Sacramento A’s Brent Rooker (left) scores underneath Houston Astros catcher Victor Caratini (right) in the top of the fourth inning at Daiken Field in Houston on Sun Jul 27, 2025 (AP News photo)
Sacramento A’s podcast Barbara Mason:
#1 Sacramento A’s Miguel Andujar and Shea Langeliers both homered in the first inning. A’s starter JT Ginn pitched six innings of shutout ball and the A’s beat the Houston Astros 7-1 Sunday taking a four game series from the Astros at Daiken Park in Houston.
#2 Andujar making his first start in his nine year career, Andujar homered off the Astros Colton Gordon’s fifth pitch. Then Langieliers climbed into the batters box and clobbered a 3-0 fast ball for his 17th homer of the campaign.
#3 Barbara, Langeliers is going good he has now hit home runs in his last three games this for the first time in his career. Langeliers also went two for four with two RBIs.
#4 Gin picked up his second win of the campaign is now at 2-2 and pitched his longest game of 2025 going six innings, allowing only three hits and struck out four.
#5 The Athletics open a three-game home series against the Seattle Mariners on Monday night, with M’s starter RHP Luis Castillo (7-6 3.30) facing A’s LHP JP Sears (7-8 4.98 ERA) at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento first pitch 7:05pm 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 circles the bases during one of his four home runs hit against the Houston Astros in the top of the ninth inning at Daiken Park in Houston Fri Jul 25, 2025 (AP News photo)
Baseball is Unique
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
Amaury Pi-González
Baseball is a Sport of failure. You get one hit in three at-bats, and you are a very good hitter, hitting .333, an average that is worthy of a batting title most of the time, even though you failed twice in three tries. But sometimes you can hit the big jackpot in one game, and the whole world will know your name, especially nowadays with social media constantly on our minds every single second of the day. Here are some examples.
Most recently: A’s Nick Kurtz, a 22-year-old rookie, went out and did something even rarer in a 15-3 blowout win over the Astros in Houston on July 25, 2025 Going a perfect 6-for-6 with four home runs, Kurtz became the first A’s player in franchise history with a four-homer game, the first rookie in MLB history with a four homer game, and the 20th player overall.
Prior to Kurtz, veteran Eugenio Suárez of the Arizona Diamondbacks hit four home runs on April 25, 2025. Kurtz is just beginning his career, and only time will tell how good a player he will be. But in this 4-homer game, he was the King of Baseball.
Now everybody knows who Nick Kurtz is, and just like that, he became a contender for American League Rookie of the Year., Sometimes, One Day can make a Career. On May 9, 2010, Dallas Braden, while pitching for the Oakland Athletics, achieved the feat against the Tampa Bay Rays.
The game, which took place on Mother’s Day, was the 19th perfect game in MLB history. I was there, calling the game for the Spanish radio Network, at the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum. Braden pitched in the majors for only five years, all with the Oakland A’s, and ended his career with a 26-36 record and a 4.16 earned run average.
Not a great career by any means, but that Perfecto on May 9, 2010, opened the door for him, as he now works as the A’s television network analyst. Don Larsen was an American League pitcher who played 15 seasons in the Major Leagues from 1953 to 1987 (81-91) for seven different teams, including the New York Yankees, where he made history.
Larsen pitched a perfect game in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers. This remains the only perfect game ever thrown in World Series history. The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown houses several items related to Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series, including autographed baseballs used in the game, tickets, and photos.
Larsen’s catcher, Yogi Berra, also had his mitt from that game displayed. After his baseball career, Larsen became an executive for a paper company, where he worked closely with farmers in California’s Salinas Valley. On a funny note: Charlie Silveira who was a third string catcher for the Yankees told me and other reporters that after that perfecto he asked Yogi Berra for a souvenir, “I warmed him up for that game” Silveira told me, and according to his story, he asked Yogi for a souvenir, Yogi said he had nothing left, but the next day Yogi gave Charlie a brown bag, (with a souvenir) it was Larsen’s cup, the one he wore on that game. Charlie, who passed a few years ago, told me, “I have Larsen’s cup in my living room as a souvenir”. In September 1971, Larry Yount was called up to the Houston Astros and was set to make his MLB debut as a pitcher. However, as he warmed up on the mound, his elbow began to hurt, and he eventually left the game without throwing a single official pitch or facing a batter.
