Tag: Sacramento A’s

Early Hole Too Much for A’s in 8-1 Loss to Rangers

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Luis Severino #40 of the Athletics pitches against the Texas Rangers in the first inning at Sutter Health Park on April 13, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory photo credit: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento Athletics made their triumphant return to Sacramento on Monday night after completing a six-game New York road trip. The A’s made stops in Queens and in the Bronx to face the Yankees and the Mets three games apiece in the frigid New York temperatures. The A’s took two out of three from the Yankees prior to sweeping the Mets to go 5-1 on the trip and improve their record to 8-7 on the season.

The A’s welcomed the Texas Rangers to Sutter Health Park for the beginning of a four-game series on Monday night.

Poor pitching and a lack of offense early doomed the A’s as they fell to the Rangers 8-1 in nine innings.

Luis Severino got the start for the A’s and pitched poorly early on, putting the A’s in an early hole. Severino allowed five of the first six hitters of the game to reach base, including a three-run homer from Jake Burger to put the Rangers up three to nothing in the first inning.

Severino continued to struggle with command and gave up another home run to Burger in the third inning to put the Rangers up 4-0. Severino needed 60 pitches to get through the first three innings, but he calmed down after that and settled in well for the rest of his outing. Severino ended up tossing six innings of four-run, six-hit baseball while walking three and striking out seven.

“I just need to stop walking people,” Severino told the media after his start. “I feel like the first inning, everything happened in the first inning and after that I’m good. I need to be able to handle the first inning. I don’t know why I’m walking people just in the first inning and then after that I’m getting better. I need to figure it out.”

A’s manager Mark Kotsay thought Severino settled in nicely, but the damage done early proved costly.

“He got into the zone with Burger, made a mistake with a fastball over the heart of the plate after walking two guys, which always hurts,” Kotsay said postgame. “We talk about a solo homer, the impact isn’t as big. So for him to settle back in after that first inning and really pitch well, that’s the Sevvy we expect, and I think that’s the one we’re going to see going forward.”

Severino seems more comfortable this season even if the conditions are similar to last season. He has frequently mentioned the lack of a nearby clubhouse as a factor in some of his issues in Sacramento, after which the A’s added a small room this season in between the dugout and the restroom for him to find some mid-start reprieve.

Asked if the room has made it any better for him:

“Yeah, of course. A hundred percent,” Severino said after the game. “You have a little AC machine out there. You get to be there by yourself, you aren’t looking at anybody. So I think that’s helping, being by yourself. [You can] think about what adjustment you can do to go out there and compete.”

Jack Perkins was first out of the bullpen for the A’s in the seventh inning, coming in for Severino. Perkins pitched well in the seventh inning, facing only three batters and striking out two, but trouble found him when he went back out for the eighth inning.

Corey Seager hit a ground-rule double that was close to being caught by Lawrence Butler in right field, and then Perkins struck out Jake Burger. Yet, it was the next at-bat that turned the tide for Perkins. Joc Pederson hit a relatively routine ground ball up the middle to shortstop Jacob Wilson, but Edwin Jimenez did a poor job vacating his spot, and the ball hit him, allowing Pederson to reach and Seager to advance to third base. It proved costly, as Perkins allowed four runs after that and surrendered a total of five hits while walking a batter. He finished with one and two-thirds innings while adding four strikeouts.

After the game, Mark Kotsay voiced his displeasure over that play and a no-call on a check swing that Kyle Higashioka appeared to have offered at.

“Great point [my question about the play] for Perk, he went one, two, three in the first,” Kotsay told me postgame. “One out [when the play happened], we were trying to obviously keep the game at four. He goes out and not only was there bad luck with the ground ball, there was a check swing that Higashioka went on that obviously wasn’t called. Easily, the inning could have gone differently.”

In what was a mostly tough outing for A’s pitchers, Luis Medina shined, allowing nothing but a walk while striking out one in his one and a third innings of work to finish out the game.

“We’re continuing to build him [Medina] up,” Kotsay told me. “This is a kid that we talk about a lot that hasn’t pitched in two years and needs to get out there and touch the mound. I thought for his inning and a third, he did a nice job.”

