Tag: New York Yankees

Jacob Lopez #57 of the Athletics pitches against the New York Yankees in the top of the first inning at Sutter Health Park on Sun May 31, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Athletics and Yankees played the rubber game of a three-game series on Sunday afternoon at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento. The Yankees took the series from the A’s with a historic 13-8 victory on Sunday to cap the A’s homestand.

Jacob Lopez got the ball for the A’s to start the game as Mark Kotsay looked to fill his rotation after the injury to Luis Severino. Lopez really struggled on Sunday after getting off to a solid start, retiring the first six batters he faced. In the third inning, it unraveled as Lopez gave up seven runs on five hits while walking two, as he was unable to record an out in the inning.

“Jacob going out in that inning… the two walks became an issue right away,” Kotsay said after the game. “He gets himself in a jam, doesn’t cover first base, it’s a mental lapse there and it cost him, it cost him severely.”

Kotsay went on to describe how the abbreviated start from Lopez left the team in a bad spot, and he didn’t mince words.

“We needed a start from him today after dealing with Friday and an injury where we ran the pen hard,” Kotsay said postgame. “We ran the pen again last night to get a win. We needed five, six innings from Jacob today and we unfortunately weren’t able to get that.”

Kotsay’s frustrations weren’t just words. Jacob Lopez met with the media at his locker after the game and informed reporters that he had been sent down to Triple-A.

“I mean, it’s kind of been a common thing all year,” Lopez said in the clubhouse. “So, I’m going to go to Triple-A and figure it out.”

Aside from his demotion, I asked Lopez if he had ever been part of such a wild inning at any level of his baseball career.

“No, I’ve never been a part of a 13-run inning.”

Having to go to the bullpen early yet again, Mark Kotsay went with Michael Kelly to try and clean up the mess in the third inning. Kelly struggled mightily, and the bleeding continued for the A’s and their pitching staff as he was only able to get two outs in the inning.

Kelly threw 42 pitches to get those two outs while giving up six runs on six hits and walking two Yankees hitters. Lopez, combined with Kelly out of the bullpen, was part of one of the worst innings in MLB history. The Yankees scored 10 runs in the inning before Kelly was able to get the first out, tying the 2003 Boston Red Sox, who did the same thing.

Kotsay had to turn to Jack Perkins, his third pitcher of the third inning, to close out the frame. He got Trent Grisham to fly out and closed the book on the disastrous inning for the A’s pitching staff. All told, Jacob Lopez and Michael Kelly gave up 13 runs, 11 hits, and four walks in the disastrous third inning.

Perkins went on to pitch another two innings for the A’s, trying to provide some length out of the bullpen. Perkins pitched the fourth and fifth innings, going three up, three down in both frames and needing only 30 pitches across his two and one-third innings of work.

Mark Leiter Jr. was the next man up for the A’s as he pitched a scoreless sixth inning while allowing just one walk.

Luis Medina pitched the seventh and eighth innings for the A’s and was on fire, allowing no hits or walks while striking out four Yankees hitters.

Jose Suarez capped the pitching effort for the A’s as he tossed a scoreless ninth inning while striking out one.

On the offensive side of the ball, the A’s battled but ultimately couldn’t overcome the historically bad third inning.

Believe it or not, the A’s actually had a three-run lead in the game as they scored the first three runs in the bottom of the first inning.

Jonah Heim got the A’s on the board first when he reached on a fielding error in center field that allowed two A’s runners to score and gave the A’s a quick 2-0 lead.

One batter later, Lawrence Butler got the A’s their third run of the inning as he lined an RBI single to left field that scored Heim from second base and gave the A’s a 3-0 lead.

The A’s wouldn’t score again until the seventh inning when Brent Rooker homered to left-center field to give the A’s their fourth run of the game, albeit in a 13-4 contest. Rooker’s homer was his eighth of the year and his 26th RBI. The shot left his bat at 109 mph and traveled 404 feet over the wall in left field.

Later in the seventh inning, the A’s got three more runs on a three-run shot from Jonah Heim to right field that brought them back within six runs and made it a 13-7 ballgame. It was Heim’s second home run of the year and increased his RBI total to 11. The home run left the bat at 106 mph and traveled 409 feet.

Nick Kurtz, who reached base four times on Sunday, got the A’s their final run of the game with a booming RBI double in the bottom of the eighth inning that left his bat at 107 mph. It was Kurtz’s 12th double of the year and his 41st RBI of the campaign.

The A’s offense tallied eight runs on 12 hits while drawing five walks.

With the loss, the A’s fell to 28-31 on the year while the Yankees improved to 36-23 and took the series, 2-1.