This single unusual appearance in a game marked the entirety of his MLB career. He never played in the majors again. Because he was officially announced as a pitcher, Yount is in the baseball record books and even has a file in the Hall of Fame.
His brother Robin Yount played from 1974 to 1993, won two AL MVP Awards, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999 Owner and Manager for one Game. On May 11, 1977, Atlanta Braves owner Ted Turner added another story when he ventured from the owner’s suite to the dugout to manage the Braves. His job lasted only one night; Major League Baseball’s powers that be reminded Turner that a rule prevented managers from partial or full ownership of a team.
However, this was not unique to baseball. NFL George Halas, who founded and coached the Chicago Bears. Al Davis, also the owner of the Oakland Raiders, coached the team. But some did, if not just for one game, but multiple seasons.
A record in any sport for an owner and manager at the same time? Connie Mack, Philadelphia Athletics, was also at least a part-owner of the team from 1901 until 1954, as well as field manager. Last but not Least: Baseball is unique in that the defensive team controls the ball at the start of each play.. In most other sports, the offensive team initiates play by possessing the ball. In baseball, the pitcher (a defensive player) throws the ball to the batter (offensive player), making baseball the only sport where the defense starts with the ball.
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
Sacramento A’s starter JP Sears throws against the Houston Astros in the bottom first inning at Daiken Park in Houston Sun Jul 26, 2025 (AP News photo)
A’s 7-1 Power Surge Under the “Roofed” Texas Sun; A’s sweep Astros in 4 games at Daiken
By Mauricio Segura
The Sacramento Athletics brought thunder and precision to Daikin Park on Sunday afternoon, lighting up the scoreboard and shutting down the Houston offense with a 7–1 victory that was every bit as lopsided as the box score suggests.
From the moment Miguel Andujar deposited the first pitch he saw into the right-field seats, it was clear the A’s came to play. And for nine innings, they played with the kind of crisp execution and timely power that every manager dreams of.
Andujar’s solo shot to open the game wasn’t just a strong start, it was a tone-setter. The very next inning, Shea Langeliers joined the party with a solo blast of his own, this one heading out to left and giving the Athletics a 2–0 lead before Houston had even touched a base. That early firepower would’ve been enough on its own, considering the dominance of starter J.T. Ginn, but the A’s weren’t done.
Ginn, who’s been gradually carving out a solid role in the A’s rotation, looked completely unbothered by Houston’s lineup. He worked quickly, attacked the strike zone, and kept hitters guessing with a mix of breaking balls and sneaky heat.
Through six innings, he didn’t allow a single run, and at one point retired seven straight batters with the kind of confidence that says, I’ve got this! He ended his afternoon by handing off a shutout that the bullpen preserved, mostly with ease.
The Green and Gold offense went a little quiet after the early surge, but in the fourth, they manufactured runs with savvy baserunning and smart situational hitting. Brent Rooker led off with a single and advanced on a single by Austin Wynns, both of whom took extra bags on a wild pitch. Gio Urshela then drove in Rooker with a textbook sacrifice fly, and Colby Thomas followed with a clutch RBI double to stretch the lead to 4–0.
Houston, meanwhile, struggled to generate anything remotely resembling a rally. The heart of their order, Jose Altuve, Victor Caratini, and Christian Walker, was mostly silenced by Ginn and later relievers Jack Perkins and Ben Bowden. Even when they had a chance to chip away in the seventh, a costly error by shortstop Max Schuemann was quickly erased by solid defense and more empty swings from the Astros.
By the time the ninth inning rolled around, the A’s bats woke up again like they had unfinished business. Langeliers and Wynns opened with back-to-back singles, and Carlos Cortes, who stayed in the game after pinch-hitting in the seventh, roped a single to load the bases.
That set the stage for Schuemann’s redemption: a two-run single that made it 6–0 and turned a solid win into a decisive one. Luis Urías tacked on another RBI single, and just like that, the A’s had dropped a three-spot in the ninth for good measure.
Though Houston finally pushed across a run in the bottom of the ninth, courtesy of a Chas McCormick double and Mauricio Dubón’s RBI two-bagger, it was far too little, far too late. Ben Bowden calmly induced a flyout from Yainer Diaz to close the door and end what was, for all intents and purposes, a thorough and complete win by the visiting club.
A’s are back in Sacramento Monday night against the Seattle Mariners. Starting pitcher for the M’s RHP Luis Castillo (7-6 ERA 3.30) for the A’s LHP JP Sears (7-8 ERA 4.98) first pitch 7:05pm PT.
