedt who was working first base took a line drive that hit him in the face. Wendelstedt the son of former umpire Harry Wendelstedt hit the ground after being hit off the bat by New York Mets center fieldr Tyrone Taylor in the seventh inning. Taylor and Minnesota Twins pitcher Louis Varland reacted in shock after seeing the ball hit Wendelstedt.

#4 The Chicago White Sox who got lit up by the Sacramento A’s 12-3 on Tuesday night at Rate Field designated right hand pitcher Mike Clevenger for assignment on Wednesday. Clevenger allowed three runs in the top of the ninth inning in Tuesday’s game. He had been struggling with an 0-2 record and an ERA of 7.94 in five appearances so far this year. He was 9-14 in 28 starts and eight relief appearances for the Sox.

#5 Miguel, finally talk about the job that San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee has been doing he’s hitting .333, 21 hits, 3 home runs, and 12 RBIs. He’s played some outstanding defense and went two for three with two hits and two runs scored in his last game on Wednesday night in Philadelphia.

Join Michael Duca for the MLB podcast Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips: Giants looking to sweep four game series against Phils at Citizens Bank

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San Francisco Giants Heliot Ramos (front) and Jung Hoo Lee (back) share congratulations with teammates following Wed Apr 16, 2025 win over the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Ballpark (AP News photo)

On the San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris:

#1 San Francisco Giants Jung Hoo Lee hit for single, double, and had two RBIs as the San Francisco Giants clobbered the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Ballpark 11-4. Little doubt that Jung Hoo has been a big contributor.

#2 San Francisco continues to roll they are now 13-5 and picked up their third win in this current four game series.

#3 The Giants got RBI help from Mike Yastrzemski, Wilmer Flores, and Patrick Bailey each hit for two RBIs. They’re getting the hitting production.

#4 Phillies starter Aaron Nola got lit up and his record dropped to 0-4, he surrendered six earned runs and nine hits he was no mystery to the Giants.

#5 The Giants move onto game four of the series and will start Jordan Hicks (1-1 ERA 5.87) starting for the Phillies Christopher Sanchez (1-0, ERA 3.12) first pitch 1:05pm PDT. Morris how do you like the Giants chances at sweeping four games it’s one of the more difficult things to do in the Majors.

Morris Phillips does the Giants podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary:A’s not selling out a 14,014-seat park?

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Sutter Health Park on Apr 4, 2024 the day the Sacramento A’s announced they will play all their home games in Sacramento at a press conference. The A’s have hosted two homestands into the 2025 season and have won two out nine home games so far. (AP News file photo)

A’s not selling out a 14,000-seat park?

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Although A’s players will not speak about it publicly, I am sure they will be pleased when they go on the road. It is not good business for any team not to sell out home games than when they play on the road, especially in a 14,014 capacity park, in Sacramento. MLB’s gate revenue (ticket sales) is typically split roughly 95-5 between the home and visiting teams.

The home team keeps approximately 95% of the gate, while the visiting team receives approximately 5%. So this could be terrible revenue news for the Athletics, win or lose, because when you go on the road to play, even if you win the game, you never win in money/ticket sales, that is ‘to be expected’, but at home?

Throughout decades in this business, I have learned that players usually like to win at home, where they get the most respect from fans and the best following, where generally more people come to see you play. It is only normal, this is your home park, you sleep on the same bed for 81 games, home cooking most of the time.

But not for the ATH playing at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, at least not this 2025 season. However, the A’s will not be embarrassed this year for having the lowest attendance in baseball. Why is that? Because the Tampa Bay Rays are playing this 2025 season at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, their temporary home while Tropicana Field in St Petersburg is under repair from damage during Hurricane Milton, their capacity is only 11,026.

By the way, Steinbrenner Field is the spring training home of the New York Yankees. My good friend and Spanish broadcaster for the Tampa Bay Rays, tells me that although a small park is kept in “beautiful condition”, in his words.

Rare situation: While it is not the first time an MLB team has played in a minor league park, it’s unusual for two major league teams to do so simultaneously this season, for different circumstances. One is a temporary relocation, the other an act of God.

So, why are the A’s not selling at home regularly? There are many factors. It is a new city(never been a Major League town) with a smaller population and a much smaller park than Oakland. The A’s are not a team favorite to win anything this year. They share the field with the Triple-A Sacramento Rivercats.

