New York Yankees Aaron Judge (99) circles the bases against San Francisco Giant pitcher Ryan Boruki (47) in the fifth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Sat Mar 28, 2026 (AP News photo)
MLB The Show podcast Charlie O:
#1 How concerned should the San Francisco Giants brass of CEO Larry Baer and team president Buster Posey be. It’s been just three games but the New York Yankees swept the Giants in three games and the Giants could only muster a run in the three game series.
#2 Is these loses based on just some rookie decisons by Giants manager Tony Vitello or were the Yankees just ready for the Giants?
#3 For the second night in a row the Sacarmento A’s lost on walk off hits. The Jays Ernie Clement slugged a walk off base hit to win it in the bottom of the 11th inning beating the A’s 8-7.
#4 Tough loss for A’s reliever Luis Medina who came close to getting out of the inning but ghost runner Nathan Lukes scored from second on a base hit by Clement. For Medina 0.1 innings, one hit, one walk and one strike out.
#5 Charlie talk about Netflix taking over the national broadcasts for MLB. How costly is it for the fans and is the network competant in their national coverage?
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Jeff Hoffman (23) and catcher Tyler Heineman (left) exchange congratulations after defeating the Sacramento A’s at Rogers Centre in Toronto on Sun Mar 29, 2026 (Canadian via AP photo)
Sacramento A’s game wrap
Springer Sets the Tone as Blue Jays Hold Off Late Push
By Mauricio Segura
The afternoon at Rogers Centre opened with a jolt, and the Toronto Blue Jays never really let the Sacramento Athletics recover from it. Toronto rode early power and steady pitching to a 5-2 finale, controlling the game from the first inning while fending off the A’s only real surge midway through.
It didn’t take long for the tone to be set. After Eric Lauer struck out the side in a dominant top of the first, George Springer stepped in and wasted no time getting the Jays airborn. His solo shot to left, his first of the season, gave Toronto a quick 1-0 lead and immediately put the green and gold on their heels. That early punch turned into a trend, as the Athletics struggled to solve Lauer and the Blue Jays’ pitching staff all afternoon.
Through the first four innings, the A’s offense was quiet to the point of frustration. They didn’t record a hit until the fifth and struck out repeatedly against a Toronto staff that looked sharp and confident. Lauer set the bar high with command and swing-and-miss stuff, retiring nine of the first ten hitters he faced while piling up strikeouts.
Meanwhile, Toronto bats kept building. In the third inning, Jesús Sánchez extended the lead with a two-run homer to center, scoring Tyler Heineman and pushing the margin to 3-0. The Blue Jays weren’t just hitting for power; they were capitalizing on opportunities. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. added a single in the same inning, keeping traffic on the bases and pressure on the Athletics’ pitching.
An inning later, Kazuma Okamoto added another blow, launching his first career home run to right-center. That made it 4-0 and gave Toronto a comfortable cushion. At that point, the game had the feel of one slipping away from the A’s, who still had yet to mount any kind of consistent threat.
Finally, in the fifth, the Athletics showed life. Jacob Wilson sparked the inning with a line-drive double to center, and Max Muncy followed with a towering two-run homer to right. In just a few pitches, the deficit was cut in half, 4-2, and the energy shifted slightly. For the first time all afternoon, Toronto looked slightly vulnerable.
But the Blue Jays answered immediately in the bottom half. After a pair of walks and a single loaded the bases, Addison Barger drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in Tyler Heineman, restoring a three-run lead at 5-2. It wasn’t flashy, but it was effective, and it halted any momentum the Athletics had started to build. A double play from Okamoto ended the inning, but the damage had already been done.
From there, the game settled into a quieter rhythm. The A’s had chances to chip away but couldn’t deliver the key hit. Nick Kurtz singled in the sixth, and Shea Langeliers reached in the eighth, but each time Toronto’s bullpen tightened the screws. Braydon Fisher, Tommy Nance, Mason Fluharty, and Jeff Hoffman combined to keep the Athletics in check, preserving the lead without much drama.