The A’s will travel to Chicago on Sunday night and spend an off day in the Windy City before a three-game series with the Cubs that begins Tuesday at 5:05 p.m. PST. The A’s will send Gage Jump (0-1, 7.20 ERA) to the mound to make his second major league start, while the Cubs are scheduled to counter with Jameson Taillon (2-4, 5.37 ERA) in the series opener.

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. 

J.T. Ginn #35 of the Athletics pitches against the New York Yankees in the top of the second inning at Sutter Health Park on May 30, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Athletics took on the Yankees in game two of a three-game series on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. PST. The A’s looked to bounce back after a tough 8-2 loss on Friday in the opening game of the series.

The A’s got the best of the Yankees on Saturday, defeating New York 6-4.

J.T. Ginn got the ball for the A’s as they looked to get back on track in what has been a tough stretch for them. Ginn, who struggled in his last outing in San Diego after a stretch of three really solid performances, dusted off that outing and performed brilliantly on Saturday. J.T. pitched six innings for the A’s and needed only 80 pitches while giving up just one run (an unearned run) while scattering four hits and three walks over the outing. Ginn struck out four Yankees batters and managed to work his way around two errors from his defense behind him.

It was another strong outing from Ginn, and all the more impressive to see him turn the page on a bad outing and lead the way for the A’s.

“J.T. had a great night,” Mark Kotsay said after the game. “This kid has been throwing the baseball really well. Obviously tonight was a night where they had the lineup stacked with lefties, and in the past that’s been an issue for JT. Tonight he attacked. … This kid’s so mature, he’s maturing so nicely.”

“I think we just stuck with the same process throughout the week,” J.T. Ginn said of his start after the game. “I just flush that last outing and try to get back out there and do what we’ve been doing.”

Ginn also spoke on the more specific ways he’s been able to improve his game, which he attributed to his adjustments against left-handed hitters.

“I think just finding a more consistent pitch mix, especially against left-handed hitters. I think just finding a better mix against them and finding a couple other ways to get them out has been huge for me.”

The A’s bullpen came into the game to start the seventh inning, and they picked up where Ginn left off.

Hogan Harris came in and pitched a scoreless seventh inning, albeit with a bit of drama. Harris gave up a walk and a hit but managed to escape unscathed while striking out two in a 31-pitch frame.

In the eighth inning, Justin Sterner was the second Athletics arm out of the pen. Sterner fired a clean three-up, three-down inning, needing only 16 pitches to get the job done.

Jack Perkins was the next man out of the pen for the A’s as he came on to pitch the top of the ninth inning. It was a rough inning for the A’s staff, as Perkins was only able to get two outs before being lifted. Perkins gave up three runs on one hit and three walks in his outing prior to Mark Kotsay giving the ball to Scott Barlow. Barlow was able to get the final out of the game, but not before surrendering three walks of his own that brought in the three runs charged to Perkins. It was a wild ride in the ninth, but the A’s ultimately were able to get the job done.

On the offensive side of the ball, I wouldn’t say it was an offensive explosion, but it was enough to get the job done.

The A’s tallied six runs on eight hits while drawing three walks.

The first runs for the A’s came in the first inning when Shea Langeliers sent a line drive over the center-field wall that also scored Nick Kurtz from first base. The blast from Langeliers left the bat at 109 mph and landed 426 feet away from home plate, his 14th home run of the year and RBIs 29 and 30.

The A’s didn’t score again until the sixth inning when Tyler Soderstrom hit a solo home run to left-center field. Soderstrom’s rocket home run left the bat at 101 mph and traveled 403 feet as a fan caught it just above the extended wall on the grass. Soderstrom has been beginning to heat up, and it was his seventh home run and 26th RBI of the season.

Soderstrom spoke after the game on his recent surge at the plate and the struggles he faced earlier in the season while not seeing the results he has become accustomed to.

“I’ve felt pretty solid at the plate for a while,” Soderstrom said. “I just didn’t really get much to show for it…. just trying to trust in my process. I know I’ve been in this situation before, kind of just gotta battle, and it’s been going good.”

In the seventh inning, the A’s added two more runs on a Nick Kurtz two-run home run over the center-field wall. It was a 104 mph blast that traveled 410 feet just over the outstretched glove of the Yankees center fielder. It was Kurtz’s 10th home run of the year and RBIs 39 and 40.

In the eighth inning, the A’s scored their final run of the game on a Zack Gelof RBI single that scored Brent Rooker from third base. It was a little poke over the leaping glove of Anthony Volpe, who was playing in at shortstop, to extend the lead for the A’s.

With the win, the A’s improved to 28-30 on the year as the Yankees fell to 35-23.

The A’s and Yankees will play the rubber game of the series on Sunday at 1:05 p.m. PST at Sutter Health Park. Mark Kotsay said after the game that Jacob Lopez (4-2, 5.73 ERA) will start for the A’s, while the Yankees will start Will Warren (6-1, 3.55 ERA) in the matinee affair.

