Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale was dealing against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Ballpark in Philadelphia on Fri Sep 4, 2026 (AP News photo)
MLB The Show podcast Charlie O:
#1 Can the Atlanta Braves maintain their five-game NL East lead over the Philadelphia Phillies after Chris Sale outdueled Cristopher Sánchez in Friday’s 5–2 victory?
#2 How significant is Aaron Judge’s recovery for the New York Yankees, with the star expected to face live pitching Monday after dealing with a rib injury?
#3 Can Fernando Tatis Jr. and the San Diego Padres capitalize on their Wild Card push against Carlos Rodón and the New York Yankees?
#4 Will Brayan Rocchio and Travis Bazzana’s clutch performances help the Cleveland Guardians build momentum after their dramatic doubleheader sweep of the Detroit Tigers?
#5 Can Andrew Painter continue his remarkable late-season turnaround and give the Philadelphia Phillies a boost in the postseason race?
Sacramento A’s pitcher Gage Jump throws against the Seattle Mariners in the bottom of the second inning at T Mobile Seattle on Sun Sep 6, 2026 (AP News photo)
Sacramento A’s podcast Daniel Dullum:
#1 A’s–Mariners game on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, which Seattle won 2–0 the A’s did take three of four from the M’s.
#2 How would you evaluate Gage Jump’s performance despite allowing Seattle’s two fourth-inning runs?
#3 What stood out about Max Muncy’s recent offensive production, following his home run and two-RBI performance in Saturday’s 6–2 win?
#4 How did Lawrence Butler and the A’s offense struggle against Bryan Woo, who held Sacramento to just one hit over eight scoreless innings?
#5 What did Zack Gelof’s performance contribute to the A’s lineup, and what more did Sacramento need from its hitters in the series finale?
#6 Toronto Blue Jays come calling in Sacramento opening a three game series on Monday night starting pitchers for Toronto RHP Dylan Cease (10-5 ERA 2.25) for Sacramento LHP Jacob Lopez (6-4 ERA 4.71) first pitch at 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.
San Francisco Giants Jung Hoo Lee (right) slugs his ninth home run of the season in the fourth inning at Citi Park in New York on Sun Sep 6, 2026 (AP News photo)
By Jessica Kwong
NEW YORK. — The San Francisco Giants were three outs away from taking the series from the New York Mets on Sunday afternoon, but a pair of late home runs changed everything.
The Mets scored four times in the eighth inning and rallied for a 4-2 victory over the Giants at Citi Field, taking the series finale and winning two of three games in the Labor Day weekend matchup.
San Francisco took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning when Jung Hoo Lee delivered a two-run single.
Giants rookie starter Cesar Perdomo then kept the Mets off the scoreboard through six innings in his major league debut.
New York finally broke through in the eighth.
Brett Baty came off the bench as a pinch hitter and started the comeback with a solo home run, cutting the Giants’ lead to 2-1. The Mets continued to apply pressure before Juan Soto was intentionally walked with two outs.
That brought Bo Bichette to the plate.
Bichette made the Giants pay for the decision, driving a three-run homer to left field and putting the Mets ahead 4-2. It was Bichette’s second home run of the series and gave New York its first lead of the afternoon.
The Giants had limited the Mets to four hits through the first seven innings, but their bullpen could not protect the lead in the eighth. Carson Seymour took the loss after surrendering all four Mets runs in the inning.
Mets starter Christian Scott kept his club within striking distance. Scott allowed two runs on four hits in 4 2/3 innings while striking out seven.
Tobias Myers picked up the victory in relief, earning his first win after being recalled from Triple-A earlier Sunday. Kodai Senga finished the game with a scoreless ninth inning for his sixth save.
The Giants, who won 9-5 Saturday, finished the series with a disappointing loss after holding the Mets scoreless for most of the afternoon.
For New York, the late offensive burst provided a strong finish to the homestand. The Mets (66-78) head into their next series with momentum after turning a two-run deficit into a 4-2 victory when it mattered most.
