Tag: Sacramento A’s

Mets Senga gets shutout over A’s 8-0; New York four run ninth seals the deal in Sacramento loss

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New York Mets starter Kodai Senga went seven innings against the Sacramento A’s at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento on Sun Apr 13, 2025 (AP News photo)

by Tony Renteria

West Sacramento– The Sacramento Athletics hosted the Visiting New York Mets on the most perfect of a Sunday afternoon that the City has seen since early October, The Mets ruined the day for the A’s crowd It was nice by handing the home team an 8-0 loss at Sutter Health Park.

It was a perfect 79 degrees at the start of the game. The A’s and Mets played a pretty uneventful game until the top the sixth when the red hot bat of Luis Torrens knocked in a RBI with a single to right field. Torres would continue to stay hot by going three for four with a double and two runs batted in.

Torres offense was not much needed as the Japanese sensation Kodai Senga pitched seven complete innings and only giving up four hits on the afternoon. Senga wins leaves him a 2-1 record in the early season with a earned run average of only 1.06.

The Mets would continue to scored in every inning remaining in the game and even topping of the ninth by adding four runs in that half inning alone. The Mets have started off the season pretty hot with this win bring their record to 10 wins and 5 losses.

The A’s have nearly the opposite record with 6 wins against 10 losses. The A’s have Monday off before hosting the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday. Starting pitcher for the A’s on Tuesday LHP Jeffrey Springs (2-1 ERA 4.20) for the Sox Sean Burke (1-2 ERA 6.08) first pitch 4:40pm PDT at Guaranteed Rate Field in the South Side.

The White Sox have completed a home stand over the weekend taking two of three from the visiting Boston Red Sox.

Ginn Shines as A’s Even Series with 3-1 Win Over Mets

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Max Muncy on Saturday at Sutter Health Park in the game against the Mets (Photo: Athletics on X)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

WEST SACRAMENTO — The A’s and Mets were back in action Saturday afternoon for the second game of a three-game series. First pitch was tossed at 1:05 PM PST under immaculate 70-degree conditions at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento.

The A’s sent J.T. Ginn to the hill opposed by Mets starter David Peterson. Both pitchers threw well, but Ginn particularly shined in his five and one-third innings of work, allowing four hits, one run, and two walks while striking out six.

Peterson also delivered a solid outing, pitching six innings, allowing two runs on seven hits, and striking out five A’s hitters. The A’s took the second game of this three game set with a 3-1 win on Saturday.

The A’s got on the board first, scoring two runs in the fourth inning to take a 2-0 lead. Tyler Soderstrom singled home Jacob Wilson for the first run and later came around to score on an RBI groundout by JJ Bleday.

The Mets responded in the top of the sixth inning when Brandon Nimmo hit a solo home run to right field, tagging Ginn for his only run allowed on the day.

Sacramento quickly answered back in the bottom of the seventh inning as Jhonny Pereda doubled home Max Muncy, extending the lead to 3-1. That score would hold up the rest of the way. 

The A’s bullpen was excellent in relief, with Justin Sterner, Tyler Ferguson, and Mason Miller combining for three and two-thirds scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out four Mets batters.

All nine A’s starters recorded at least one hit in what could be characterized as a solid team win. With the victory, the A’s improved to 6-9, while the Mets fell to 9-5 on the young season.

Up next, the A’s and Mets will face off in the rubber game of the series Sunday at 1:05 PM PST at Sutter Health Park.

Sacramento A’s Relocation podcast Daniel Dullum: Las Vegas Stadium Authority confident A’s will break ground mid June

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Athletics President Marc Badain (left), Las Vegas Aviators President Don Logan (center) and A’s executive Sandy Dean (right) meet members of Laborers Union Local 872 at the Clark County Commissioner meeting on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (Mick Akers/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Sacramento A’s Relocation podcast Daniel Dullum:

#1 Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority CEO and president chairman and Las Vegas Stadium Authority chairman Steve Hill said he was confident that the A’s will break ground at the Tropicana site by mid June.

#2 The A’s are counting on following the same steps that the Las Vegas Raiders took to get their ground breaking underway with zoning and land use permits all lined up and on a scheduled timeline to see shovels in the ground by mid June.