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.
Hope Fuerniss, HMCC | Area Director of Sales and Marketing
Sacramento A’s Lawrence Butler runs the bases after hitting a ninth inning three run home run against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park in Houston on Sat Jul 26, 2025 (AP News photo)
Butler Blasts the Door Open as A’s Outmuscle Houston Late 5-1 For 3 Game Sweep
By Mauricio Segura
Them Sactown boys rolled into Daikin Park with an underdog’s swagger and walked away with a statement win Saturday, thanks in large part to a ninth-inning bomb from Lawrence Butler that put an exclamation point on a 5-1 victory over the Houston Astros.
It wasn’t always pretty, but the Sacramento A’s pieced together just enough early offense, held their nerve through a tense middle stretch, and then erupted late to seal the deal. On a night where both teams leaned heavily on their bullpens, the Green and Gold had the final word.
The game started with Brent Rooker doing what he’s been doing all year, making pitchers pay for mistakes. His two-out double in the top of the first drove in Nick Kurtz and gave the Athletics a quick 1-0 lead. That early run looked like it might be enough for a while, as starter Jacob Lopez and reliever Justin Sterner danced through danger against a Houston lineup that couldn’t quite cash in on their opportunities.
The Astros had their chances. In the first inning, Jose Altuve and Christian Walker both drew walks, putting traffic on the bases with just one out. But Yainer Diaz’s fielder’s choice and a bunt attempt from Chas McCormick that didn’t fool anyone killed the rally. That kind of frustrating inning would become a theme for Houston.
Lopez pitched with poise until the fifth, when Sterner took over. The A’s bullpen was tight, giving up just one run the rest of the way. The lone misstep came in the bottom of the sixth, when the Astros finally broke through. Christian Walker doubled, Yainer Diaz singled him to third, and Chas McCormick lifted a sacrifice fly to center that tied things at 1-1. But the tying run felt more like a temporary pause than a momentum shift.
Just one half-inning earlier, Shea Langeliers had launched his 16th homer of the season, an absolute rope into the left-center seats, to put the A’s up 2-0. Even though the Astros had responded, the A’s weren’t rattled.
Then came the ninth inning, where things got a little loud.
After two quick outs, it looked like Houston’s Héctor Neris might escape unscathed. But then shortstop Zack Short mishandled what should’ve been the third out, allowing Max Schuemann to reach.
A walk to Luis Urías followed, setting the table for Lawrence Butler. Neris tried to sneak a fastball by him, but Butler was ready and demolished it over the right-field wall for a three-run shot. In the blink of an eye, what had been a nail-biter turned into a comfortable 5-1 lead.
Houston, meanwhile, couldn’t figure out Miller, who entered in the ninth and slammed the door with a strikeout, a lineout, and a weak groundout to end it. The Astros struck out 14 times in total and were held to just five hits, a stat line that underscored their inability to mount any sustained offensive threat.
As the A’s continue to navigate life on the road and the trials of a franchise in transition, games like this offer a glimpse of what could be. If the kids keep hitting and the arms hold up, they’ll be more than just spoilers down the stretch. They’ll be a problem to the other contenders.
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
The African American Sports Entertainment Group has purchased the second half of the Oakland Coliseum from the Sacramento A’s for $125 million. AASEG plans to do a $5 billion renovation of the Coliseum Complex as announced on Tue Jul 29, 2025 in a press conference at the Coliseum. (ABC Sky 7 News still)
Sacramento A’s Relocation podcast Daniel Dullum:
#1 The team formerly known as the Oakland A’s received approval on Tuesday to sell $125 million it’s share of the Oakland Coliseum to the African American Sports Entertainment Group. AASEG had bought the A’s half and previously had bought the other half of the Coliseum from Alameda County.
#2 The Alameda County Board of Supervisors took it to a vote and voted unanimously to approve the sale and plan to transfer the ownership for major sports and entertainment to AASEG who are focused on community development.
#3 After years of waiting the sale finally brings years of waiting to conclusion and the sale is expected to close on June 30, 2026. The CEO of Loop Capital James Reynolds who is the financer for AASEG said, “We are pleased to achieve this long awaited milestone.”
#4 Currently the Oakland Coliseum is hosting three teams-two sports. San Francisco Unicorns Cricket, the Oakland Soul (USL W League), and the Oakland Roots (USL M League). There is no doubt the AASEG plans to build at the Coliseum it’s just too bad they can’t get another MLB team there.