Defensively, both teams had their moments, but Toronto’s pitching carried the day. The Blue Jays racked up strikeouts throughout, including a stretch that highlighted just how difficult it was for the A’s to make solid contact. Even when the Athletics put the ball in play late, it rarely turned into anything meaningful.
In the ninth, the A’s made one last push. Jacob Wilson singled with two outs to bring the tying run a little closer to the plate, but Max Muncy struck out swinging to end it, sealing Toronto’s win and capping a game that was defined by early control and timely responses.
The A’s offense never found a rhythm in this series finale across the border. Too many strikeouts and too little pressure allowed Toronto to dictate the pace from start to finish. For the Blue Jays, it was a complete effort, highlighted by power, patience, and pitching that never let the game slip away.
The A’s now head to Atlanta for a three game series Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday, before heading back to Sacramento to open up before the home fans on Friday.
Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has covered sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for various magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, The Golden Bay Times. 2026 marks his 15th season covering Athletics baseball.
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.
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Vladimir Guerrero Jr slides in safely to score in front of Sacramento A’s catcher Shea Langeliers (23) in the bottom of the sixth inning at Rogers Centre in Toronto on Sat Mar 27, 2026 (Canadian Press via AP News)
By Mauricio Segura
What started as a quiet, tightly wound pitcher’s duel turned into a full-blown nail biter by the time the Sacramento Athletics and Toronto Blue Jays staggered into extra innings for the second consecutive day. In the end, again, Toronto walked it off in the 11th, escaping with an 8-7 win after a game that flipped momentum so many times it felt like neither team ever truly had control.
The early innings belonged to the arms. Both lineups came out swinging but found little success, combining for just a handful of baserunners through the first two frames. The Athletics threatened in the third when Nick Kurtz walked and later reached third, but a Soderstrom strikeout ended the chance.
Toronto finally broke through in the bottom half of that inning, stringing together three straight hits capped off by George Springer’s RBI double to give the Blue Jays a 1–0 lead. Even then, it could have been worse, but a sharp defensive play from Tyler Soderstrom in left cut down Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at third to limit the damage.
Toronto’s slim lead held until the sixth, when the Athletics finally cracked through. Kurtz walked, stole second, and came home on Tyler Soderstrom’s RBI double to tie the game at one. The response from the Blue Jays was immediate. After Guerrero Jr. drew another walk, Daulton Varsho delivered a go-ahead RBI single in the bottom half to push Toronto back in front, 2–1.
The seventh inning changed everything.
The Athletics loaded the bases with a mix of singles and aggressive baserunning. With one swing, Shea Langeliers flipped the game on its head, launching a knuckleball grand slam 420 feet to center field. Just like that, a one-run deficit became a 6-2 Green & Gold lead. It was the kind of blow that usually seals a game, the kind that sends fans toward the exits. However…
Toronto didn’t leave. Nor did the fans.
Instead, the Jays chipped away. Guerrero Jr. drove in a run in the seventh to make it 6-3. In the eighth, they took advantage of walks and timely hitting, getting RBI singles from Jesús Sánchez and Andrés Giménez to pull within one. Suddenly, the pressure shifted back to the A’s bullpen, and the once-comfortable lead was hanging by a thread.
It snapped in the ninth.
Down to their final outs, the Blue Jays got a jolt from Alejandro Kirk, who lifted a solo home run to left field to tie the game at six. The stadium came alive, and what had looked like a missed opportunity earlier in the game was now a full reset heading into extras.
The 10th inning delivered more drama. With the automatic runner in place, Brent Rooker came through with an RBI single to give the Athletics a 7-6 edge. But Toronto answered again in the bottom half, tying the game on Addison Barger’s sacrifice fly after moving the runner into scoring position. Neither side could land the knockout punch, and the game marched on.
By the 11th, both teams looked exhausted, running on fumes and instinct. The Athletics failed to capitalize in their half, stranding a runner after a key strikeout. That opened the door for Blue Jays to take advantage of their bottom of the inning quest.
With a runner already in scoring position, the Blue Jays stayed patient. After a strikeout and an intentional walk, Ernie Clement stepped in and delivered the final blow, ripping a sharp single to left field that scored the winning run and sealed an 8-7 victory.
