Tag: Sacramento A’s

Sacramento A’s Tyler Soderstrom celebrates in the A’s dugout after hitting a two run home run against the Toronto Blue Jays at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento on Sun July 13, 2025 (AP News photo)

Boom Before the Break Sends Sacramento into All-Star Smiles

By Mauricio Segura

Just before baseball paused for its midsummer break, the Athletics gave their fans something worth cheering. Under a blazing triple-digit Sacramento sun at Sutter Health Park, the Green and Gold uncorked a thunderous offensive performance and rode dominant pitching to a 6-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays Sunday, closing out the first half of the season with a statement win. With long balls from Austin Wynns, Tyler Soderstrom, and rookie phenom Nick Kurtz, Sacramento took flight early and never looked back.

Jeffrey Springs continued his recent run of excellence, slicing through Toronto’s potent lineup like a buzzsaw. The left-hander turned in six strong innings, scattering five hits and allowing just three earned runs, two of which came after he had already left the game.

It was Springs’ seventh win of the season and further proof that he’s found his rhythm after a rocky start in the early days of the season Over his last four starts, Springs has posted a 1.90 ERA, giving the A’s rotation a steady hand it desperately needed.

The offense wasted no time getting to work. In the second inning, veteran infielder Gio Urshela reached on a single, and catcher Austin Wynns turned on a Jose Berríos fastball and launched it over the left-field wall. It was Wynns’ sixth homer of the year, and it gave Sacramento a 2-0 lead that felt even larger given the way Springs was commanding the mound.

The third inning brought more fireworks. Rookie Nick Kurtz opened the frame with a double and came around to score when Soderstrom crushed a center-cut fastball for his 18th homer of the year. The 22-year-old catcher has been on a tear, with his power production putting him among the league leaders at his position. His blast gave the A’s a 4-0 cushion and chased Berríos from the game early.

Toronto’s offense, meanwhile, sputtered. They didn’t record a base runner until the fourth inning and didn’t scratch a run across until the fifth, when Davis Schneider hit a solo home run off Springs. Schneider’s shot briefly gave Toronto life, but Sacramento answered right back in the bottom half.

A throwing error by reliever Tommy Nance allowed Jacob Wilson to reach second, and Kurtz promptly made the Jays pay. The rookie crushed a two-run homer, his 17th of the season, into the left-center bleachers, pushing the A’s lead to 6-1. Kurtz now leads all MLB rookies in homers and continues to add to what is becoming a very compelling Rookie of the Year resume.

Kurtz’s home-field dominance is hard to ignore. 12 of his 17 homers have come at Sutter Health Park, and his slugging percentage at home has soared north of .700. With the All-Star break now here, he can take a well-deserved breather after propelling this young Athletics team with his bat and his glove.

Toronto did mount a bit of a rally late. Addison Barger hit a two-run homer in the seventh off reliever Justin Sterner to pull the Blue Jays within three, but Sean Newcomb and fireballing closer Mason Miller locked things down from there.

Miller struck out Ernie Clement and coaxed a game-ending double play from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to notch his 19th save of the season. It was a fitting milestone, as it marked the 100th appearance of Miller’s young but electric MLB career.

Sacramento’s bullpen has been much-maligned throughout the year, but the numbers heading into the break tell a different story. Over the last 20 games, the group has posted a 2.89 ERA and gone 3-0 with six saves. Miller, in particular, has stabilized the ninth inning with his blistering fastball and a strikeout rate that ranks among the best in the league.

With the win, the Athletics finish the first half at 41-57. It’s a modest record, yes, but one that reflects real progress given the context. After a brutal 1-20 stretch in late spring, the A’s have gone 18-17 over their last 35 games.

Now, the Athletics hit the All-Star break with momentum, with All-Star selections Brent Rooker and Jacob Wilson set to represent the team in Atlanta. Rooker, will also swing for the fences in the Home Run Derby, becoming the first A’s participant since Matt Olson in 2021.

There’s still plenty of work ahead in the second half, but if this young squad can keep flexing its muscle and get continued consistency from Springs and the bullpen, Sacramento just might play spoiler in the AL West down the stretch.

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. 