#3 The timeline the Raiders had was 68 days between Clark County approvals and when the Raiders started work on their current stadium Allegiant Stadium worth $2 billion. The A’s whose park would sit on nine acres at the Tropicana location will rest on 35 acres could follow through on the permits and be ready for construction by June.

#4 Hill said as of now there is a good amount of work being done at the Tropicana site. Contractors are clearing the rubble from the implosion of both Tropicana towers from last year.

#5 Hill said that the rubble is being cleared out and that material would be recycled and used for material would be used to build the A’s ballpark.

Daniel Dullum does the A’s Relocation podcasts each weekend at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

A’s fall just short in 7-6 loss to Mets

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Sacramento A’s pitcher Mitch Spence (28) delivers a fifth inning pitch to the New York Mets at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento on Fri Apr 11, 2025 (AP News photo)

Friday, April 11, 2025

Sutter Health Park

New York Mets 7 (9-4)

Sacramento Athletics 6 (5-9)

Win: Griffin Canning (1-1)

Loss: JP Sears (1-2)

Save: Edwin Diaz (3)

Time: 3:21

Attendance: 9,632

By Stephen Ruderman

WEST SACRAMENTO–The A’s put up an impressive fight, but fell just short in a 7-6 loss to the New York Mets to open this three-game series at Sutter Health Park.

It was another beautiful night for baseball at the A’s rental home here in West Sacramento. The clouds illuminated a beautiful sunset on a 73-degree evening on the shores of the Sacramento River.

The A’s were looking for their second win in Sacramento, and they would face another strong team in the New York Mets. Like the Padres, the Mets had a large contingency of fans in attendance in their trip to valley.

The left-hander, JP Sears, would take the ball for Sacramento, as he would try to set the tone in this series. Sears got off to a good start by pitching a scoreless top of the first inning.

However, Brandon Nimmo led off the top of the second with a home run to right-center field. Later in the inning, back-to-back doubles by Luisangel Acuna and Luis Torrens plated another run to make it 2-0.

Mets’ starter Griffin Canning began his night with a 1-2-3 bottom of the first. The A’s then got on the board in the bottom of the second on a two-out base-hit the other way to right off the bat of Miguel Andujar.

Sears was in trouble again in the top of the third, but got out of it thanks to a nice sliding catch by right-fielder Lawrence Butler next to the side wall in foul territory. Canning, too, survived a jam in the bottom of the third. Brent Rooker tripled with one out, but he was cut down at the plate on a ground ball off the bat of Tyler Soderstrom.

Sears was back in trouble in the top of the fourth, as the Mets got a runner to second with nobody out. However, like the inning before, Sears was able to get out of it unscathed.

Unfortunately for Sears, he would not be able to work out of another jam in the top of the fifth. Juan Soto singled to lead off the inning, and Pete Alonso knocked him in with a double to left-center to make it 3-1. That did it for Sears, as Mark Kotsay made the move for Mitch Spence. Spence got out of the inning without any further damage to keep it a 3-1 game.

Sears threw 101 pitches over just four-plus innings, as he gave up three runs and six hits. Sears only walked one, and he struck out seven.

Meanwhile, Canning threw a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the fourth, and he survived a jam in the bottom of the fifth.

Spence was back out for the top of the sixth, and the Mets would open it up. Jose Siri walked with one out, and Francisco Lindor reached on an error by second-baseman Max Muncy. Juan Soto then walked to load the bases for Pete Alonso, who knocked Siri in with a sacrifice fly to right to make it 4-1.

Up came the longtime veteran and former A, Starling Marte. Marte hit a double over the head of center-fielder JJ Bleday and off the bottom of the wall in straightaway center, and Lindor and Soto sored to make it 6-1.

However, the A’s bounced right back in the bottom of the sixth. Shea Langerliers doubled to lead off the inning, and Wilson knocked him in with a one-out base-hit off the end of the bat to right-center to make it 6-2. The throw home from right-fielder Juan Soto allowed Wilson to move up to second.

Up came Andujar, who hit one out to left, and just like that the A’s got all three runs back to make it 6-4. That also did it for Canning.

Reed Garrett came in for Metropolitans, and the A’s loaded the bases against him with two outs. Soderstrom then came up and hit a bullet to right, which got this crowd going, but it was right to Juan Soto, and that ended the inning.