#5 Oakland Supervisor Nat Miley said at the press conference on Tuesday for the announcement of the Coliseum sale to AASEG that the loss of three professional is heartbreaking, that losing the A’s, Raiders, and Warriors is something that Miley couldn’t have imagined.
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.
Athletics’ Nick Kurtz celebrates after hitting a three-run home against the Houston Astros during the ninth inning of a baseball game Friday, July 25, 2025, in Houston. (David J. Phillip – AP)
Athletics podcast Lincoln Juarez
#1 For the A’s to have any chance at turning this disappointing season around they needed a good start to the second half. Dropping five of the first six following the All-Star break, what is the message to the team?
#2 Nick Kurtz has been a bright spot for the A’s since his debut with the team. He is coming off of winning AL Player of the Week last week and a four home-run game Friday night against the Astros. How much is his presence felt in the lineup?
#3 Luis Severino looked Stellar in his last start in the A’s win over Houston Thursday night. How does this affect his value going into the trade deadline and can we still expect to see him be moved?
#4 The A’s exploded for 15 runs Friday night against the Astros in a 15-3 win to take the first two games in Houston. How can they find more consistent offense and who in the lineup can lead the way?
#5 Brent Rooker mentioned in a statement Friday that he is “not going anywhere” at the trade deadline. The A’s obviously see him as a big piece of their future and he values his role with the team and the contract extension he signed…
Nick Kurtz smashes an eighth inning home run for the Sacramento A’s against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park in Houston on Fri Jul 25, 2026 (AP News photo)
Kurtz and the Curse Breakers Power Past Astros 15-3 in Houston Beatdown
By Mauricio Segura
The Sacramento A’s brought a sledgehammer to Daikin Park on Friday night and reduced the Houston Astros to rubble in a thunderous 15-3 win, their most lopsided road victory of the season and a statement performance from their youth-infused core.
At the center of the storm was rookie phenom Nick Kurtz, who launched four home runs and drove in seven, putting an exclamation point on a, now 12-game hit streak and further cementing his status as the front-runner for AL Rookie of the Year.
Kurtz, the A’s 22-year-old breakout slugger, wasted no time getting the party started, singling in the first inning before unloading for a two-run blast in the second. He wasn’t finished. He went deep again in the sixth, eighth, then capped his night with a three-run rocket in the ninth, giving him 23 home runs on the season, most among MLB rookies, and a staggering 44 RBIs in his last 38 games. His third homer tied him with Eric Chavez for the most in a season by an Athletic under the age of 23 since 2000, and now stands on top of the A’s record book.
But this wasn’t a solo act. Tyler Soderstrom crushed his 19th homer of the year, a solo shot in the third, while Shea Langeliers followed with a two-run blast in the fourth to help Sacramento build a 9-0 cushion. The A’s put up crooked numbers in five different innings, scoring three in the first, two in the second, one in the third, three more in the fourth, and a devastating four-run ninth that put the game out of reach for good.
Sacramento’s 16-hit barrage included contributions from nearly everyone in the lineup. Carlos Cortes, in just his second major league game, notched three hits and two RBIs. Jacob Wilson walked, singled, and scored twice. Gio Urshela stayed hot with three hits, while Lawrence Butler broke out of an 0-for-9 slump with a single and a run. Even Colby Thomas, fresh off a recall from Triple-A Las Vegas, got in on the act with a hit-by-pitch and a run scored.
On the mound, left-hander Jeffrey Springs shook off a rough outing in Cleveland and delivered a gem, scattering five hits over six shutout innings with six strikeouts. He retired nine of the first ten batters and induced a pair of double plays to erase early base traffic. It was a critical bounce-back for Springs, who leads the A’s in wins and continues to pitch deep into games when his team needs stability.
The bullpen followed suit, with Elvis Alvarado and Ben Bowden each logging clean innings. Bowden, making his first MLB appearance since 2021, closed things out despite allowing a ninth-inning RBI double to Yainer Diaz.
The Athletics’ win snapped a string of 17 losses in their last 23 games at Daikin Park and improved them to 4-4 against Houston this season. It also marked the latest eruption for an offense that now leads the majors in extra-base hits in July. Sacramento’s 15 runs were the most they’ve scored since May, and they’ve now homered in 12 of their last 13 games.
