Tag: Sacramento A’s

Sacramento A’s game report: Mariners Make A’s Pay 9-1 and Snatch Away First Place

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Nick Kurtz charges in on Josh Naylor’s soft grounder as J.P. Crawford breaks for second base during the top of the third inning.(photo by Golden Bay Times)

By Mauricio Segura

WEST SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Athletics started the day still clinging to first place in the American League West, but Seattle spent the afternoon tugging at every loose thread until the whole thing looked frayed. The Mariners turned an early Sacramento mistake into a three-run first inning, kept adding pressure in the middle innings, and rode Logan Gilbert’s firm six-inning start to a 9-1 win that made the division race feel a lot tighter than it did when the first pitch was thrown.

The trouble began almost immediately. J.P. Crawford opened the game with a single, and Jeffrey Springs seemed close to escaping after two quick outs. Then Josh Naylor reached on Jeff McNeil’s throwing error, putting two aboard for Rob Refsnyder. That mistake became expensive in a hurry. Refsnyder sent a three-run homer to left, giving Seattle a 3-0 lead before the Athletics had even taken their first swings. It was the kind of inning that has followed the A’s all series, as their defense leaked error on top of error.

Sacramento did get a first-inning single from Carlos Cortes, who entered as one of the best hitters in the majors by batting average, but Gilbert never let the A’s turn a small spark into a real rally. He retired Nick Kurtz, Shea Langeliers, and Tyler Soderstrom in order after Cortes reached, then continued to keep the Green and Gold searching. Darell Hernaiz singled in the third. Langeliers and Soderstrom reached to start the fourth. Zack Gelof doubled in the fifth, and Cortes drew a free pass behind him. Each time, Seattle found the answer before the Athletics could bend the game back toward them.

The fourth inning hurt almost as much as the first. Springs again got the first two outs, but Cole Young singled, Jhonny Pereda drew a free pass, and Colt Emerson ripped a two-run triple to right. That stretched Seattle’s lead to 5-0 and spoiled what had been a strong historical matchup for Springs, who had handled the Mariners well over his career. Instead, the left-hander’s recent slide continued, and the Athletics were chasing a game that kept getting farther away.

Gilbert, meanwhile, gave Seattle exactly what they needed. He worked six scoreless innings, allowed five hits, struck out six, and handled Sacramento’s best chance in the fourth when Langeliers singled and Soderstrom drew a free pass with nobody out. Jonah Heim lifted a ball to center, but Henry Bolte followed by grounding into a double play that erased the inning. For a team that had been struggling to score over the previous week, that missed chance felt heavy.

Seattle added another run in the sixth when Young scored on Emerson’s forceout, helped along by a throwing error from Hernaiz. Then Julio Rodríguez made sure there would be no late suspense. After Young drew a free pass and Emerson singled in the eighth, Rodríguez launched a three-run homer to left-center after an ABS challenge overturned a ball call. That blast pushed the Mariners ahead 9-0 and turned the final innings into a formality.

The Athletics finally got on the board in the ninth. Heim drew a free pass, Bolte singled him to third, and McNeil’s double-play grounder brought Heim home. Gelof followed with a single, but Hernaiz grounded into a forceout to end it.

There were a few small positives. Cortes reached twice, Soderstrom doubled, Gelof had two hits, and Bolte added a late single. But this was mostly a reminder that the A’s margin for error is thinner as the season progresses in tight a West coast competition .

They entered the day with a half-game lead over Seattle and a losing record despite holding the top spot in the West. By the end, Seattle had turned up the heat in the standings, while the Athletics were left with a lopsided loss, a quiet lineup, and another afternoon where early mistakes had loud repercussions.

The Athletics get a day off Thursday before the Bronx Bombers roll into West Sacramento for a weekend series beginning Friday night. Former Yankee Luis Severino gets the start for the A’s,carrying a 2-5 record, 4.23 ERA, and 64 strikeouts into a matchup against Carlos Rodón, who enters at 0-2 with a 4.15 ERA and 17 strikeouts. First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m. at Sutter Health Park.

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. 