Jose Leclerc came in for Oakland and threw a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the seventh. Leclerc was an out away from another 1-2-3 inning in the top of the eighth, but Pete Alonso hit a line-drive home run down the line in left to make it 7-4.

Ryne Stanek and A.J. Minter pitched 1-2-3 innings in the bottom of the seventh and eighth respectively for the Mets. Jason Alexander then threw a scoreless top of the ninth for the A’s.

The Mets brought in their electric closer, Edwin Diaz, to try and get the save in the bottom of the ninth. Diaz has struggled at the start of the season, and those struggles would carry into this one.

Lawrence Butler walked on four pitches to start the inning and advanced to second on defensive indifference. Soderstrom then walked on a wild pitch, and Butler went to third. Langeliers then lined a double down the left field line, which scored Butler to make it 7-5.

Bleday got Soderstrom home with a sacrifice fly to left-center to make it a one-run game at 7-6. The A’s had the tying run in Max Schueman, who had come in to pinch-run for Langeliers, at second. However, Wilson grounded out to second, and the A’s fell just short.

Griffin Canning got the win; JP Sears took the loss; and Edwin Diaz picked up his third save of the young season.

The A’s fall to 5-9 and last place in the American League West.

The A’s will look to bounce back against the Mets’ left-hander, David Peterson (1-0, 2.53 ERA) Saturday afternoon. The A’s have yet to announce their starter. First pitch will be at 1:05 p.m.

Padres Take Series from A’s in 2-1 Finale Win

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A’s take on the Padres on Wednesday afternoon in West Sacramento (Photo: Athletics on X)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

WEST SACRAMENTO — Sutter Health Park in Sacramento hosted the rubber game between the A’s and the Padres on Wednesday afternoon. The Padres had taken the first game of the series on Monday, while the A’s responded with a 10-4 victory on Tuesday.

Wednesday’s matchup featured Osvaldo Bido on the mound for the A’s, facing Randy Vasquez for the Padres. Both pitchers delivered strong performances, but the A’s offense struggled significantly, managing only two hits and ultimately losing the series finale, 2-1.

The A’s got on the scoreboard first in the second inning when Luis Urias hit a sacrifice fly to center field, bringing home Shea Langeliers. Initially, Langeliers was ruled out at the plate, but after a quick review, the call was overturned, awarding the A’s the early 1-0 lead.

San Diego responded swiftly in the third inning, as Oscar Gonzales drove in Xander Bogaerts on a sacrifice fly, tying the game at 1-1. The Padres scored again in the fifth inning with another sac-fly, this time by Gavin Sheets, bringing in Bogaerts once more. That 2-1 lead would stand for the remainder of the game, as the Padres’ pitching silenced the A’s bats.

Despite the loss, Bido pitched reasonably well for Sacramento, throwing five innings and allowing two runs on nine hits while striking out five. Although the nine hits appear problematic, many resulted from soft contact that found gaps in the defense. On the Padres’ side, Randy Vasquez was effective over five innings, giving up just one run on a single hit with three walks and one strikeout.

Offensively, the A’s struggled throughout, producing just two hits and one run in the entire game. They’ll have a chance to regroup with an off day on Thursday before facing the New York Mets at Sutter Health Park on Friday night at 7:05 PM PST. Mets starting pitcher RHP Griffin Canning (0-1 ERA 2.79) for the A’s JP Sears 1-1 ERA 3.46.

With this loss, the A’s fell to 5-8 on the year, while the Padres improved their early-season record to 10-3.

Note: Jacob Wilson continued his impressive start to the 2025 season, recording another hit on Wednesday and extending his hitting streak to 13 games.

Six-run bottom of the first leads A’s to first Sacramento win at Sutter Health, 10-4 over Padres

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Athletics’ Gio Urshela watches his single during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
 (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Tuesday, April 8, 2025

Sutter Health Park

San Diego Padres 4 (9-3)

Sacramento Athletics 10 (5-7)

Win: Jeffrey Springs (2-1)

Loss: Dylan Cease (1-1)

Time: 2:37

Attendance: 9,018

By Stephen Ruderman

WEST SACRAMENTO–The A’s finally got their first win in Sacramento, as they responded to a three-run top of the first inning by the Padres with a six-run bottom of the first en route to a 10-4 win.