As for Kurtz, the rookie continues to make history by the week. His six-hit, eight-RBI performance is the most RBIs by an A’s rookie in a single game since Ben Grieve in 1998, and his 23 homers through 66 games is an unprecedented pace for any player in franchise history.
Starting pitchers for Saturday’s game three of the series for the A’s LHP Jacob Lopez (3-6 ERA 4.60) for the Astros RHP Hunter Brown (9-4 ERA 2.57) first pitch 4:10pm PT in Houston.
Houston RHP Hunter Brown (9-4 2.57 ERA) opposes LHP Jacob Lopez (3-6 4.60 ERA) when the series continues Saturday.
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.
John Fisher owner of the Sacramento A’s once said that not staying in Oakland was a failed achievement (photo by instagram)
How does the A’s Controversy compare to others in Baseball?
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
By Amaury Pi-González
There is no doubt that the 1919 Black Sox Scandal which involved eight Chicago White Sox players who were accused of intentionally losing the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for money from gamblers is the biggest scandal in the game, primarily due to the players’ betrayal of the game and its fans.
Unless something even more scandalous rocks the baseball world, this will remain the undisputed number one scandal. Gambling has been a long-standing issue in the game. In 1877, the Louisville Grays were embroiled in a gambling scandal during the National League’s second season.
And to close the book on gambling. Most recently, the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal involved the team illegally using a video replay system to steal signs from opposing teams during the 2017 and 2018 seasons.
There are many other scandals in “the grand old game”, a sentimental description often used to refer to baseball, the richest American sport, which is ingrained in our culture longer than any other game, dating back to 1874, when the United States had 37 States and eight major league baseball teams competing in the National Association, which later became the National League, as stated above.
The Oakland A’s relocation is not a scandal (at least not at present), but has definitely been a controversy to this day, as they are in the second phase (Sacramento) of what they call their final and permanent location in Las Vegas, Nevada, which would be an unprecedented fourth home for this franchise.
Philadelphia, Kansas City, Oakland, Las Vegas. No major league franchise, on record, has played in four different cities. Although the A’s were founded in 1901 in Philadelphia, where they played for 54 seasons, Oakland was the city where the A’s played the longest, for a total of 57 seasons; they were the Oakland A’s.
The relocation of the A’s was announced by ownership on April 4, 2024. A’s fans feel betrayed by the team’s owner for moving the team, considering the deep roots and very passionate fan base in Oakland. The Oakland Athletics have won four World Series titles and six American League Pennants while playing in Oakland while the A’s relocation is not a scandal, it is a significant controversy, as numerous baseball personalities on television, radio, podcasts, print media, players past and present, as well as fans, across the country have called John Fisher the worst owner in Sports.
That is not a title Mr.Fisher would like to carry the rest of his life, until the Lord calls him to the big executive office in the sky, although I would not be surprised if the Lord sends him back to the minor leagues, Class A level.
Ultimately, a team reflects the personality of the owner. And the best Oakland A’s ownership was during Walter A. Haas Jr.’s tenure, during which the Oakland A’s won one World Series (1989) and three consecutive American League pennants (1988-1990).
In 1989, the A’s also set a Bay Area attendance record, with over 2.9 million fans, which at the time was higher than the San Francisco Giants, who were struggling to sell tickets at Candlestick Park.
The front office of the A’s had professionals who knew what they were doing, such as Andy Dolich and Sandy Alderson. Most importantly, the A’s were also known for their community outreach, a characteristic that Mr. Fisher never demonstrated during the years he ran the team in Oakland and currently in Sacramento.
Since the A’s departure the Oakland Ballers, also known as the Oakland B’s (a new team) was formed by fans and community members in direct response to the A’s betrayal of Oakland and their fans.. This team is part of the Pioneer League, and fans have responded well to this Oakland team, keeping baseball alive in ‘The Town’. Quote: Philadelphia Phillies owner John Middleton, who stated, ‘We have an obligation. We are accountable to the fans and to the city. If you don’t approach it that way, you should not be an owner, in my opinion”.
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.
Athletics’ Luis Urías hits home run against the Houston Astros during the sixth inning of a baseball game Thursday, July 24, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
A’s Bring the Heat and Silence the Bats in Houston 5-2
By Mauricio Segura
The Sacramento Athletics didn’t play around Thursday night. With the season slipping into its second half, the Green and Gold made a loud statement in Houston, riding a polished outing from Luis Severino and just enough timely hitting to beat the Houston Astros 5-2 at Daikin Park.