What is already happening is embarrassing. More people attending the A’s game in Sacramento are rooting for the visiting team, which is not “normal” in baseball. It did happened in Oakland during the last few years, but ‘let’s face it’ when you play in a 14,014-seat stadium and 10,000 are rooting for the Cub and not the A’s, the Giants and not the A’s, the Yankees and not the A’s and so on during the whole season and that in any language is Embarrassing. The A’s are the most toxic franchise today in all sports, so this should not surprise anybody.

Such is the story for the 2025 A’s/ATH in Sacramento, originally one of eight franchises that founded the American League in 1901. The United States Steel Co. was created the same year, becoming the first billion-dollar corporation.

1901 Trivia: Nap Lajoie of the Philadelphia Athletics achieved the highest batting average in a single season, a record still standing today, a .426 batting average. He also became the first American League player to win the Triple Crown, leading in batting average, home runs, and RBIs.

FAMILY FUN THIS SUMMER – MAY TO SEPT  –   AQUA ADVENTURE WATER PARK @ 40500 PASEO PADRE BLVD, FREMONT  (880 S./ Stevenson Blvd E)

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.

Sacramento A’s game recap: Gio’s Triple the Difference as the Green and Gold Stay Hot in Chicago and upend Pale Hose 3-1

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Sacramento A’s Gio Urshela swings for a two RBI triple in the top of the sixth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field in Chicago on Wed Apr 16, 2025 (AP News photo)

Gio’s Triple the Difference as the Green and Gold Stay Hot in Chicago

By Mauricio Segura

It took one jolt from the Sacramento A’s Gio Urshela to tilt the scales, and that was all the A’s needed.

On a chilly Wednesday night at Rate Field, the green and gold edged past the Chicago White Sox 3-1 in a tight and scrappy contest, fueled by timely hitting, gutsy pitching, and a bullpen that continues to lock things down late. Urshela’s two-run triple in the sixth was the game-winner, erasing an early 1-0 deficit and sealing the A’s second straight win to open the three-game series.

The early part of the night belonged to the pitchers. Osvaldo Bido, making his fourth start of the season, gave the A’s five innings of one-run ball. His only blemish came in the third inning, when Brooks Baldwin jumped on a pitch and sent it over the right field wall for a solo shot. But Bido, who entered the game with a 3.00 ERA and had yet to allow a home run in 2025, kept things from unraveling. He stranded two runners later that inning and finished with a solid line: five innings, six hits, one earned run, and no walks.

That composure on the mound bought the offense just enough time.

After going quiet through the first five frames against White Sox rookie Jonathan Cannon, the A’s came alive in the sixth. Tyler Soderstrom, who leads the majors in home runs, kicked things off with a single. JJ Bleday followed with a game-tying RBI single, then came Urshela’s moment, a sharp liner into the right field corner that brought home two and gave the A’s a 3-1 lead they would never relinquish.

Urshela, who had struggled early in the season, now has hits in five of his last six games and is showing signs of the veteran presence the A’s hoped for when they brought him aboard this offseason.

Lawrence Butler added to his steady stretch with two hits and two stolen bases, bringing his season total to four. He’s now reached base safely in 13 of the A’s 14 games he’s started, and his late-inning speed proved critical in applying pressure on the Sox bullpen.

And once again, the A’s bullpen did not blink.

T.J. McFarland, José Leclerc, and Tyler Ferguson tag-teamed to cover innings six through eight. Ferguson, in particular, impressed with a high-pressure groundout to escape a bases-loaded jam in the seventh. That handed the ball to fireballer Mason Miller for the ninth, and Miller slammed the door with authority.

The hard-throwing righty struck out the side, flashing triple-digit heat that has become his signature. Miller now has four saves on the season and remains unscored upon through six appearances. He’s also struck out 12 of the 21 batters he’s faced. According to team stats, Miller owns nine of the 17 fastest pitches in the majors so far this year.

For the Athletics, this win marks their sixth on the road this season, and with a 6-3 away record, they now rank among the best traveling teams in the majors. This is no small feat for a club still working to find its footing in a new market while carrying the weight of relocation rumors and a turbulent fanbase transition.

It also doesn’t hurt that this team, despite being under .500 at 8-10, is hitting .290 with runners in scoring position, second best in all of baseball, and doing it with contributions up and down the lineup.

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.