I’ll be honest, it was a less-beautiful night at Sutter Health Park with the absence of clouds. However, it was still a rather-nice evening, and it was the perfect backdrop for the A’s first win in Sacramento if they could get it.

Jeffrey Springs made the start for the A’s tonight, and things seemed to be going well for him, as he retired the first two men he faced. However, things completely changed with two outs.

Manny Machado hit an opposite-field home run to right, and that was just the start. Xander Bogaerts lined a base-hit to left, and then Yuli Gurriel shot a double into the gap in left-center that knocked in Bogaerts to make it 2-0. Springs was getting lit up, and now that I think back on it, even the first out of the game was a loud out.

Springs then walked Jake Cronenworth, but he finally seemed to be on his way out of the inning on a ground ball to third by Jose Iglesias. Unfortunately, the throw from third-baseman Gio Urshela was high, which took first-baseman Tyler Soderstrom off the back. Iglesias was able to reach first as a result, and Gurriel scored to make it 3-0

The A’s were quick to respond against Padres’ starter Dylan Cease in the bottom of the first inning. Okay, somewhat quick. Lawrence Butler singled to lead off the inning, and Soderstrom walked with one out, With two outs, JJ Bleday smoked a double to right-center, which scored both runs to make it 3-2. Miguel Andujar then fisted a base-hit up the middle to center to knock in Bleday, and just like that, it was tied.

The A’s were not done yet. Jacon Wilson lined a base-hit to left, and Urshela lined a double to the wall in left, which put the A’s ahead 5-3. Max Muncy capped it all off with a base-hit to left, which scored Urshela to make it 6-3.

The Padres scored a run in the top of the second to make it 6-4, and it looked like it was going to be a wild seesaw affair. However, he A’s went down scoreless in the bottom of the second, and Springs threw a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the third.

The A’s then got things going again in the bottom of the third. Bleday led off the inning with a walk, and Andujar singled him over to second. Wilson singled to left past the diving shortstop, Xander Bogaerts, to load the bases, but after left-fielder Oscar Gonzalez overran the ball, Bleday and Anujar both scored, to make it 8-4. Urshela followed that up with a double to left, and it was now 9-4.

From there, the game really settled down. Springs settled down from his early doldrums to retire 14 of the final 16 men he faced to cap off what was a solid six-inning performance.

Cease, on the other hand, was done after giving up nine runs and nine hits over a rough four innings.

Jose Leclerc pitched through a jam in the top of the seventh on his way to a scoreless inning. Bleday then led off the bottom of the seventh with a home run to right to make it 10-4.

Justin Sterner threw a scoreless top of the eighth, and Tyler Ferguson ended it with a scoreless top of the ninth.

At the end of the game, “California Love” by Tupac played as the A’s new victory song, replacing “celebration,” which of course was used for decades at the Coliseum.

Jeffrey Springs got the win, and Dylan Cease took the loss. The A’s improve to 5-7, and they can take the series with a win in the rubber match tomorrow afternoon.

Osvaldo Bido (5-3, 3.41 ERA) will take the ball for Oakland, and Randy Vasquez (0-1, 1.69 ERA) will go for the Fathers. First pitch will be at 12:35 p.m.

A’s News and Notes:

Tyler Soderstrom had to leave the game with tightness in his right calf. More on his condition should be available shortly.

Soderstrom hits two HRs, but A’s just short of first Sacramento win in 5-4 loss to Padres

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Sacramento A’s Lawrence Butler (4) swings for an RBI single in the bottom of the fourth inning against the San Diego Padres at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento on Mon Apr 7, 2025 (AP News photo)

Monday, April 7, 2025

Sutter Health Park

San Diego Padres 5 (3-7)

Sacramento Athletics 4 (8-1)

Win: Michael King (2-0)

Loss: Luis Severino (0-2)

Save: Robert Suarez (5)

Time: 2:19

Attendance: 9,502

By Stephen Ruderman

WEST SACRAMENTO–The A’s came up just short Monday night, as despite two home runs by Tyler Soderstrom, the San Diego Padres came in and beat the A’s by a final of 5-4 in the series opener at Sutter Health Park.