The A’s bats did little to nothing in the first game home after their East Coast road trip. The A’s tallied only five total hits and one run—a Lawrence Butler solo home run to right field in the eighth inning—and nothing else. Shea Langeliers added two hits in the game to raise his season average to .306 in what has been a hot start for the catcher.

Along with his home run, Lawrence Butler was responsible for some home run robbery in the fifth inning. Corey Seager was Butler’s victim on Monday as he tracked a ball to the short wall in right-center field and brought it back to save Luis Severino from giving up his fifth run of the game.

After the game, Severino was appreciative of Butler’s efforts, albeit in a loss.

“Law made a great play there,” Severino told me after the game. “Now I need to get something nice for him… I need to buy some shoes or something good. But yeah, he did a great play.”

The A’s fell back to .500 on the season at 8-8 with the loss as they prepare to take on the Rangers in game two of the four-game series on Tuesday at 6:40 p.m. PST. Jeffrey Springs (2-0, 1.47 ERA) is slated to go for the A’s, while the Rangers will counter with MacKenzie Gore (2-0, 2.76 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. 

Sacramento A’s podcast Barbara Mason: A’s successful road trip moves them in first place; Open series with Rangers Monday at Sutter Health

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Sacramento A’s starter Aaron Civale delivers to the New York Mets line up at Citi Field New York on Sun Apr 12, 2026 (AP News photo)

Sacramento A’s podcast with Barbara Mason Mon Apr 13, 2026

#1 Barbara, a rather impressive road trip for the Sacramento A’s taking five out six games in three game series against the New York Yankees and New York Mets.

#2 In the first series against the Yankees the A’s narrowly lost that first and only game as they lost a 3-1 lead and the Yankees ralled for four runs to win it 5-3 but the A’s mastered five straight wins the rest of the way.

#3 In game three on Thursday at Yankee Stadium A’s starter Jefferey Springs took a no hitter into the seventh inning but lost it when the Yanks Ben Rice socked a single to break up the bid. But it shows you the depth of the A’s pitching and hitting to win against both New York teams five out of six games.

#4 Against the Mets once again the A’s got great pitching on Friday and Sunday with shutout wins on Saturday the A’s won in a slugfest 11-6 sweeping the three game series.

#5 The A’s open up a three game series against the Texas Rangers. The Rangers are tied with the A’s in the standings this will be a real test going up against their Western Division rival back in West Sacramento at Sutter Health Field on Monday night. Starting pitchers for the Rangers RHP Nathan Eovaldi (1-2 ERA 7.98) for the A’s RHP Luis Severino (0-1 ERA 5.40) first pitch 6:40pm PDT.

Join Barbara for the Sacramento A’s podcasts each Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

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. 

MLB The Show podcast Charlie O: Dodgers and Muncy on a run; Pitching injuries strike Astros, Braves, and Jays; plus more news

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Los Angeles Dodgers Max Muncy hits a walk off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Texas Rangers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Fri Apr 10, 2026 (AP News photo)

MLB The Show podcast Charlie O:

#1 How did Max Muncy’s three-home-run Friday night power the Los Angeles Dodgers to a dramatic walk-off win?

#2 Are early-season pitching injuries putting contenders like the Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves, and Toronto Blue Jays in danger?

#3 The Sacramento A’s starter Jeffery Springs took a no hitter into the seventh inning on Thursday the A’s defeated the New York Yankees 1-0. The A’s turned around and won two in a row from the New York Mets and won five straight games Wednesday through Sunday and moved into a first place tie with the Texas Rangers.

#4 What impact will Craig Kimbrel’s call-up have on the Mets’ bullpen moving forward? Kimbrel pitch an inning giving up a hit and striking out two on Saturday despite the Mets getting beat by the A’s 11-6.

#5 Did the Phillies’ back-to-back homers from Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper signal a turnaround defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-3. The Phils had lost two out of three in San Francisco before returning to Citizens Bank Friday.