San Francisco lost the opportunity to notch their first winning multi-city road trip of the season. Tyr Giants (60-84) went into the game needing to win four of its last 19 games to avoid the second 100-loss season in franchise history.
The Giants return home to face the St. Louis Cardinals in a three-game series starting Monday. First pitch is at 5:10 p.m. PT.
Athletics starting pitcher Jeffrey Springs throws against the Seattle Mariners during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Springs Snaps Skid as A’s Sink Seattle 6-2
By Mauricio Segura
Jeffrey Springs had not seen his name beside a victory since April. Seven scoreless innings is what it took to change that tonight, as the Athletics beat the Mariners 6-2 for their fourth straight win.
Springs allowed only two hits and two walks while striking out six. His 13-game losing streak had been the sixth-longest in Athletics history and the longest by an A’s pitcher since Matt Keough lost 18 straight from 1978 to 1979. Springs also had gone 21 consecutive games without a win, all of them starts, after opening the season 3-0 with a 1.46 ERA through four outings. He had surrendered 33 home runs before this game, tied for the most in the majors, but Seattle never took him deep.
The A’s gave him a lead in the second when Max Muncy drove a solo homer to left-center. They added another run in the third after Alika Williams singled and moved to second on Denzel Clarke’s groundout. Henry Bolte followed with a double to right that scored Williams for a 2-0 advantage, though Bolte was picked off at second moments later.
Sacramento doubled the margin in the fourth. Zack Gelof singled to center, stole second and scored on Muncy’s single. A passed ball moved Muncy to second, and Donovan Walton followed with a double to right for a 4-0 lead. Muncy finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored, doing damage in two of the A’s first three scoring innings.
Springs kept Seattle stuck at zero. Cal Raleigh had both hits against him, singles in the fourth and seventh, but neither produced a run. Springs worked around walks to J.P. Crawford and Randy Arozarena, and catcher Jonah Heim helped him in an unusual way. Heim successfully challenged three pitch calls that were overturned into called third strikes against Raleigh, Cole Young and Crawford.
The seventh offered Springs one last test. Raleigh singled to center, but Walton, Williams and Jeff McNeil turned a double play on Josh Naylor. Springs then retired Crawford on a grounder to end the inning and his outing with a 4-0 lead.
Lawrence Butler supplied two more runs in the eighth. McNeil singled, Gelof forced him at second, and Butler sent a two-run homer to left-center for a 6-0 advantage. Butler had started the game with a 13-game hitting streak, the longest active streak in the majors, and his homer pushed it to 14. He had been batting .362 during the streak before adding another hit to the run.
Seattle finally scored against Geoff Hartlieb in the eighth. Cole Young was hit by a pitch, Arozarena singled, and Dominic Canzone drove home Young with a single to center. The Mariners added another run in the ninth after Raleigh doubled, moved to third on Crawford’s single and scored on a wild pitch by Elvis Alvarado. Alvarado then struck out Lazaro Montes and retired Weston Wilson on a grounder with two runners aboard to finish the 6-2 win.
The victory moved the A’s to 5-4 against Seattle this season and gave them five wins in six games in Seattle. Their four-game winning streak also matched their longest run of victories since June.
Sunday’s finale hands the ball to rookie left-hander Gage Jump (6-9, 5.15 ERA, 99 K), while Seattle counters with right-hander Bryan Woo (10-9, 4.25 ERA, 149 K), with first pitch set for 1:10 p.m. Pacific.
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.
San Francisco Giants Rafeal Devers slugs his 35th home run in the top of the first inning against the New York Mets at Citi Park in New York on Sat Sep 5, 2026 (AP News photo)
By Jessica Kwong
NEW YORK. — The San Francisco Giants bounced back from a game one loss to the New York Mets with a 9-5 victory on Saturday to tie the three-game series at Citi Field.