It was a game defined by swings in momentum, by missed chances and clutch hits, and by a refusal from either side to back down. The Athletics looked like they had it won after Langeliers’ grand slam, then again after Rooker’s go-ahead hit in extras. Each time, Toronto answered.
In the end, the difference wasn’t one big moment, but a series of them stacked together. The Blue Jays simply had one more answer left, and that’s what ultimately wins games in this beautiful game of baseball.
Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has covered sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for various magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, The Golden Bay Times. 2026 marks his 15th season covering Athletics baseball.
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 Shea Langeliers (23) celebrates his home run with Tyler Soderstrom (21) as the Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk (right) looks on at Rogers Place in Toronto on Fri Mar 27, 2026 (Canadian Press via AP)
Langeliers’ Late Heroics Stolen in Blue Jays Walk-Off Thriller 3-2
By Mauricio Segura
For much of Friday night’s Season Opener, it felt like a pitching clinic wrapped in a tense, low-scoring chess match as the Toronto Blue Jays edged the Sacramento A’s at Rogers Place 3-2 to open the regular season between both clubs. Then the late innings arrived, and everything flipped.
The A’s and Blue Jays spent the early innings trading zeros, with Kevin Gausman and Luis Severino setting the tone. Gausman was sharp from the outset, striking out the side in the first inning and piling up swings and misses with his splitter. Through three innings, the Green and Gold had little to show but strikeouts and weak contact, unable to solve his mix of velocity and late movement.
Severino matched him pitch for pitch early on. Toronto’s lineup, featuring George Springer and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., struggled to generate anything beyond a walk starting out. Balls were put in play, but rarely with authority, as Severino worked efficiently and kept the Blue Jays off balance through the first four innings.
The game’s first crack came in the top of the fourth, and it came with catcher finesse. Shea Langeliers stepped in and launched a 375-foot home run to left field, breaking the scoreless tie and giving the Athletics a 1-0 lead. It was a moment that briefly shifted momentum, especially given how dominant Gausman had been to that point.
Toronto, like a good poker hand saw the A’s single run and raised it in the fifth. After a walk and a double set the table, Andrés Giménez delivered the biggest swing of the night to that point, ripping a triple to left field that brought in two runs. In a blink, the Blue Jays had flipped the game, taking a 2-1 lead and energizing their dugout.
From there, the game tightened again. The A’s bullpen held firm, with Scott Barlow and Hogan Harris combining to keep Toronto off the board over the next few innings. At the same time, the Athletics offense struggled to mount a response. A promising seventh inning fizzled when a double play erased a potential rally, and by the eighth, the sense of urgency was unmistakable.
Still, baseball has a way of saving its drama for the final act.
In the top of the ninth, down to their last outs, the Athletics turned once again to Langeliers. With one out, he delivered in stunning fashion, crushing a 414-foot home run to center field to tie the game at 2-2. It was his second homer of the night, a solo blast that breathed life back into the Athletics and silenced the Toronto crowd, at least momentarily.
The inning had a brief flicker of more. Tyler Soderstrom reached first after striking out on a wild pitch, but the rally stalled there as the next two hitters went down swinging. Still, the damage was done. The game was tied, and momentum had swung.
That set the stage for a tense bottom of the ninth.
After two quick outs, it looked like the Athletics might force extra innings. But the Jays wanted to shut the cage and fly coop for the night. Masataka Okamoto kept the inning alive with a single, and Ernie Clement followed with a clutch double to left, putting runners at second and third and bringing the winning run just 90 feet away.
Giménez, already responsible for Toronto’s earlier breakthrough, stepped in again with a chance to end it. He did not miss. Lacing a single to right field, he drove in Okamoto from third, sealing a 3-2 walk-off victory for the Blue Jays and completing a night where timely hitting made all the difference.
For the Athletics, the loss stung, especially after Langeliers’ heroics gave them a second life. His two home runs accounted for all of the team’s scoring and were easily the standout performance of the night. But outside of those swings, the offense struggled to sustain pressure against Gausman and Toronto’s bullpen.
On the other side, the Blue Jays leaned on situational hitting and patience. Giménez’s triple and walk-off single highlighted a lineup that capitalized when opportunities finally appeared, even in a game dominated by pitching.
Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has covered sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for various magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, The Golden Bay Times. 2026 marks his 15th season covering Athletics baseball.
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 opening day pitcher Luis Severino goes to the mound against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre in downtown Toronto on Fri Mar 27, 2026 (AP News photo)
A’s Second Season in Sacramento: “It is what it is”
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
By Amaury Pi-González
The Athletics open their 2026 season on March 27 in Toronto against the American League Champions, the Blue Jays, on a five-game road trip to open the new season, three in Toronto and two in Atlanta, then return home on April 3 for their first home game of the new season against the Houston Astros.
The city of Sacramento during its first season (2025) was not what the team expected. The team drew 768,464 fans at their 2025 Sacramento debut, the lowest in MLB, averaging 9,487 fans per game at Sutter Health Park. Note: LA Dodgers Stadium parking lot regularly accommodates 18,000 cars.
Seems like the A’s never took Sacramento seriously, scheduled to play there for only three years, like leasing a car, for 2025-26-27, and then move to the very hot confines of Las Vegas, Nevada. The A’s never joined the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce (English or Spanish).
The people of Sacramento are “lukewarm” about this team. The media coverage of the Athletics writes about a team that has not obviously embraced the area, and they often report on that lack of enthusiasm. Some expected A’s fans to travel from Oakland and other Bay Area cities/areas to see the A’s play at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento..
Some A’s fans might have left the Bay Area for Sacramento, seeking a cheaper cost of living, but there are not enough of those fans to fill seats in Sacramento. A’s team performance on the field was about what I expected, an exciting offense and…that’s it. Not a serious contender.
When your ace in the starting rotation is Luis Severino (I like Luis he is a good guy), they are totally exposed at their level of pitching, which is not at the level of a serious contender. Players have complained about the facilities in Sacramento, but they get paid to wear a major-league uniform and play in a minor-league park.
The largest minority group in the Sacramento area is Hispanic, representing roughly 24–30% of the population. Within the City of Sacramento specifically, Hispanic residents are the largest minority. In 2025, A’s reduced the Spanish radio broadcast to one broadcaster, pure tokenism, so the team can say: “yes, we have a Spanish broadcast”, disrespect to a sport whose some of their biggest stars are Hispanic and over 30% of all players in MLB are Latinos.
Spanish is the second language of baseball and in the US overall. But for the A’s, they might as well be playing in West Virginia, the smallest Latino population in the US. There is little local excitement, and ticket sales for the 2026 season were immediately met with flash sales, such as “No Fees” promotions for April and May, highlighting a lack of demand.
So, in simple language, it is a bleak situation The very common phrase “it is what it is” signifies acceptance of an unchangeable, difficult situation, used commonly in business, politics, and sports, and sometimes bad news in medical reports, since the 1990’s, and in the case of the 2026 version of the Athletics, It is what it is.
SF Gate recent headline: The A’s pitiful attendance now hurting Sacramento’s other baseball team.
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.
LaTerraza Mexican Restaurant 1027 2nd Street in Old Sacramento give them a call at 916-440-0874
From the second you step in the front door, the sounds of Latin America will gently seduce your ears and continue as you relax outdoors with your favorite cocktail enjoying the view. The wonderful flavors and aromas of our cuisine will not disappoint.
We use only the finest, freshest, local ingredients in every dish and every dish is prepared to order. Enjoy live mariachi music weekly and on special occasions, catch balet folklorico dance performances among other live entertainment. Come visit us and have a great time! Enjoy fast, friendly service, fantastic food & cocktails, music and allow us to share our beautiful Mexican heritage with you.
LaTerraza Mexican Restaurant at 1027 2nd Street in Old Sacramento give them a call at 916-440-0874.
Boston Celtics Jayson Tatum has returned after suffering an Achilles injury. Here he is blowing kisses to fans and playing against the Dallas Mavericks in the second half on Fri Mar 6, 2026 at the Boston Garden (AP News photo)
Headline Sports podcast Charlie O:
#1 How might Jayson Tatum’s return from a long Achilles injury impact the Boston Celtics’ playoff chances and team chemistry during the final stretch of the regular season?