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.

Luis Severino #40 of the Athletics is taken out of the game by manager Mark Kotsay with an injury in the second inning of their game against the New York Yankees at Sutter Health Park on May 29, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The A’s had a rough week coming into the Friday night series opener against the New York Yankees.

Prior to their day off on Thursday, the A’s were swept by the division-rival Seattle Mariners. The Mariners swept the A’s in their three-game series, outscoring them 22-4. It was a perfect storm, with the A’s pitching and hitting floundering at the same time.

On Friday, the A’s continued to scuffle as they dropped game one of the three-game series, 8-2.

The A’s were hoping to get back on track behind their most expensive player by far this season, Luis Severino, who is making $25 million. Yet, the 32-year-old veteran could not deliver, as he was pulled after just one inning of work. Severino left the game after giving up four runs on three hits in the first inning while striking out one batter. It was a rough first inning, and he went straight to the pitchers’ room flexing his arm after coming off the field. Luis ended up leaving the field with an Athletics trainer, and the A’s announced shortly afterward that he departed with what they described as “right arm soreness.” Severino threw only 26 pitches.

“Tuesday when he threw his side, I was there for it. Everything looked great,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said of Severino after the game. “He said he felt good. Wednesday felt good. Obviously when you ramp it up and you go into competition, you just don’t know how it’s going to respond. And after the first inning, when he went out to warm up, he just felt like it was still tight. He just couldn’t get loose and we made a decision to just shut him down.”

After the game, Severino spoke with the media about his injury and the specifics of the issue that caused him to leave the game.

“I felt like if I kept throwing, something even worse was gonna happen,” Severino said after the game. “So that’s why I stopped.”

Severino continued and addressed the specific spot where he felt pain during the start, saying, “It’s like, kinda tricep.”

The A’s have stopped short of calling it anything other than arm soreness, but it appears the tricep will be worth watching moving forward.

Severino’s abbreviated start left Mark Kotsay and the A’s bullpen in a tough spot, needing to cover eight innings of the game.

First out of the bullpen for the A’s was Jose Suarez, who tossed the second inning, giving up one run on three hits with one strikeout.

In the third inning, the A’s went with Joel Kuhnel. Kuhnel pitched the third inning and recorded two outs in the fourth inning while allowing two runs on three hits and recording a strikeout. The A’s bullpen couldn’t seem to find any momentum to this point as the game continued to slip away.

Hogan Harris came on to get the final out of the fourth inning and pitched the fifth inning in a scoreless outing. Harris added a strikeout in his appearance while needing only 15 pitches.

Justin Sterner came in next for the A’s and pitched a perfect sixth inning on just 11 pitches.

Scott Barlow came on to pitch the seventh inning for the A’s. Barlow gave up a run on a solo home run to Ben Rice, but other than that worked a solid inning in relief.

In the eighth inning, the A’s turned to veteran Mark Leiter Jr. Leiter Jr. tossed a scoreless inning while allowing one hit and striking out one batter.

In the ninth inning, it was Luis Medina who came on to close out the pitching side of things for the A’s. Medina pitched a scoreless ninth and allowed just a walk, albeit while the defense made an error for the second baserunner of the inning. Medina struck out one of the five Yankees he faced.

All in, the A’s used eight pitchers in a game that wasn’t particularly competitive while surrendering eight runs.

On offense, the A’s picked up right where they left off against the Mariners and struggled mightily to get anything going. The A’s managed eight hits and only two runs in the game while walking only three times. The A’s also hit into two twin killings, as the production wasn’t enough to get much going or sustain many scoring opportunities.

After the game, I asked A’s manager Mark Kotsay about his team’s recent offensive struggles, even while compiling some hits.

“You look at some at-bats tonight, we hit the ball hard,” Kotsay said. “… We’ve definitely squared some balls up and haven’t had any results, but we’re mixing in some unquality at-bats and we need to continue to try to build quality at-bats and get some more momentum going offensively.”

The A’s first run came by way of a Nick Kurtz solo home run in the bottom of the first inning to pull the A’s within three runs at the time. The blast off Kurtz’s bat traveled over the wall in left-center field, leaving his bat at 107 mph and ending its journey 408 feet from home plate. It was Nick’s ninth homer of the year and 38th RBI.

The A’s second run came in the ninth inning on an RBI single from Zack Gelof that scored Brent Rooker from third. It was Gelof’s 18th RBI of the season.

The A’s fell to 27-30 on the year with the loss as the Yankees improved to 35-22.

The A’s and Yankees will engage in game two of the three-game weekend series on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. PST. J.T. Ginn (2-3, 3.19 ERA) is scheduled to start for the A’s, while the Yankees will counter with Ryan Weathers (2-2, 3.14 ERA).

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.