From the very first pitch at 7:10 PM, it was clear the A’s came ready to win with sharp defense, aggressive baserunning, and a cool, collected mound presence. That energy paid off quickly, and this time, the box score tells the story just as much as the vibes.
It all started with Max Schuemann slicing a leadoff single in the top of the first, but the A’s weren’t able to cash in. No matter, Luis Severino came out in the bottom half and matched that energy by silencing the Astros’ top of the order. Taylor Trammell did manage a single and a stolen base, but Severino struck out two and got Christian Walker to bounce back to the mound, keeping things scoreless.
Sacramento found its breakthrough in the second. Lawrence Butler worked a walk and quickly swiped second, his 17th stolen base of the year, then advanced to third on a bad throw. Carlos Cortes did his job with a sacrifice fly to center, and just like that, the A’s were on the board.
They didn’t stop there. After a clean bottom of the second from Severino, his A’s strung together a sequence of smart, situational baseball in the fourth. Cortes singled, Gio Urshela followed with another hit, and Luis Urías kept the line moving with a single of his own to load the bases.
A forceout off Schuemann’s bat plated Cortes, and then Nick Kurtz drilled a double to right to bring in Urshela. Schuemann got thrown out at the plate trying to score from first, but by then the damage was done. The A’s were up 3-0, and confidence was mounting.
The fifth brought more of the same. After Brent Rooker drew a leadoff walk, Tyler Soderstrom smacked a double to left, setting up a sac fly from Shea Langeliers to make it 4-0. The Green and Gold weren’t lighting up the scoreboard with home runs, but they were executing small-ball perfectly, and the Astros had no answer.
The only real power moment for Sacramento came in the sixth, when Luis Urías launched a solo homer to left center, his eighth of the season. That stretched the lead to 5-0, and it would prove to be all they needed.
Severino was in full control throughout his six shutout innings. Houston’s hitters couldn’t get into any kind of rhythm. In fact, by the time the Astros finally showed life in the seventh, on a Victor Caratini double and a pair of sacrifice plays, it was already too little, too late. They did scratch across two runs to make it 5-2, but Sacramento’s bullpen slammed the door shut after that.
Michael Kelly took over in the eighth and got two outs before Mason Miller entered and cleaned up the inning. In the ninth, Steven Okert closed it out with flair. He walked one but didn’t flinch, striking out Christian Walker and inducing a final flyout to center from Jon Singleton to end it.
It wasn’t the flashiest win of the year, but it might have been one of the smartest. Seven different A’s recorded hits, four of them had RBIs, and the team swiped three bases while making zero errors. Kurtz was a standout, going 3-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI, while Urshela also had a multi-hit game and scored once.
Starting pitchers for Friday night in Houston: For the A’s LHP Jeffery Springs (8-7 ERA 4.18) for the Astros RHP Ryan Gusto (9-3 ERA 4.46) first pitch at Daiken Park 5:10pm PT.
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.
JP Sears seen here pitching against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Fri Jul 4, 2025 is being sought by different clubs for his services from the Sacramento A’s. Will he be dealt before the July trade deadline? (AP News photo)
Sacramento A’s podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson:
#1 Once again the Sacramento A’s get fine pitching but cannot get run support in their 2-1 loss to the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field in Arlington on Wednesday. The Rangers starter Patrick Corbin with the support of three relievers kept the A’s hitters at bay.
#2 A’s starter JP Sears pitching five innings allowing three hits, allowing one earned run and seven strikeouts. Sears has been lights out this season didn’t get the decision and is 7-8.
#3 Sears is a trade block prospect. Sears has pitched consistently in spite of his eight loses and some team no doubt would like to pick him up before this month’s trade deadline someone who he could help in the post season.
#4 The A’s only run came when Nick Kurtz hit a double that scored Brent Rooker in the top of the sixth inning to tie the game at 1-1. The A’s badly need to wake up their bats they were also beat by scores of 7-2 and 6-2 Friday and Saturday respectively by the Rangers.
#5 A’s open up a four game series on Thursday night at Daikin Park with the Houston Astros. Starter for the A’s RHP Luis Severino (3-11 ERA 5.10) and for the Astros RHP Jason Alexander (1-0 ERA 8.40) first pitch in Houston 5:10pm 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.
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