#2 What factors usually enable teams to complete massive comebacks like the Spurs’ 25-point rally against the LA Clippers on Friday night, and what does it reveal about their resilience and in-game adjustments?
#3 The Sacramento Kings snapped a three game losing streak Sunday night defeating the Chicago Bulls 126-110. The Kings in recent games have been heavily dependent on Precious Achiuwa, Russell Westbrook, and Malik Monk.
#4 Turning to Major League Baseball the Sacramento A’s are playing a two game set in Las Vegas. On Saturday they lost to the Angles 3-0 and Sunday they played their split squad against the Angels all at Aviators Park in Las Vegas. How much was this series to get a measuring stick on local interest for the A’s who will be coming to Vegas in 2028?
#5 The San Francisco Giants in Sunday’s game improve to 13-3 in pre season play and have roll going in spring training. Is this just a look at guys trying to make the roster with a combination of double A and triple A players. Or has Giants manager Tony Vitello got this team firing on all cylinders?
MESA, ARIZONA — The Athletics were in session for some more Cactus League action on Sunday afternoon at Hohokam Stadium. The A’s defeated the Reds in resounding fashion 12-4 on Sunday in the matinee affair.
The A’s had rotation hopeful J.T. Ginn go for them on the mound in what was his second start of the spring. In his first start, Ginn was solid, going two innings of no-hit, no-walk baseball and striking out three.
On Sunday, Ginn impressed again as he tossed three innings of no-run, no-hit baseball as he struck out two and walked two in the outing. Ginn, who has had control issues at times, certainly wasn’t happy with the two walks. However, limiting the damage and keeping the Reds off the board certainly had to be a good feeling.
“I just think he built off his last outing,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said after the game to the media. “Obviously velo might’ve been a tick less this outing that’s going to happen in spring training, but really, really we were hoping he’d get three full innings. He did and got a little work in, there was a little test there. He had to pitch out of the stretch for the first time. So all in all I think it was a good outing for J.T.”
Ginn, who was in and out of the A’s rotation last season, looks to cement himself a rotation spot for an A’s club who certainly has a few spots in limbo. Jeffrey Springs, Luis Severino, and offseason acquisition Aaron Civale certainly will slot into the top three rotation spots come the season. Jacob Lopez, who is recovering from an elbow strain from last season, is expected to be ready for Opening Day and will almost certainly command attention for a rotation spot to begin the year.
For guys like Ginn, that leaves the last two spots up for grabs in the Athletics rotation come the end of March and the beginning of the season. Luis Morales, J.T. Ginn, and Jacob Lopez all seem to be the favorites to fill those final two spots as guys like Jack Perkins and Mason Barnett seem to be on the outside looking in that conversation. Luis Morales seems to be the odds-on favorite around camp to fill the A’s fourth spot, which leaves Ginn and Lopez to fill the fifth and final spot. Ginn’s efforts on Sunday certainly furthers his case for consideration if he can keep up his performance through spring.
In Sunday’s game on the offensive side, the A’s bats woke up and flipped the script after their poor performance on Saturday.
The A’s tallied 11 hits and scored 12 runs on Sunday in a breakout game that saw some of the A’s mainstays get going. A’s All-Star shortstop Jacob Wilson tallied a hit and reached base twice in three at-bats as Nick Kurtz recorded a walk in the contest. A’s starting catcher Shea Langeliers was 2-2 with a hit by pitch and three RBIs in the game as he hit a two-run homer and an RBI double in the game.
I asked Mark Kotsay after the game his thoughts on how locked in Shea looked at this point in the spring.
“When I saw Shea for the first time this spring, I felt like he was right where he needed to be building off last season. So I think a lot of our starters, a lot of our guys that you’re going to see play every day when the season starts, look good.”
The A’s continue camp this week prior to a trip to their near-future home in Las Vegas where they will play the weekend of the 6th in Las Vegas, where the Aviators play their home games.
To open the week, the A’s will travel to Peoria to take on the San Diego Padres at 12:10 p.m. PST as the A’s will send Mason Barnett to the hill.
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.