San Francisco’s offense was fueled by Rafael Devers and Christian Koss, who notched two home runs each of the team’s six total. It was the perfect comeback from Friday night’s 10-6 loss. The Giants had “a good game plan” in the hitters’ meeting, along with “great” vibes and “some fun” on the field, according to manager Tony Vitello.
“They were kind of determined to kind of pick up where we left off last night,” said Vitello. “Didn’t get a win, but I do think we forced them to use their closer and we had some momentum going out towards the end of the game and it carried over to today.”
In the first inning, Devers hit a home run on a line drive to right field, putting the Giants up 1-0.
A.J. Ewing in the second inning hit a homer on a fly ball to right center field and Marcus Semien scored, giving the Mets a 2-1 lead.
In the third inning, Christian Koss hit a homer on a fly ball to left center field and Grant McGray scored, and San Francisco was back on top 3-2. Koss hit another home run in the fifth on a fly ball to left field. It was Koss’ first two-homer game in the big leagues.
Asked what it meant for him to accomplish that against the Mets, Koss said: “I mean I’d be happy to do it again to anyone, you know. I think the game plan is, hit the ball hard and hope good things happen. You get two of them and try to help the team out.”
Also in the fifth inning, Devers homered on a fly ball to left field and Jonah Cox scored, boosting the Giants to 6-2. Despite a spectacular stretch over more than a dozen games, Devers said he hasn’t been paying attention to his numbers and simply shows up to work every single day.
“Nothing in particular,” Devers said in Spanish. “I’ve been doing the same thing. Like I have said before, we have good times, bad times, but we’re over here to improve ourselves.”
In the seventh inning, Brett Baty walked and Jared Young scored, cutting San Francisco’s lead to 6-3.
Osleivis Basabe in the eighth hit a home run on a line drive to left center field and Bryce Eldridge scored, putting the Giants up 8-3.
McCray hit a homer on a fly ball to center field in the ninth inning, giving the Giants a 9-3 lead. The Mets attempted to rally. The umpire reviewed a home run and the call on the field was upheld: Baty doubled on a fly ball to left field, and Young and Ewing scored, putting the Mets within four runs, but not enough to overcome the Giants.
Giants starting pitcher Anthony Molina allowed two unearned runs on only one hit over five innings. He matched his career high in innings pitched for the second consecutive outing and for the third time in his career.
“I was very happy with my outing,” said Molina in Spanish. “I got ready for it, I was very prepared for it and obviously the catcher helped me through the whole process and everything turned out great.”
For the final game of the series at Citi Field on Sunday, the Giants (59-84) have not yet announced their starting pitcher to face Mets (64-78) right-handed pitcher Christian Scott (4-4, 3.80 ERA). First pitch is at 10:40 a.m. PT.
Sacramento A’s Zack Gelof connects for a fifth inning triple agianst the Seattle Mariners at T Mobile Field in Seattle on Fri Sep 4, 2026 (AP News photo)
Sacramento A’s podcast Tony Harvey game wrap:
How important was Zack Gelof’s performance, including his home run and game-changing RBI triple, in the A’s comeback victory?
What impact did Jeff McNeil have with his two-run homer during the A’s five-run third inning?
How did Lawrence Butler contribute to the A’s offense, and how important was his RBI single in the later innings?
How well did Kade Morris handle the Mariners’ lineup, particularly after Seattle tied the game at 5–5?
Which A’s player—Zack Gelof, Jeff McNeil, Lawrence Butler, or another player—was most deserving of the game’s MVP honors, and why?
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 Max Muncy circles the bases after hitting a top of the third inning home run against the Seattle Mariners at T Mobile Field in Seattle on Fri Sep 4, 2026 (AP News photo)
Four Homers and One Wild Ride
By Mauricio Segura
Max Muncy, Alika Williams, Jeff McNeil and Zack Gelof all homered in a five-run third inning, and the Sacramento A’s held off the Seattle Mariners 7-6 for their third straight victory. The four-homer frame matched the franchise record for home runs in an inning and was the club’s first such inning since 2002.