Join Charlie O for MLB The Show podcasts Sundays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento A’s game wrap: Kurtz hits Mets where it hurts with HR; Sac gets shutout pitching from Civale in 1-0 series sweep; A’s in first in AL West

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Sacramento A’s Nick Kurtz looks upward and gives thanks to the Almighty after slugging his first home run of the season against the New York Mets in the top of the third inning at Citi Field in New York on Sun Apr 12, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Jessica Kwong

NEW YORK. — The Sacramento Athletics beat the New York Mets 1-0 at Citi Field on Sunday afternoon and swept them for the first time in franchise history.

With their fifth straight victory, the Athletics are in first place in the American League West a half game ahead of the second place Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels. The A’s came away 5-1 on their road trip against both New York teams, after giving up only the first game against the New York Yankees.

Nick Kurtz hit his first homer of the season, a fly ball to right field, in the third inning to put the A’s up 1-0. Kurtz laughed the shot off Freddy Peralta (1-1) after notching 36 home runs last season and the AL Rookie of the Year title.

In the sixth, Francisco Lindor singled on a sharp line drive to center fielder Denzel Clarke but the Mets failed to score a run.

A’s starting pitcher Aaron Civale set the tone early and never let up, working 5.2 scoreless innings while allowing just four hits. After surrendering a leadoff single in the first, Civale settled in and retired 13 consecutive batters at one point, keeping the Mets off balance all afternoon.

The bullpen continued the effort seamlessly. Hogan Harris, Scott Barlow, and Joel Kuhnel combined to finish the shutout, with Kuhnel locking down the ninth for his second save. It was a clinical performance from a staff that has quietly become a strength during this road trip.

After a slow start to the season, this road trip marks a turning point for the A’s.

The Athletics return home to West Sacramento and welcome the Texas Rangers (7-7) for a four-game series starting on Monday. A’s right-handed pitcher Luis Severino (0-1, 4.50 ERA) will face Rangers right-handed pitcher Nathan Eovaldi (1-2, 7.98 ERA ) in the opener. First pitch is at 6:40 p.m. PT.

Sacramento A’s game wrap: A’s on fire win 4th in a row; Sac’s Soderstrom connects for two home runs in 11-6 win

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Sacramento A’s Tyler Soderstrom is thrilled after hitting a three run home run against the New York Mets in the top of the eighth inning at Citi Field in New York on Sat Apr 11, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Jessica Kwong

NEW YORK. — The Sacramento Athletics beat the New York Mets, 11-6, to clinch the series victory at Citi Field on Saturday evening and notch their fourth straight win of the season.

Tyler Soderstrom hit two home runs and drove in five runs, and the A’s tagged Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga for a career-high seven runs over a career-low 2.1 innings. In the final stretch of their six-game road trip in the New York City area, the A’s have emerged a different team.

“Obviously we’re playing really good baseball against really good teams. We knew the first two weeks of our season were going to be a challenge with the teams that we were facing,” said A’s manager Mark Kotsay. “Right now we’ve got a chance to obviously sweep a series in New York, which, you know, it says a lot about the team and the confidence that they have.”

Bo Bichette singled on a line drive to center fielder Denzel Clarke and Luis Robert Jr. scored, putting the Mets up 1-0 in the first inning.

In the second, Clarke walked and Jacob Wilson scored, tying the game. Lawrence Butler grounded into a force out, fielded by second baseman Marcus Semien, and Jeff McNeil scored, giving the A’s a 2-1 lead.

Tyler Soderstrom hit a home run on a fly ball to right center field and Shea Langeliers scored.

“It’s good to get the first one out of the way and then just keep rolling,” said Soderstrom.

Then Carlos Cortes hit a home run on a fly ball to right center field and Jacob Wilson and McNeil scored, expanding the A’s lead to 7-1. It was his first homer of the season.

Cortes said the key to his success was “always preparing like I’m going to play, even if I know I’m not going to play.”

In the fifth inning, Bichette homered on a fly ball to right field and Francisco Lindor scored, cutting the Mets’ lead to 7-3.