MESA, ARIZONA — The Athletics welcomed the San Francisco Giants to Mesa on Saturday afternoon for the A’s seventh game of the spring. The Giants, led by strong pitching and timely offense, defeated the A’s 8-2 on Saturday.
One of the A’s main focuses this spring has to be on their pitching corps heading into opening day. The A’s already have what is certainly considered one of the more feared lineups in baseball this season. The real question is with the pitching staff. Can the A’s piece together a bullpen good enough to keep them in contention in 2026? During the A’s struggles in May, the bullpen posted the worst ERA in the league, over the 8.00 mark. Granted, the bullpen pitched much better later in the season, but the damage was done.
The key in many ways for the Athletics going into 2026 will be the pitching staff.
On Saturday, the potential woes for the A’s pitching staff were on full display.
The A’s started the game with projected rotation hopeful Luis Morales.
Morales struggled in his outing, with his initial appearance lasting one and a third innings, as he gave up four runs on five hits while walking one and striking out one. Morales was lifted for Eduarniel Nunez to finish the second inning. Nunez did so, allowing two runs on one hit in two-thirds of an inning of work. In a rare move you don’t see all that often, A’s manager Mark Kotsay elected to go back to Morales for the third inning. Morales gave up another hit and another walk and recorded just one more out in his outing. As the dust settled on his outing, Morales finished going one and two-thirds innings, allowing four runs on six hits while striking out two and walking two.
After the game, Mark Kotsay spoke his thoughts regarding Morales’s start.
“Just lack of fastball command really,” Kotsay said. “He left a lot of balls up, breaking balls up. I still feel like it’s early. I definitely want to get that pitch count up. That’s the reason to take him out and put him back out there. I think the biggest thing for Luis is going to be being able to get ahead of hitters with his fastball and be able to locate it.”
Like Kotsay said, it’s certainly early in the spring. Morales has many more opportunities this spring to get himself right, and the A’s will give him all the opportunities to do just that.
The A’s staff after Nunez pitched pretty well. A few base hits aside, the A’s held the Giants off the board until the eighth inning, as JJ Goss, Tyler Ferguson, Hogan Harris, Scott Barlow, and Justin Sterner all had scoreless outings through the seventh inning.
In the eighth, Kade Morris came on for the A’s and struggled. Kade worked the eighth and ninth innings, giving up two runs on four hits while striking out one and walking one. It was the A’s lone blemish for the pen after the rough start to the game for the A’s pitching staff.
On the offensive side of the ball, the A’s also struggled.
The A’s didn’t get their first hit of the game until a fourth-inning Tyler Soderstrom single.
In terms of scoring runs, the A’s managed two runs in the game; one run came in the seventh and the other in the ninth for the A’s. Michael Stefanic had an RBI single in the seventh inning, and Cade Marlowe scored on a throwing error in the ninth inning. Those two plays were the only runs the A’s would score in the game. The Giants outhit the A’s 15-8 in the game, as the A’s failed to secure their second win of the spring, falling to 1-6 in Arizona.
The A’s will stay home to take on the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday at 1 p.m. MST at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa.
Former Oakland A’s Spanish Broadcasters from KIQI 1010 radio Amaury Pi-Gonzalez (left) Manolo Hernandez-Douen (right) Engineer José Orellana (back) (Oakland Coliseum) Photo: Mauricio Segura -2024
2026 A look at the Giants and Athletics
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
By Amaury Pi-González
Giants: The San Francisco Giants ended last season with an 81-81 record, good for third place in the NL West, 12 games behind the World Champions, the LA Dodgers. This was the second time in Giants history they finished 81-81, previously in 2022.
As of today less than a month prior to Opening Night, March 25, 2026. At Oracle Park in San Francisco, the Giants will face the New York Yankees. Here is the probable lineup for the Giants.on Opening Night. (There could be some changes, due to injuries or simply the manager’s decision) 1-Luis Arraez 2B 2-Rafael Devers 1B 3-Willy Adames SS 4-Matt Chapman 3B 5-Jung Hoo Lee RF 6-Heliot Ramos LF 7-Harrison Bader CF 8-Bryce Eldridge DH 9-Patrick Bailey C Offense: With Luis Arraez, three-time Batting Champion over the last three years with three different teams, the Twins, Marlins, and Padres, the Giants have an excellent opportunity to score more runs.