Seattle struck first against Kade Morris, in only his second major league start. Cal Raleigh drew a walk in the second, moved to second on Josh Naylor’s groundout and scored on Cole Young’s double to right. J.P. Crawford followed with a single that brought Young home for a 2-0 lead.
Then the Athletics changed the game in a hurry. Muncy opened the third with a solo homer to left. After Donovan Walton struck out, Williams sent another ball over the left-field wall. Henry Bolte drew a walk, and McNeil followed with a two-run homer to right that pushed the A’s ahead 4-2. Gelof then made it four homers in the inning with a solo shot to left. Seattle starter Logan Gilbert still struck out 10 Athletics, but he was charged with seven runs in 4 2/3 innings.
Seattle answered before the third inning was over. Brock Rodden singled and Randy Arozarena was hit by a pitch. Julio Rodríguez brought Rodden home with a groundout, then Raleigh tied the game 5-5 with a two-run homer to right-center. Naylor doubled next, ending Morris’ outing after 2 2/3 innings and five runs. Brady Basso got Young on a groundout and followed with three scoreless innings, giving the Athletics a chance to regain control.
They did it in the fifth without another homer. Williams drew a walk, stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch. Gelof drove him home with a triple to right, then Lawrence Butler singled up the middle to score Gelof for a 7-5 lead. Butler’s hit extended his hitting streak to 13 games after he began the game with the longest active streak in the majors at 12.
The Mariners kept pushing. Raleigh opened the eighth-inning threat with a ground-rule double, and Naylor singled him home to trim the margin to 7-6. Elvis Alvarado escaped the rest of the inning, and Hogan Harris handled the ninth. Harris struck out pinch-hitter Patrick Wisdom, worked around an Arozarena walk and finished the game when Rodríguez flied out to center. Harris recorded his 15th save and added another scoreless appearance against Seattle after beginning the game without allowing a run in 10 career outings against the Mariners.
Muncy finished 3-for-4, while Gelof had a homer, triple, two runs and two RBI. McNeil added two hits and two RBI, and Williams scored twice. The victory gave the Athletics their first three-game winning streak since June, after the club had gone nearly three months without winning more than two in a row.
The A’s list left-hander Jeffrey Springs (3-13, 6.37 ERA, 98 K) against Seattle right-hander George Kirby (9-10, 4.19 ERA, 128 K) in the next game, with first pitch set for 6:40 p.m. Pacific as Sacramento tries to make it four straight.
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.
New York Mets Mark Vientos rounds the bases after hitting a three run first inning home run against the San Francisco Giants at Citi Field in New York on Fri Sep 4, 2026 (AP News photo)
San Francisco Giants game wrap:
By Jessica Kwong
NEW YORK. — The San Francisco Giants fell 10-6 to the New York Mets at Citi Field after the home team set off five home runs in the Friday night series opener.
San Francisco left 11 on base versus New York’s four – which Giants manager Tony Vitello attributed as a reason for the loss.
“I mean the left on base category is one. They actually don’t have it on the scoreboard here, most do because it does value but sometimes I think it can be overrated, you want guys to get on base, but tonight it kind of told the story,” said Vitello.
“They left four on base ’cause they ran the ball out of the park for majority of their damage and then we were in contention a bunch but leave 11 on there, so maybe it’s a little different if we can knock a lot around, but it’s, that was like a lot of games if you change a lot of things, the game would have been different.”
Mark Vientos hit a home run in the first inning on a fly ball to right field and Francisco Lindor and Bo Bichette scored, giving the Mets a 3-0 start.
In the second inning, Francisco Alvarez hit a homer on a fly ball to right center field. Then Juan Soto grounded into a force out, first baseman Rafael Devers to shortstop Christian Koss, and Nick Morabito scored, making it 5-0 Mets.The inning got even worse for the Giants as Bichette homered on a line drive to left center field and Soto scored, putting the Mets up 7-0.