Giants Take Game Three in Philly Series With an 11-4 Win; Phils hoping to tie series on Thursday

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San Francisco Giants Jung Hoo Lee slugs a double in the top of the fifth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Ballpark in Philadelphia on Wed Apr 16, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

After losing yesterday’s game to the Philadelphia Phillies (10-8) the San Francisco Giants (13-5) came into game three of the series on fire winning it by the score of 11-4. They took a 4-0 lead in the first inning and even though Philadelphia tied up the game at 4-4 in the fourth inning, the Giants took back the lead in the fifth inning and never looked back.

Tyler Fitzgerald had three hits and two runs. There were no home runs from the Giants in this game but there were a slew of singles and doubles, 14 in total. Once again Jung Hoo Lee was one of the stars of the show with a single, a double driving in two runs.

Game recap: The Giants got a great start in the first inning of this game scoring four runs for the early lead. The first run was scored by Willy Adames off a Jung Hoo Lee single. Matt Chapman singled advancing Lee to second followed by a Heliot Ramos walk and San Francisco had the bases loaded.

Wilmer Flores walked advancing the runners and San Francisco had their second run of the game. Patrick Bailey would finish up the inning with a single that drove Chapman and Ramos home for a 4-0 lead.

It was really looking good for the Giants going into the bottom of the first inning. Unfortunately pitcher Robbie Ray had a disastrous inning. He loaded the bases and walked in two runners, Trae Turner and Bryce Harper cutting the Giants lead in half. 4-2.

Ray went on to walk four batters in the inning but finally collected himself and got out of the inning. He had thrown almost 40 pitches in the opening inning.

Robbie Ray remained in the game going into the fourth inning keeping the Phillies off the scoreboard. In the bottom of the fourth, the Phillies Bryce Harper with his first swing of the night hit the first home run of the game, a two run homer to right and the score was even at 4-4. After such a great start for the Giants this ball game was all even and the Giants would be looking to take back the lead.

Lou Trevino would relieved Robbie Ray in the fifth inning. It was rough going for Ray in this game going four innings, allowing six hits, four earned runs, five walks with six strikeouts.

San Francisco took back the lead in the fifth inning. Matt Chapman singled and Lee was able to score from second on a throwing error from Johan Rojas for a 5-4 Giants lead. Despite a very long first inning, this game was moving right along going into the sixth inning. Trevino had a great inning dismissing the Phillies three up and three down

With two runners on base and one out in the sixth, the Giants were trying to add to their lead. San Francisco loaded the bases with the one out and that was it for pitcher Aaron Nola. Jose Ruiz relieved Nola trying to get out of the inning.

Ruiz went on to walk Willy Adames for another San Francisco run followed by a Lee sacrifice that drove in Fitzgerald and the Giants had built their lead back up to 7-4. The San Francisco lead was in jeopardy when Philadelphia threatened in the bottom of the sixth with two runners on base and only one out.

Trevino struck out Kyle Schwarber and with runners at the corners he was looking for the third out and he got just that; the Giants had protected their 7-4 lead going into the seventh inning.

The Giants threatened to extend their lead in the seventh inning with two runners on base and no outs. Ramos had singled and LaMonte Wade Jr. walked. Wilmer Flores came to the plate and singled Ramos home giving San Francisco an 8-4 lead.

Tyler Fitzgerald doubled driving in another run followed by a Yastrzemski double driving in Fitzgerald and Flores extending their lead to 11-4 in a scoring marathon. The inning finally came to an end with the Giants absolutely crushing it. Giant relief pitcher Camilo Doval had a great inning with a strike out, fly out, and line-out.

Matt Chapman and LaMonte Wade Jr. both drew walks in the top of the eighth inning as Philly relief pitcher Carlos Hernandez was really struggling with throwing strikes. Hernandez got out of the inning after a bit of a shaky start and the Phillies had a lot of work to do going into the final innings. San Francisco relief pitcher Spencer Bivens breezed through the bottom of the eighth inning.

Bevins made short work of the Phillies striking out J.T. Realmuto in the bottom of the ninth for the third out to close out the game with the Giants taking the series lead 2-1. San Francisco had come away with a dominant win 11-4.

Game notes: It was another chilly, blistery day at Citizens Bank Park as the Giants (13-5) defeated the Phillies rather handedly 11-4 in the third of this four game series. The Giants won game one on Monday 10-4, the Phillies tied up the series winning game two 6-4 Tuesday.