The umpire reviewed a home run in the sixth inning and the call on the field was overturned, and Francisco Alvarez’s fly ball to center field put the Mets within three runs of the A’s. Bretty Baty hit a sacrifice fly to center fielder Clarke and Carson Benge scored, and the Mets trailed 7-5.

In the seventh inning, Jorge Polanco hit a home run on a fly ball to right field, putting the Mets within one.

Langeliers in the eighth singled on a ground ball to Benge and Clarke scored, putting the A’s up 8-6. Soderstrom homered on a fly ball to right center field and Nick Kurtz and Langeliers scored, putting the A’s on top 11-6.

“The guys swang the at-bats really well, I mean, what a day for both Sodi and Cortes. You know, big hit by Lang there in the eighth, keep the inning going,” Kotsay said. “So offensively we took some great at-bats against some good pitching today and the results were there.”

New York (7-8) dropped a season-high four consecutive games. The A’s have won five of their last six games at Citi Field.

In the series finale on Sunday, A’s right-handed pitcher Aaron Civale (1-0 ERA 2.70) will face Mets right-handed pitcher Freddy Peralta (1-0 ERA 4.80). First pitch is at 10:40 a.m. PT at Citi Field.

Sacramento A’s report: A’s Springs loses no hit bid in 7th blank Yanks 1-0

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Sacramento A’s pitcher Jefferey Springs takes aim on the New York Yankees lineup in the first inning at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx on Wed Apr 9, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Jessica Kwong

NEW YORK.— Sacramento Athletics starting pitcher Jeffrey Springs carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning in a 1-0 win over the New York Yankees on Thursday afternoon – their first series victory at Yankee Stadium in a decade.

The game was runless until the seventh, when Tyler Soderstrom singled on a sharp line drive to right fielder Aaron Judge and Max Muncy scored, putting the A’s up 1-0.

Springs did not allow a hit from 22 batters before giving up a single to Ben Rice in the seventh. Afterward, he said that he “honestly didn’t realize it was the seventh inning already.”

“I was an inning behind for some reason,” said Springs. “Obviously was trying to get one out, two out, three outs and then reset and do it again. Yeah, obviously trying to be efficient, trying to get quick outs and go as deep as possible in the game and then you know you look up and it’s seven innings.”

A’s manager Mark Kotsay complimented “another great quality start from Jeff” and said he “mixed pitches really well today.” He added that Springs is “just a different guy from last year” and “feeling really confident right now.”

Springs and relief pitchers Justin Sterner and Hogan Harris combined for the team’s first shutout of the season.

“To come into New York – it was a tough game, first game of the series – and to fight these two games and come out with the series win, again I think these guys are really coming together as a group and it’s showing out there on the field right now,” Kotsay said.

A’s first baseman Nick Kurtz said: “It’s kind of what we came in here to do… We started the year not great and we knew what we could do and I feel like now we’re showing it.”

Brent Rooker was injured on a first-inning swing and left with back pain. He said he was feeling “alright” with some soreness and tightness on his right side and will undergo further imaging on Friday.

The Athletics (4-7) are 2-1 in their six-game road trip that continues with a three-game series against the New York Mets (7-5) starting on Friday. The A’s named RHP JT Ginn (0-0 ERA 5.14) who will face Mets right-handed pitcher RHP Clay Holmes (2-0 ERA 1.42). First pitch at Citi Field is at 4:10 p.m. PT.

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 game wrap: A’s come back to edge Yanks 3-2 to even series in the Bronx

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Sacramento A’s catcher Shea Langeliers (23) congratulates pitcher Jon Kuhnel (right) after defeating the New York Yankees in the bottom of the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx on Wed Apr 8, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Jessica Kwong

NEW YORK.—The Sacramento Athletics rallied to beat the New York Yankees 3-2 at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night and tied the three-game series.

Brent Rooker hit a sacrifice fly off David Bednar that sealed the game for the A’s after four innings of a 2-2 tied score.

In the first inning, Cody Bellinger singled on a fly ball to left fielder Tyler Soderstrom and Trent Grisham scored, putting the Yankees up 1-0.