Rafael Devers in the third inning doubled on a sharp line drive to center field and Koss and Drew Gilbert scored, cutting the Mets’ lead to 7-2.
In the sixth inning, Lindor hit a home run on a fly ball to right field and Jared Young scored, expanding the Mets’ lead to 9-2.
Turner Hill singled on a ground ball to right field in the seventh inning and Jonah Cox scored, cutting the Mets’ lead to six runs.
The Giants rallied again in the eighth inning. Rafael Devers homered on a fly ball to right field and Koss and Jonah Cox scored, reducing New York’s lead to 9-6. But Alvarez responded with a home run of his own on a fly ball to left field and boosted the Mets to a 10-6 lead.
“I mean yeah you go back and look at the score and realize the opportunities we could’ve had, but nothing can change that you know,” Koss said. “Come out tomorrow and try to have better at-bats.”
Giants starting pitcher Matt Wilkinson allowed a career-high seven runs over three innings and multiple homers for the first time in his career.
“Just didn’t do my job,” he said.
Asked what he could do better next time, Wilkson said: “Pretty much everything. A lot of work to do, a lot of work to get better.”
Mets starting pitcher Nolan McLean allowed two runs over six innings and marked his 18th quality start of the season, tying for for fourth-most in the National League.
Game two of the series at Citi Field takes place Saturday. Giants (58-84) right-handed pitcher Anthony Molina (2-0, 3.77 ERA) will face Mets (64-77) left-handed pitcher Zac Thornton (3-4, 2.93). First pitch is at 1:10 p.m. PT.
Spring Training 2027 in either Florida or Arizona could be on the bubble as MLB and the Players Assocation are far apart regarding the salary cap (image from MLB)
That’s Amaury News and Commentary:
MLB 2027 Spring Training schedule. -Optimistic or Ironic?
Amaury Pi-González
This is the time of the year when teams release their Spring Training schedules for the next season. But this time, we all know the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between players and owners is set to expire on Tuesday, December 1 at 11:59 p.m. EST. One thing Insiders on both sides agree is that they believe the owners will impose a lockout by this deadline.
There is precedent from the labor dispute leading up to the 2022 season: the owners’ lockout freezes the off-season, and players do not strike; they are not permitted to work until an agreement is reached. In other words, the 2026 season will end (as it should) after the World Series, but (as explained before) that December 1 day is the key as of today to which way baseball is headed. Many analysts and fans expect an owners’ lockout this winter that could delay or disrupt spring training, much like the lockout did just a few years ago in 2022.
A delay or disruption to spring training next year would not be good. Baseball spring training in Arizona’s Cactus League generates an economic impact of nearly $ 1 billion for the state. In Florida, the economic impact is almost the same.
For many years I have visited Spring Training, mostly in Arizona. For most fans, as well as the baseball media, it is a regular yearly event (to visit and see their favorite teams getting ready for the season, where media can get access to the players much more easily than during the regular season, not only media but fans with mostly a relaxed, vacation feel; wherever is in the desert or by the beach, nevertheless it is work as most teams broadcast some of their games from Arizona and Florida, this is an integral part of baseball, a very difficult game of repetition and practice, where Spring Training is paramount during the preseason.
It would be unfortunate for baseball if this Spring Training is disrupted, as most teams have already released their schedules. So for us, with no decision to make on this salary cap fight between players and owners, let’s hope for the best outcome for the best of the game; after all, this is not 1856 when baseball was called “The National Pastime, today, with social media and all other things going on,it is like we are living in another galaxy.
My favorite Spring Training quote (below) comes from a gentleman who played his whole 19-year career with the Chicago Cubs, as he is known as “Mr Cub“. Inducted into the HOF at Cooperstown in 1977.
Quote:”Spring training means flowers, people coming outdoors, sunshine, optimism, and baseball. Spring training is a time to think about being young again. -Ernie (Let’s Play Two) Banks.