San Francisco rallied in game two but came up a few runs short. In today’s game, Robbie Ray took the mound for the Giants going four innings, six hits, four earned runs, five walks and eight strike outs. The Phils Aaron Nola went 5.1 innings, with nine hits, and six earned runs, walking four and struck out eight.

Thursday afternoon the Giants will finish up the series with Philadelphia in game four. San Francisco will be more than thrilled to finish up this road trip and enjoy some much warmer weather in a series with the Los Angeles Angels the Big A in Anaheim that gets underway Friday night.

In Thursday’s game Jordan Hicks (1-1 ERA 5.87) will get the nod on the mound while the Phillies will be looking to tie up this series with starting Christopher Sanchez (1-0 ERA 3.12). First pitch for the final game of the series is scheduled for 1:05 PM.

Sacramento A’s game wrap: Soderstrom Sparks the Green and Gold in Statement Win; Sacramento romps Chicago 12-3 at Guarantee Rate

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Sacramento A’s slugger Tyler Soderstrom (21) slugs his fifth home run of the season in the top of the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Guarantee Rate Field in Chicago on Tue Apr 15, 2025 (AP News photo)

Soderstrom Sparks the Green and Gold in Statement Win

By Mauricio Segura

On a chilly Tuesday evening at Rate Field, the Sacramento A’s bats brought the heat and then some. Tyler Soderstrom launched not one but two three-run homers as part of a 12-3 demolition of the Chicago White Sox, a win that gave the green and gold some much needed momentum to kick off their road trip. For Soderstrom it was home runs five and six of the season.

For a club that had been sluggish at the plate recently, with just one home run over their last four games, the power surge was both timely and emphatic. Soderstrom, now tied for the Major League lead with eight homers, continued his breakout campaign and showed why he’s become a fixture in the heart of the Athletics lineup.

The night began with a bang. Lawrence Butler and Brent Rooker set the table with back to back singles, and Soderstrom cleared them with a laser into right center. Just like that, it was three to zero.

But Chicago answered quickly. In the bottom of the first, Andrew Vaughn returned fire with a three-run homer of his own, tying the game and reminding everyone why no early lead is ever safe.

It didn’t stay tied for long. In the second, Gio Urshela delivered an RBI double, and in the third, Shea Langeliers added a solo homer, his fourth of the season, reclaiming a two-run cushion. Langeliers later doubled in another run in the ninth, finishing the game with three hits and two runs batted in.

Jeffrey Springs, who entered the game with a 4.20 ERA, held strong after the rocky first. He escaped a bases loaded jam in the third and worked through five innings without allowing another run. For a staff that had surrendered the fourth highest ERA in the majors coming into the night, Springs’ rebound effort was a stabilizing force.

The sixth inning is where things unraveled for Chicago. Max Muncy doubled, Butler knocked him in with a single, and Rooker followed with another base hit. That set the stage for Soderstrom’s second three-run blast, a majestic shot to right that silenced the home crowd and put the game out of reach at nine to three.

Offensively, nearly everyone chipped in. Butler reached base four times and drove in a run, and Rooker added two hits. Even Miguel Andujar, who entered the night hitless in his last four at bats, capped things off with a sacrifice fly in the ninth. The A’s collected 14 hits in total, their highest mark since April 8.

From a statistical perspective, this performance defied recent trends. The A’s came in with the second worst run differential in the majors and had grounded into the most double plays. But Tuesday night, the swings were clean, the timing was sharp, and the results were undeniable.

The bullpen held steady, with Justin Sterner and Mitch Spence combining for four shutout innings. Spence, who had allowed three runs or more in each of his last four outings, was effective in closing down the seventh and eighth.

Tuesday, right hander Osvaldo Bido takes the mound as the A’s look to build on what might be a turning point in this young season. But for now, on a cool Chicago night, the green and gold found some warmth in the swing of Soderstrom’s bat and a comfortable win.

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.

Phillies Level Series Beating San Francisco 6-4; SF’s Verlander continues to struggle giving up 8 hits and 4 earned runs

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San Francisco Giants starter Justin Verlander (42) deals to the Philadelphia Phillies line up in the last of the first inning at Citizens Bank Ballpark in Philadelphia on Tue Apr 15, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Philadelphia Phillies (10-7) evened up the four game series at 1-1 with the San Francisco Giants (12-5) winning game two 6-4 at Citizens Bank Ballpark. San Francisco had a bit of a rally in the eighth inning hitting three straight singles with no outs bringing one run in. It was Jackie Robinson Tribute night and every ball player wore number 42 in this one.