Then Shea Langeliers challenged a pitch result and the call on the field was confirmed, allowing J.C. Escarra to walk and Aaron Judge to score, and boosting New York up 2-0.

In the fourth inning, Jeff McNeil singled on a ground ball to Bellinger and Lawrence Butler scored, and the A’s trailed the Yankees 2-1. On a wild pitch by WIll Warren, Max Muncy scored and tied the game 2-2.

In the ninth, Rooker went out on a sacrifice fly to center fielder Trent Grisham and Nick Kurtz scored, giving Oakland the win.

A’s starting pitcher Luis Severino in his third start of the season allowed two runs in five innings without recording a decision.

“I know I got the stuff to go through a good lineup, so I decided to fight, go out there against a great lineup, a team that has been in the playoffs many years, so I’m happy,” said Severino.

Right-handed pitcher Joel Kuhnel tossed a perfect ninth and recorded his first save of the season, which was his first since 2022. Kuhnel didn’t make the Opening Day roster but was called up on Tuesday and said he felt “really relaxed, honestly.”

“Coming up, just really felt at home,” he said. “No weird first-day jitters because I was around a bunch of guys I didn’t know. So, I felt really good and really relaxed.”

A’s manager Mark Kotsay said of Kuhnel: “He’s only got one save in his career, and to come in that moment there with a one-run lead and get three outs, it says a lot about just the grind that he’s put in to get back here in the big leagues.”

Kotsay added that the bullpen “did a great job.”

The A’s (4-7) are 1-1 in their six-game road trip which will continue in the Bronx on Thursday. First pitch for their last game of the series against the Yankees (8-2) is at 10:35 a.m PDT. Sacramento’s LHP Jeffrey Springs (1-0 ERA 2.38) will face New York’s LHP Ryan Weathers (0-0, ERA 4.30).

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 game wrap: A’s can’t hold lead, Yanks rally for four runs in 8th for 5-3 win

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Sacramento A’s catcher Shea Langeliers (23) bumps gloves with pitcher Justin Sterner (60) in the bottom of the sixth inning at Yankee Stadium on Tue Apr 7, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Jessica Kwong

NEW YORK.—The Sacramento Athletics fell to the New York Yankees 5-3 in the series opener at Yankee Stadium after the home team rallied in the eighth inning on Tuesday night.

New York went 0 for 12 with runners on base and went into the eight inning down 3-1. But Amed Rosario’s second home run of the night sealed the Yankees’ comeback.

“It’s a tough loss, for sure. Their lineup is tough and you gotta try to navigate it,” said A’s manager Mark Kotsay. “It’s unfortunate, guys had a 3-1 lead in the eighth. You want to secure those wins and we gotta figure out a way to do that.”

Rosario hit his first home run on a fly ball to left field in the second inning to put the Yankees up 1-0.

In the third inning, Nick Kurtz doubled on a sharp line drive to center fielder Trent Grisham, allowing Max Muncy and Jeff McNeil to score and giving the A’s a 2-1 lead. Then Tyler Soderstrom doubled to right field on fan interference and Kurtz scored, boosting the A’s to 3-1.

In the eighth, Giancarlo Stanton singled on a line drive to center fielder Denzel Clarke and Cody Bellinger Scored, cutting the A’s lead to 3-2. Then Rosario hit another homer on a fly ball to left field, allowing Ben Rice and Randal Grichuk to score and putting the Yankees up 5-3.

A’s right-handed pitcher Mark Leiter Jr. was caught off guard by Stanton’s hit going in the direction it did, said Kotsay.

“It led to opening up that inning,” said the manager.

A’s starting pitcher Aaron Civale allowed just one run over five innings pitched, but did not record a decision. He allowed a solo home run to Rosario in the second, and just one hit in his final 15 batters. He said he’s working on integrating quickly with the A’s after bouncing around for the last few years.

“Just feel like they’ve done a good job of understanding who I am and going out there and doing that,” said Civale. “If the game plan works where there’s a certain weakness or strength on the hitter’s side, try to overlay that. But at the end of the day, just try to be me at the end of the day and go out there and compete.”