This was the #1 acquisition by the team during the off-season; #2 was another veteran, Harrison Bader, who will take command of center field, a solid all-around player. (Offense was Improved) Pitching. The top two in the rotations are All-Star pitchers, Logan Webb and Robbie Ray.
They will need contributions from Tyler Mahle, Adrian Houser, and Landen Roupp. Closer Ryan Walker was 5-7 with a 4.11 ERA and 17 saves. Their pitching will have to do better, considering the Dodgers have a dominant rotation and also signed All-Star closer Edwin Díaz.
(Pitching needs more depth) Defense: The overall team defense was near the bottom of the league. Harrison Bader could help in the outfield, with excellent defense, he covers lots of ground with a good arm, this was a good acquisition by the Giants. (Defense is improved)
Athletics: A’s will be renting again in Sacramento for the second year in a row. Last season, they finished in fourth place in the West with 76-86, 14 games behind the Mariners. The A’s have not made the postseason since 2020, when they were the Oakland A’s during the COVID-shortened year. The A’s will open their 2026 season in Canada, taking on the reigning American League Champion Blue Jays in Toronto.
Here is their probable lineup for the first game of the season. 1-Nick Kurtz 1B 2-Shea Langeliers C 3-Brett Rooker DH 4-Tyler Soderstrom LF 5-Jacob Wilson SS 6-Jeff McNeil 2B 7-Lawrence Butler RF 8-Max Muncy 3B 9-Denzel Clarke CF (There could be some changes, due to injuries or simply the manager’s decision) Offense: I really like this young, talented, and aggressive lineup.
Last season, they were fourth in Home runs in the league with 219. Only the Yankees, Mariners, and Angels hit more round trippers than the young A’s studs, headed by a sensational Rookie of the Year season by Nick Kurtz. They have enough hitting to compete, but pitching?
You cannot win without it. Even the famous 1927 Yankees with “Murderers’ Row” also had the pitching to win that year’s World Series. (Offense is Lock and Loaded) Pitching: In 2025, the Athletics finish #27 in overall pitching statistics out of the 30 MLB teams. A’s staff served 222 Home Runs, only the LA Angels rendered more (one more), 223 long balls to the opposition. (Pitching needs more improvement)
Defense: The team’s overall defensive, or fielding, placed them in the bottom tier of Major League Baseball early in the 2025 season. CF Denzel Clarke made a sensational catch for the ages. Overall, they need to do much better (Defense could use more improvement. The 2026 Major League Baseball season is coming soon. I will have my picks during the week before the start of the season.
Quote (Spanish) Cualquier tiempo que tengas la oportunidad de hacer una diferencia en este mundo y no lo hagas, estás desperdiciando tu tiempo en la tierra” – -Roberto Clemente. (Spanish). (English): “Every time you have the opportunity of making a difference in this world, but do not, you are wasting your time on this earth” -Roberto Clemente.
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.
While in the Bay Area, great food and great prices. 998cuba.com
Former Oakland A’s TV play by play announcer Glen Kuiper who was fired by the A’s for using the N word on live TV has been hired to do play by play for the San Francisco Giants as of Thu Feb 26, 2026. The hiring has social media talking and some objecting to his being back on the air. (Michael Zagaris / Getty Images file)
Sacramento A’s podcast Jeremiah Salmonson:
#1 What are the A’s primary goals for 2026 Spring Training, and how is the club addressing expectations for a return to postseason contention?
#2 Who are the key non-roster invitees or young players competing for major-league roster spots at spring camp, and what standouts have emerged so far?
#3 How is the A’s early spring training performance win-loss record or pitching struggle shaping perceptions of the team’s readiness for the regular season?
#4 What impact might contract extension negotiations — especially involving rising star players like Nick Kurtz — have on the club’s preparations and morale heading into spring?
#5 How is the team handling its branding and local engagement — including the use of “Sacramento” on alternate jerseys and continued play in Sutter Health Park — amid preparations for Spring Training and the upcoming season?
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.
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