Happy Labor Day weekend, and may your team win.
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.
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 reliever Hogan Harris (36) pitches to the Seattle Mariners line up in the bottom of the ninth inning at T Mobile Field Seattle on Thu Sep 3, 2026 (AP News photo)
Sacramento A’s game wrap:
By Mauricio Segura
The Sacramento Athletics watched a one-run lead disappear almost as quickly as they built it, then chipped away until the Seattle Mariners was the team chasing the scoreboard. Zack Gelof opened the scoring with a solo homer to right-center, and the Green and Gold eventually turned an early two-run deficit into a 7-4 victory behind Lawrence Butler’s two-run single in the fifth and a pitching staff that struck out 18 Mariners.
Seattle answered Gelof’s homer with three runs in the bottom of the first. Randy Arozarena drew a walk and stole second before Julio Rodríguez doubled him home. Cal Raleigh followed with a ground-ball single to right that scored Rodríguez, and Lazaro Montes added a two-out RBI single to left for a 3-1 lead. Jack Perkins finally escaped by striking out Brock Rodden with the bases loaded.
The A’s cut the margin to 3-2 in the second after Jeff McNeil walked, Michael Stefanic singled and Brian Serven singled to load the bases. Alika Williams then grounded into a double play that scored McNeil. The Athletics challenged the play, but the call was upheld.
Perkins kept Seattle scoreless over the next two innings and finished with seven strikeouts in three innings. His previous three career appearances against the Mariners had all been in relief, and he had not issued a walk in 8.2 innings against them before this game. This time he issued five, yet kept the A’s close after the rough first inning.
The game swung in the fifth. Henry Bolte drew a one-out walk, Gelof singled him to third, then stole second. Butler followed with a two-out single to center that scored both runners and put the A’s ahead 4-3. Butler began play with an 11-game hitting streak, tied for the longest active run in the majors, and his third-inning single had already pushed that streak to 12 games. Bolte also stayed hot after recording the first two-homer game of his career in the previous contest.
Donovan Walton added another run in the sixth, batting for Stefanic and sending a solo homer to right-center. A hit-by-pitch to Serven and an on-field delay followed, and Mariners manager Dan Wilson was ejected by home-plate umpire James Hoye. Seattle answered in the bottom half when Arozarena doubled, Dominic Canzone singled and Rodríguez brought Arozarena home on a force-play grounder. Rodríguez also stole second in that inning, one of his three steals in the game.
The Athletics never gave Seattle the tying run. Scott Blewett worked two scoreless innings after Perkins and struck out four. Chris Roycroft surrendered Seattle’s fourth run, but Luis Medina followed with three strikeouts while recording four outs, and Hogan Harris struck out two in a scoreless ninth. The staff’s 18 strikeouts were spread across five pitchers, with Perkins supplying seven of them.
The A’s added breathing room in the eighth. McNeil singled and Walton walked before Max Muncy lined an RBI single to left, scoring McNeil for a 6-4 lead. Bolte then reached on an infield single after an umpire review overturned the original call. In the ninth, Jonah Heim doubled and McNeil doubled him home to finish the scoring. McNeil began the game batting .348 since the All-Star break, third best in the majors, and his two-hit performance kept that second-half surge moving.
Gelof’s first-inning homer was his 15th of the season, and his fifth-inning steal gave him 11 stolen bases. Butler finished with two hits and two RBI, while Bolte reached base three times with two singles and a walk. The A’s began the game 25-58 against Seattle since 2021 and had lost five straight season series to the Mariners, making this a useful step toward changing a matchup that has treated them poorly for years.
Friday’s second game starters for Sacramento’s RHP Kade Morris (0-1 ERA 9.82, 10 strikeouts) for Seattle RHP Logan Gilbert (11-8, 3.42 ERA, 166 strikeouts), first pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. Pacific.
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.