Sacramento A’s Brent Rooker (25) is congratulated by teammates Nick Kurtz (16) and Tyler Soderstrom (21) after Rooker’s two run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento on Sat July 12, 2025 (AP News photo)

Rooker Delivers a Firecracker as the Green and Gold Clutch One Before the Break; Rooker’s 20th delivers 4-3 win over Blue Jays

By Mauricio Segura

Sacramento fans got a late-inning show Saturday night as the Athletics rallied past the Blue Jays, 4-3, in a tightrope thriller. It was a win defined by grit, timely slugging, and the kind of bullpen poise the A’s have been yearning for all season. Brent Rooker’s 20th homer of the year, an absolute missile to left-center, turned a tense fifth inning into a party, and the bullpen slammed the door behind him.

This was more than just a win. It was a momentum-builder heading into the All-Star break, and it came with a dash of redemption, especially against a Blue Jays team that had beaten the A’s in all five prior matchups this season. Sacramento fans, soaking up their team’s debut summer in the capital, had reason to cheer beyond just the home run blasts.

Rooker’s blast came just after rookie first baseman Nick Kurtz singled, giving the A’s their first lead of the night at 4-2 With that shot, Rooker became the first Athletic since Khris Davis and Matt Olson to hit 20 home runs in three consecutive seasons. His power, already enough to earn him a spot in next week’s Home Run Derby, was once again the difference-maker. But this game had more heroes than just the slugging designated hitter.

Center fielder Denzel Clarke quietly put together one of his more mature outings. His third-inning single may have traveled only a few feet off the bat, but it set off a chain reaction. He then capitalized on a wild throw to take second, and Lawrence Butler cashed him in with a single to cut Toronto’s early lead in half. Clarke also made a crucial play on defense in the sixth, snagging a liner off the bat of Bo Bichette that had rally written all over it.

That sixth inning was the beginning of a five-arm relay by the A’s bullpen that held a dangerous Blue Jays lineup to just one run over four innings. After Jacob Lopez grinded through five frames, allowing two runs and scattering five hits, the bullpen stepped in.

Elvis Alvarado, Michael Kelly, Sean Newcomb and Mason Miller combined for four innings of one-run ball. Miller, as he’s done time and again this season, closed it out in the ninth with his signature upper-90s heat and a pair of strikeouts, earning his 18th save and preserving the win.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing. The A’s were outhit 7-6 and missed a couple of early scoring chances. Kevin Gausman had Sacramento’s young lineup looking overmatched through four innings. But the Green and Gold hung tough, aided by a pair of costly catcher interference calls, both against Toronto’s Tyler Heineman, that gave the Athletics extra outs and kept innings alive. Those moments don’t show up in the highlight reels, but they mattered.

And then there was the quiet steadiness of Miguel Andujar. Coming off the injured list earlier in the week, Andujar broke out of an 0-for-14 slump with two hits and a stolen base, injecting life into the middle of the order. Pinch-runner Max Schuemann came in for him in the eighth and swiped second with ease, setting the table for an insurance run that never came but wasn’t needed.

Toronto made things interesting in the eighth when Alejandro Kirk hit a sacrifice fly to bring the Jays within one, but Newcomb’s strikeout of Addison Barger ended the threat. The Blue Jays got the tying run aboard in the ninth, but Mason Miller made sure it didn’t matter, striking out Ernie Clement and George Springer in succession to send the crowd home buzzing.

With the win, the Athletics improve to 40 and 57, snapping a two-game skid and avoiding a season sweep at the hands of the Jays. They’re still anchored to the bottom of the AL West, but this is not the same team that lost 20 of 21 earlier in the year. There’s energy now. Swagger. And a rookie class that looks like it belongs.

Kurtz continues to pace MLB rookies in home runs, Butler is heating up again after a midweek lull, and Clarke, despite his strikeouts, is showing flashes of becoming a dynamic two-way threat. The young core is working together, and if Rooker keeps swinging like this, it’s only going to get more fun in Sacramento.

Starting pitchers for Sunday for the Blue Jays RHP Jose Berrios (5-3 ERA 3.53) for the A’s LHP Jeffrey Springs (7-6 ERA 3.92) a 1:05pm PDT.

Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.