After getting swept in their first home series against the Cubs last week, the A’s took two out of three in Denver against the Rockies. Now they returned to their rental home looking for their first win in Sacramento with the San Diego Padres making their first trip to the state capital.

There wouldn’t be any better night for the A’s first home win. Their ace, Luis Severino, was on the mound, and it was an absolutely-gorgeous night in what is truly a major league-caliber area in Sacramento.

Things wouldn’t start easy for Severino and the A’s in the top of the first inning. Luis Arraez and Manny Machado hit back-to-back doubles with one out to give the Padres a quick 1-0 lead. Jake Croenworth then came up and hit a two-run home run, much to the delight of the Padres fans who had made the trek up north from San Diego, to make it 3-0.

Michael King made the start for San Diego, and he had to battle his way through a rocky first two innings. The A’s were unable to do anything with a pair of walks in the bottom of the first, and then they wasted an opportunity with runners at first and second with one out in the bottom of the second.

Severino appeared to have settled down with a 1-2-3 top of the second, but the Padres tacked on another run off him in the top of the third. Arraez singled with one out, and then Machado shot a double into the gap in right-center to make it 4-0.

The A’s would get on the board with two outs in the bottom of the third when Tyler Soderstrom gulfed a line-drive home run to the A’s bullpen in right. After a 1-2-3 inning by Severino in the top of the fourth, the A’s were ready to do more in the bottom of the fourth.

Miguel Andujar reached on an infield hit to start the bottom of the fourth, and Jacob Wilson followed that up with a base-hit to right to put runners at first and second with nobody out. Gio Urshela flew out to right, but Max Muncy lined a double to left that scored Andujar to make it 4-2. Lawrence Butler then reached on an infield hit to third to make it a one-run game at 4-3.

The A’s had the tying run at third with one out, but they were unable to tie it. Brent Rooker was caught looking at a sinker at the knees after fouling off three-straight two-strike pitches for the second out, and Soderstrom lined out to second.

Severino pitched a pair of scoreless innings in the fifth and sixth, and then Fernando Tatis Jr. made it a 5-3 game with an absolute bomb over the top of what I assume is the A’s new clubhouse out in left. Despite giving up five runs, Severino went seven innings.

King, meanwhile, pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the fifth, and he was pulled following a two-out infield hit by Manny Machado in the bottom of the sixth. Adrian Morejon then struck Butler out on three pitches to end the inning.

Jeremiah Estrada came in for San Diego in the bottom of the seventh, and with one out, Soderstrom hit his second home run of the night to get the run right back and make it 5-4. It went almost to the same spot as his first home run back in the third. Unlike his first home run, however, this one hung up a bit higher, and it went to the grass just behind the A’s bullpen.

That would do it for the scoring. Angel Perdomo pitched a scoreless top of the eighth for the cityless team, and Jason Adam did the same for San Diego in the bottom of the eighth. Perdomo pitched another scoreless inning in the top of the ninth, and Robert Suarez came in to pick up his fifth save with a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth.

Michael King got the win, and Luis Severino, despite his valiant effort Monday night, was saddled with the loss.

The A’s fall to 4-7, and are now 0-4 at their rental home in West Sac.

The A’s will have another chance to pick up their first Sacramento win on what should be another beautiful evening for baseball Tuesday night. Dylan Cease (1-0, 3.38 ERA) will take the ball for San Diego tomorrow night, and Sacramento will counter with the lefty, Jeffrey Springs (2-2, 3.27 ERA).

First pitch will be at 7:05 p.m.

Sacramento A’s recap: Soderstrom, Butler, and the Long Ball Show, but A’s Fall 12-5 in Coors Field Slugfest

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Colorado Rockies Ezequiel Tovar (right) is thrilled after hitting a double as Sacramento A’s shortstop Jacob Wilson holds the baseball in the bottom of the second inning at Coors Field on Sun Apr 6, 2025 (AP News photo)

Soderstrom, Butler, and the Long Ball Show, but A’s Fall in Coors Field Slugfest

By Mauricio Segura

The thin air of Coors Field once again served as a launchpad, but this time, it launched the Athletics straight into a granite wall of Rockies offense, cold and unmovable like the mountains behind them. Despite continuing their season-long home run streak and getting early fireworks from Tyler Soderstrom and Lawrence Butler, the green and gold dropped Sunday’s rubber match to the Rockies, 12-5.