The A’s (3-7) are 0-1 to start their six-game road trip, which continues on to the New York Mets. First pitch for game two against the Yankees (8-2) on Wednesday is at 4:05 p.m. PT. Starting pitcher for Sacramento former Yankee RHP Luis Severino (0-1 ERA 6.48) for New York RHP Will Warren (1-0 ERA 2.70) at Yankee Stadium.

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. 

Rooker’s Blow Sends Sacramento Fans Into a Frenzy; A’s walk off on Astros in 12-10 win

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Sacramento A’s Brook Rooker rounds the bases after hitting a three run home run in the bottom of the tenth against the Houston Astros at Sutter Health Park in Houston on Sun Apr 5, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Mauricio Segura

WEST SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Athletics are determined to remind the baseball world of their potential. Coming into Sunday’s game they were 2-6, had been steamrolled 11-0 by the Houston Astros the day before, and had stumbled through the season’s first week with a .201 team batting average and the lowest on-base percentage in the majors. The A’s delivered on Sunday in ten innings with a 12-10 win on a walk off three run home run in the tenth by Brent Rooker.

Still, there were a few signs this matchup might not stay gloomy for long. The A’s had split the first two games of the series. They showed moments of brilliance both at the plate with Max Muncy being a thorn in Houston’s side, and defensively with Jacob Wilson and Denzel Clarke robbing some key extra base hits. Sunday’s performance did not disappoint.

For four innings, Jacob Lopez gave the Green and Gold exactly what they needed. The left-hander looked keyed-in, calm, and far more dangerous than he had in his previous outing at Atlanta, when he failed to record a strikeout. This time he punched out Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, and Christian Walker in the first inning alone, then kept Houston off the board through four scoreless frames. Lopez had handled the Astros well in two starts against them last season, and for most of this afternoon he looked like he had picked up right where he left off.

The Athletics had chances early but kept tripping over their own shoelaces. In the first inning, Kurtz walked and Shea Langeliers followed with a single, only for Tyler Soderstrom to bounce into a double play that killed the threat. In the third, Kurtz singled, stole second after a successful challenge, and later advanced on a pickoff error, but the A’s still could not score.

Then came the fifth, and the game finally woke up snarling. After a brief delay, Jose Altuve singled and Yordan Alvarez hammered a two-run shot to right-center to give Houston a 2-0 lead. Correa later walked, stole second, and scored on Cam Smith’s single to make it 3-0. At that point, Sutter Health Park had every reason to brace for another rotten afternoon. Instead, the Athletics flipped the table.

Max Muncy continued his punishment by starting the bottom of the fifth with a single, Jeff McNeil walked, and Carlos Cortes drove in the first run with a double to right. Then the inning turned into a full-on stampede. Kurtz walked to load the bases, Langeliers hit a fly ball that was not deep enough to score a run, and Soderstrom answered by lashing a sharp fly ball into right for a bases-clearing triple. Just like that, a 3-1 deficit became a 4-3 lead. Brent Rooker followed with a sacrifice fly to score Soderstrom and push the Athletics ahead 5-3. One inning earlier the game felt like a slog. By the inning’s end, it felt like a brawl that was just getting started.

This game had no interest of behaving like a normal lazy Sunday afternoon at the ballpak. In the seventh, Correa singled and Walker crushed a two-run homer to left-center, tying the score at 5-5. The Athletics answered again in the bottom half. Soderstrom walked, and Rooker finally uncorked the kind of swing Sacramento had been waiting for all season, blasting a two-run homer to left for a 7-5 lead. That swing carried extra weight. Rooker entered the day sitting on 99 home runs as an Athletic, and that shot made him the 30th player in franchise history to reach 100. He was not done.