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 starter Luis Severino pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays in the top of the second inning at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento on Fri Jul 11, 2025 (AP News photo)

Fireworks After the Firestorm as Athletics Nearly Burn the Jays; Sacramento loses in nailbiter 7-6

By Mauricio Segura

There was no shortage of heat at Sutter Health Park on Friday night, and we’re not just talking about the triple-digit temperature that greeted the first pitch. Under a fiery Sacramento sky, the Athletics fell just short of a miracle comeback, dropping a 7-6 heartbreaker to the Toronto Blue Jays in front of 7950 fans at Sutter Health Park. While the box score won’t show a win, this one will stick in the memory bank, if only for the sheer chaos and late-game fireworks.

Luis Severino, who’s been carrying the weight of the season’s struggles, started for the Green and Gold and immediately found himself navigating minefields. The right-hander entered the game with a league-worst home ERA, and his woes continued. Though he managed to escape the early innings without damage, Toronto’s bats came alive in the fifth inning and didn’t show mercy.

The fifth began with a throwing error from second baseman Zack Gelof and quickly spiraled into disaster. A rare double steal saw Vladimir Guerrero Jr. swipe second and George Springer sprint home, putting the Jays up 2-0. That was just the spark.

After a pair of RBI singles and a bases-loaded single from Myles Straw, the floodgates burst open. When Nathan Lukes laced a two-run double, his seventh of the season, the scoreboard screamed 7-0 in favor of the visitors. Severino was done for the night, his ERA inflating to 5.30 as the Sacramento crowd sighed and sweat in unison.

To Severino’s credit, the struggles aren’t new. He’s been a tale of two pitchers in 2025, solid on the road but cursed at home. With this loss, he now owns an 0-8 record at home with a sky-high 7.04 ERA. The veteran just hasn’t been able to find rhythm in Sacramento, and Friday was no exception.

But if there’s one thing this team doesn’t lack, it’s grit.

Down 7-0, the Athletics found their swing in the sixth inning, sparked by rookie sensation Nick Kurtz. The 22-year-old, already leading MLB rookies with 15 home runs, added to his resume with a two-run bomb to center, his 16th on the season. Just three batters later, Tyler Soderstrom sent another shot to dead center, cutting the deficit to 7-3 and electrifying the home crowd.

Despite that jolt, the momentum hit a wall until the ninth. Down to their final three outs and trailing by four, the A’s dug deep again. Max Muncy, who’d been mired in a mini-slump, jolted one over the center field fence for his ninth home run, trimming the lead to three.

Zack Gelof worked a walk and Denzel Clarke slapped a single to left, putting runners at the corners with one out. A wild pitch from Toronto’s Jeff Hoffman brought home Gelof. Two pitches later, Brent Rooker laced an RBI single to left, scoring Clarke and making it a one-run game. The stadium, now fully alive, was bouncing.

Then came the turning point.

With the tying run at first and two outs, Kurtz, the hero of the sixth, stepped up. But Hoffman, digging deep, got the strikeout he needed. The Sacramento rally ended at the edge of glory.

Still, what had looked like a sleepwalk to the All-Star Break turned into a legitimate thriller. And even in a loss, there were bright spots.

Kurtz continues to play like a future star. His home run was his 11th at Sutter Health Park, and he now leads all rookies not just in homers but also in clutch moments, with seven of his long balls coming in the eighth inning or later.

Soderstrom, too, is heating up. His 17th home run was his fourth in the last eight games, and his improved approach at the plate shows.

The bullpen, a sore spot for much of the year, held its own after Severino’s early exit. Osvaldo Bido, just recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas, threw two solid innings, and the back-end arms kept the game close enough for the offense to make noise.

Defensively, it wasn’t the A’s sharpest outing, with an error contributing to the fifth-inning meltdown. But there were flashes. Denzel Clarke’s work in center was once again stellar, and he continues to justify his spot in the lineup with both glove and bat.

Despite the loss, the Athletics are showing something that’s easy to overlook in a sub-.500 season: resilience. Even after being outscored 7-0 midway through the fifth, they battled back with heart and hustle. And while the comeback fell just short, the buzz around the club, especially its young core, is very real.

As they head into the weekend with two more games against Toronto before the All-Star Break, one thing is clear. The Sacramento A’s aren’t mailing it in. They’re taking their swings, throwing punches, and making every inning count. The standings may not show it, but this team is building something.

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.