Tyler Soderstrom wasted no time extending the A’s power streak to ten games, the longest season-opening run in franchise history. With two outs in the top of the first, Soderstrom’s two-run blast to right, his fourth of the season, gave the Athletics an early 2-0 lead and showcased the rookie’s knack for clutch power. He now leads the club in go-ahead homers.

Rookie starter Joey Estes, looking to rebound from a rough Opening Day outing, was once again roughed up. He gave up six runs across three innings, including a solo shot to Brenton Doyle in the bottom of the first. Doyle wasn’t done either. His two-run double in the second turned the tide and ignited a five-run Colorado rally that knocked the A’s on their heels.

Estes, who tied a career high by allowing nine hits in his previous start, couldn’t find rhythm in his Coors debut. After his ERA ballooned to 13.50, manager Mark Kotsay handed the reins to Mitch Spence in the fourth. Spence fared little better, yielding another run as Tovar and Doyle, Colorado’s 1-2 punch, continued to hammer the gaps.

Still, the A’s weren’t entirely silenced. Lawrence Butler, red-hot this series, crushed his first homer of the season in the fifth, a no-doubter to center that briefly narrowed the gap to 7-4. It was Butler’s sixth hit in two games, part of a much-needed turnaround for the outfielder who started the season batting .167 through seven games.

Miguel Andujar added three hits, including an RBI single in the fourth. The left fielder, who entered the game on a modest three-game hitting streak, quietly continues to be one of the A’s more consistent bats, now batting .304.

But whatever momentum the Athletics generated was flattened in the bottom of the eighth. The Rockies sent ten men to the plate, piling on five runs against Spence and T.J. McFarland. Ezequiel Tovar, who doubled twice and drove in three, delivered a two-run single in the inning to put the game out of reach. By the time Hunter Goodman’s two-run knock made it 12-4, the damage was done.

The A’s added one more in the ninth on Butler’s RBI single, but that was little consolation in a game where pitching woes once again told the story. Estes is now winless in his last four starts dating back to 2024, and Spence has surrendered ten earned runs over 6.2 innings this year.

Notably, Jacob Wilson’s contact streak ended after 33 plate appearances without a strikeout. He finally struck out, fanning once in the first inning and again in the ninth to end a remarkable run, the longest by an Athletic since Billy Burns in 2016. Wilson did add a single earlier in the game, extending his season-opening hit streak to ten games.

The loss dropped the Athletics to 4-6, still trying to find consistency after being swept at home by the Cubs. They’ll return to Sutter Health Park Monday to open a six-game homestand, starting with a series against the Padres. Luis Severino is expected to take the mound, still in search of his first win in green and gold.

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.

A’s Stun Rockies With Triple Play and Long Ball Barrage in 7-4 Comeback Win

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Sacramento A’s Jacob Wilson reaches second base after hitting a double for two RBIs in the top of the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver on Sat Apr 5, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Mauricio Segura

What began as a historic defensive feat for the Colorado Rockies ended as a thunderous offensive statement from the Sacramento A’s, who powered their way to a 7-4 comeback win Saturday night at Coors Field. Fueled by a relentless late-inning surge and capped by a dominant ninth from flame-throwing closer Mason Miller, the green and gold captured their second straight win in Denver.

The highlight reel started early for Colorado, who turned the first triple play of the 2025 Major League season in the top of the second. With runners on first and second, Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson grounded sharply to third baseman Ryan McMahon, who initiated a textbook 5-4-3 triple play. It was a moment of defensive brilliance, but the Rockies’ good fortune would be short-lived.

Sacramento starter JP Sears, who carried a career 1.80 ERA against the Rockies into the game, again kept them largely in check. Sears allowed three runs over six solid innings, using a mixture of command and guile to keep Coors Field’s hitter-friendly environment from becoming a launching pad.

Trouble found Sears in the second inning, when Kyle Farmer’s two-out double set up Sean Bouchard’s first homer of the year, a no-doubt two-run blast to left. Colorado tacked on another in the third, capitalizing on a walk and double-play ball to bring home Brenton Doyle for a 3-0 lead.