The A’s kept piling on in the seventh. Lawrence Butler doubled, Muncy again, singled, McNeil dropped in a run-scoring hit, and Cortes followed with another RBI single to stretch the lead to 9-5. It should have been enough, but the baseball God’s refused to call it a day. In the eighth, Jake Meyers led off with a homer, Altuve later doubled home another run, and with two outs Cam Smith lined a single to center that scored both Altuve and Nick Allen, tying the game at 9-9. Just like that, four runs were gone and the bullpen had turned a likely win into a fresh headache.

The Athletics nearly escaped in the ninth, but Altuve made sure the Astros stayed alive by throwing out McNeil at the plate after Langeliers chopped a single through the infield. Houston then grabbed a 10-9 lead in the 10th when Correa grounded a single to left, scoring the automatic runner. Sacramento’s answer came quickly. Langeliers began the bottom half at second, moved to third on a wild pitch, and watched Soderstrom draw a walk. Then Rooker strode up again and ended the whole circus with one violent swing, launching a three-run walk-off homer to left.

It was messy, loud, uplifting, and probably bad for the blood pressure of every die-hard fan in the building. It was also exactly the kind of win the Athletics needed. They got punch from Soderstrom, spark from Kurtz, continued attack from Muncy, and a star turn from Rooker, who turned 99 franchise home runs into 101 in a single afternoon. On a day that looked ready to slide off the rails three different times, the Athletics kept climbing back on and finally rode the whole thing home.

The A’s now head east for three games beginning Tuesday the 7th against the Yankees and then a weekend series against the Mets, before returning back to West Sacramento on Monday the 13th to host the Texas Rangers for four games.

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. 

Astros Rout Athletics 11-0 as Morales, Bullpen Falter

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Luis Morales #19 of the Athletics pitches against the Houston Astros in the top of the first inning at Sutter Health Park on April 04, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

WEST SACRAMENTO — The Athletics were back in action on Saturday afternoon for game two of a three-game series against the Houston Astros. The Athletics, who famously snubbed the city of Sacramento last season by not wearing the name on their uniforms, debuted a new “Sacramento” gold jersey on Saturday for their matinee affair with the Astros.

Poor pitching, poor defense and a lackluster offensive performance doomed the A’s as they fell to the Astros 11-0.

Luis Morales took the hill for the A’s in his second start of the 2026 campaign after a rough outing in Atlanta to open his season, where he gave up five runs and three home runs in four and a third innings of work.

On Saturday, Morales didn’t fare much better, going only 3+ innings while giving up five runs on eight hits and striking out none. However, it wasn’t just the Astros hitting Morales around. Luis did himself no favors, giving up six walks during his outing, where command was clearly an issue.

The rest of the A’s staff didn’t perform much better.

Elvis Alvarado came on to relieve Morales and struggled. Elvis gave up two runs on three hits while walking two and striking out none.

Hogan Harris was next out of the pen for the A’s as he pitched the sixth inning. Harris gave up three runs while allowing four hits and two walks in his one inning of work.

Luis Medina came on to pitch the seventh and eighth innings, in which he allowed one run on two hits while walking two and striking out four in his two innings of work.

Michael Kelly was last out of the bullpen for the A’s as he worked the ninth inning and surrendered no runs while giving up a walk and a hit.

The A’s committed some costly defensive miscues in the game, but none counted as errors. Max Muncy missed two ground balls at third base that Mark Kotsay described after the game as, “I thought there were plays at third base we could have made today.”

Tyler Soderstrom also lost a ball in the high sky and sun that ended up costing the A’s a run. “Obviously he did everything you could right up until the last second,” Kotsay said after the game. “Obviously day games, sun, tough situation, ended up costing us a run. Not lack of effort.”

On the offensive side of the ball, the A’s struggled all game as they managed only eight baserunners. The A’s tallied five hits and walked three times while failing to score any runs against the Astros staff.

Max Muncy managed two more hits to follow up his three-hit performance on Friday night.

The A’s will stay home to take on the Astros in the rubber game of the three-game series on Sunday at 1:05 p.m. PST. Jacob Lopez (0-1, 6.75 ERA) will go for the A’s, while the Astros will send Lance McCullers Jr. (1-0, 1.29 ERA) to the mound looking for the series win.

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.