The Giants only scored the one run in an inning with not much possibility of a rally. It was a tough night for both teams with some crazy wind involvement that made this game very challenging.

The Phillies hit two homers in this game while the Giants were unable to hit any long balls. The Phillies had ten hits, the Giants had eight. Trailing 2-0 early in the game, the Giants tied the game in the fourth inning and went on to take the lead in the sixth before Philadelphia took the lead for the remainder of the game.

Game recap: The Phillies got on the board in the second inning taking a 2-0 lead. The first run was a J.T. Realmuto solo home run to left center and the early 1-0 lead. They would expand that lead off a Brandon Marsh sacrifice fly allowing Max Kepler to score from third base for a 2-0 lead.

As in their last series, San Francisco had been doing a great job coming from behind. In the fourth inning the Giants tied up this game 2-2. Casey Schmitt singled both Chapman from third and Wilmer Flores home from second for the tie. Both Chapman and Flores had stolen bases to get into scoring position. The Schmitt single could not have been timed more perfectly.

San Francisco would take the lead briefly 3-2 in the sixth inning. Wilmer Flores grounded out and Jung Hoo Lee scored from third base; on top of the Phillies for the first time in the game. That lead did not hold for long as the Phillies went on to load the bases in the bottom of the sixth. They not only tied the game but took the lead by inning’s end 4-3.

J.T. Realmuto singled driving Kyle Schwarber home for the 3-3 tie. They would follow that run up with another run to take the 4-3 lead. Bohm singled Castellanos home as the sixth inning came to an end.

The Phillies relief pitching was doing a great job in the sixth and seventh innings. In the seventh inning Jordan Romano closed out the top of the seventh three up and three down. They would be looking for some insurance runs and they got right on task.

The first at bat Bryson Stott tripled with Trea Turner and Bryce Harper to follow. Turner grounded out to shortstop for the first out but slugger Harper knocked the Phillies second home run of the game out of the park, a two run homer, giving the Phillies a 6-3 lead going into the eighth inning.

The Giants started a rally in the eighth inning hitting three singles in a row with no outs. Heliot Ramos, Willy Adames and Jung Hoo Lee all had hits. The Lee single drove Ramos home and the score was 6-4 in favor of the Phillies.

With one out San Francisco had runners at the corners. Wilmer Flores struck out and the Giants were down to their last out in the inning. Casey Schmitt almost hit a long one but came up just short, the ball caught deep in the warning track. San Francisco was oh so very close to taking the lead in this game.

San Francisco relief pitcher Spencer Bivens dismissed the Phillies three up and three down in the eighth inning giving the Giants a chance going into the ninth inning trailing 6-4. One of tougher pitchers in the league to hit came in to try and close for the Phillies Matt Strahm.

Mike Yastrzemski flied out, Patrick Bailey struck out and San Francisco was down to their final out. Tyler Fitzgerald popped out and that was the ball game the final score of 6-4 with the Phillies leveling the series.

Justin Verlander went 5.2 innings allowing eight hits and four earned runs walking three with only one strikeout. Relief pitcher Hayden Birdsong had a struggle allowing two hits, two runs, and one walk in the seventh inning.

Game notes: The Giants took on the Phillies in game two of their series Tuesday amid some very gusty conditions as a cold front blew through at the start of the game and dissipated as quickly as it came in. After a brief respite from the wind the gusty conditions came back and remained throughout the game.

This was another game with great attendance for Philadelphia 38,119 on Tuesday after Monday night’s game with 40,636 fans watching the Giants beat the Phillies 10-4.

The Phillies got a more productive game today with a two run win over San Francisco. Phillies starter Jesus Luzardo 5.1 innings, five hits and three earned runs, and struck out four hitters. Giants starter Justin Verlander had another tough start this time surrendering eight hits and four runs in 5.2 innings of work.

Game three in this four game series will get underway with first pitch scheduled for 3:45 PM PDT Wednesday. Robbie Ray will take the mound for San Francisco with a ( 3-0, 2.93 ERA). The Phillies are slated to start Aaron Nola with a (0-3, 5.51 ERA).