Then came Sacramento’s slow, steady comeback.

A fourth-inning wild pitch from Germán Márquez scored Lawrence Butler to get the A’s on the board. In the sixth, JJ Bleday and Shea Langeliers both drew walks before Tyler Soderstrom laced an RBI double. Márquez exited, and Jacob Wilson greeted reliever Jimmy Herget with a go-ahead two-run double to left, putting the A’s up 4-3.

That sixth inning outburst was no fluke, the A’s have been living and dying by the long ball. Coming into the night, 58.6% of their runs had come via homers, the fifth-highest mark in the majors. Saturday’s game only padded that stat.

In the seventh, Brent Rooker continued his hot start to the season by blasting his fourth home run, a solo shot to center. Two batters later, Langeliers, who now has three homers on the year, crushed a two-run bomb to give the A’s a commanding 7-3 lead.

Lawrence Butler had himself a night, going 3 for 4 with a double, single, walk, and a caught stealing. The speedy right fielder is now batting .400 against the Rockies in the series and flashed some aggressive base running that kept the Rockies’ defense alert.

Jacob Wilson also extended his season-opening hit streak to eight games and remains one of only two players in the majors without a strikeout this season. His plate discipline and clutch contact continue to impress, and Saturday’s two-run double proved vital.

The Rockies tried to claw back in the eighth with a solo homer from Ryan McMahon, but their rally fizzled when Kyle Farmer flew out to end the inning.

Then came the closer, Mason Miller.

The electric right-hander closed the door with his third save of the year, striking out two in the ninth while allowing a single and a wild pitch. Miller has now struck out eight of the 11 batters he’s faced this season and remains unscored upon.

Despite a rocky 3-5 start to the year, the A’s have now taken two straight at Rocky Mountain altitude, showcasing the same scrappy resilience they showed in Friday’s extra-innings victory.

The A’s next be looking for the sweep Sunday behind A’s right-hander Joey Estes 0-1 ERA 13.50 vs. Rockies starter RHP Chase Dollander 0-0 ERA 0.00 first pitch 12:10pm 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.

MLB podcast with Michael Roberson Sun Apr 6, 2025: Are torpedo bats legal?; Dodgers fall short of season opening consecutive win record; plus more MLB news

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Austin Wells of the New York Yankees hits a home run in the first inning of the Yankees’ game against the Milwaukee Brewers on March 29. The Yankees went on to win 20-9. Wells was using what some have dubbed a “torpedo bat.” Angelina Katsanis/AP

MLB podcast Michael Roberson Apr 5, 2025:

#1 Michael, talk about the torpedo bat. It has more mass one the barrel and gives players an advantage of impact as the bat meets the ball. The torpedo does what the traditional bat doesn’t. Is this bat legal and is it a better advantage say than the corked bat?

#2 The Los Angeles Dodgers were 8-0 going up against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night but it was sloppy baserunning that caught the Dodgers flatfooted and they wound up losing in a nail biter 3-2. The Dodgers were within two games of tying the Brooklyn Dodgers 1955 start of ten wins in a row.

#3 Cleveland Guardians Jose Ramirez had himself a Friday night slugging three home runs and making Cleveland history in hitting three homers in one ball game. Ramirez hit homers in the first, fifth and ninth innings.The Guardians ended up besting the Los Angeles Angels

 #4 Micahel, Friday’s home opener for the San Francisco Giants wound up being a marathon going 11 innings as the Giants edged the Seattle Mariners at Oracle Park 10-9. The other story was Giants veteran starter Justin Verlander who struggled in 2 1/3 innings of work surrendering five hits and three earned runs. Verlander also struggled in his last outing. It was Verlander’s first start at Oracle Park since the 2012 World Series 13 years ago when he was with the Detroit Tigers.

#5 Michael wanted to ask you about the Sacramento A’s opening homestand. The A’s got swept in all three games to the Chicago Cubs and all three contests were not even close. The A’s so far have faired better on the road as they are so far 3-2 getting two wins in Seattle and one in Colorado. It should also be mentioned the A’s have not sold out any of the three games in Sacramento.

Michael podcasts MLB Headline Sundays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com