A’s Drop Series to Mariners 4-1 Despite Solid Debut From Gage Jump

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Gage Jump #61 of the Athletics pitches during the second inning against the Seattle Mariners as he makes his MLB Debut at Sutter Health Park on May 26, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Scott Marshall/Getty Images)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento Athletics were back in action on Tuesday night to take on the Seattle Mariners in game two of a three-game series. After losing the opener on Monday, the A’s looked to get a game back in game two.

The A’s failed to put it all together on Tuesday and dropped game two, and the series, to the Mariners, 4-1.

Tuesday had a bit of added anticipation as it was highly touted A’s prospect Gage Jump’s debut for the Athletics. Jump has been a highly anticipated call-up for the A’s after he had a very promising start to his minor league career, where he has gone 9-9 with a 3.58 ERA across 35 appearances (33 starts) for the A’s minor league club in Las Vegas.

Jump throws a hard fastball that sits comfortably around 96 mph, and an 85 mph slider that he throws off of that. Those two pitches make up over 75% of the pitches he throws while he also mixes in a curveball, sweeper and changeup. He throws the fastball 56% of the time while everything else is secondary.

In Jump’s debut for the A’s on Tuesday, it was an up-and-down debut for the left-hander. Jump retired the side in the first inning, including two strikeouts, but he ran into trouble in the second inning. Jump gave up four hits and three runs in the second inning as the start began to unravel for the 23-year-old rookie.

However, Jump was able to compose himself and get through five innings of work as the A’s were in game 15 of 16 straight games without an off day. Jump allowed nine hits and four runs in his five innings of work while walking one and striking out five. Jump needed 88 pitches to get his 15 outs during his appearance.

Mark Kotsay was pleased with the outing from Jump, albeit with room for improvement.

“The focus obviously for Gage is throwing strikes, and he did that Tuesday night. One walk, a hit by pitch. But outside of that, I think just the putaway pitch, he left some two-strike pitches up in his zone that hurt him tonight.”

Jump himself was hard on himself after the game, but was grateful for the experience and for every baseball player’s dream coming true.

“It was a lot,” Jump said after the game. “It was fun, but I wanted to take today to focus on competing and winning a ballgame, and that didn’t happen. So I’m frustrated. But yeah, I mean, it was an awesome experience.”

The A’s bullpen pitched well in relief for the Athletics.

Jose Suarez was first out of the pen for the A’s as he went one and two-thirds innings of scoreless baseball while giving up two hits and striking out one.

Justin Sterner came in to relieve Suarez with two outs in the seventh inning and retired the first batter he faced. In the eighth, Sterner went back out and retired the side in order as he threw one and a third innings of hitless baseball and struck out one.

In the ninth inning, Hogan Harris came on in an effort to keep the game where it was. Harris succeeded in his task as he tossed a three-up, three-down inning while striking out one Mariners batter.

For the A’s on offense, it was another rough day that followed the tough showing on Monday. The A’s managed only one run on four hits on Tuesday as the offense continued to stall after returning home from the road trip.

The A’s lone run came courtesy of a Tyler Soderstrom line-drive home run over the right-center-field wall that left the bat at 111 mph. The home run traveled 409 feet and landed on the grass. That’s all the A’s could muster at the plate as they continue to search for their form.

With the loss, the A’s fell to 27-28 while the Mariners improved to 27-29. The A’s are now just over one-third of the way through the season.

The A’s will take on the Mariners in the final game of the series on Wednesday at 12:05 p.m. PST. Jeffrey Springs (3-5, 4.11 ERA) is slated to start for the A’s while the Mariners will counter with Logan Gilbert (2-4, 4.04 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. 

A’s Succumb to Civale’s Rough Start, Lose 9-2 to Mariners

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Aaron Civale #45 of the Athletics pitches in the top of the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at Sutter Health Park on May 25, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Athletics returned home on Monday night for a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners. The A’s were fresh off a Los Angeles and San Diego trip where they went 4-3, as they won the Angels series and dropped the series to the Padres. Overall, it was a positive trip for the Athletics, who remained in first place in the AL West over the Seattle Mariners by one game in the standings coming into the game. While early, the series against the Mariners would be a good test for the A’s as they battle long term for the division title.

The Mariners defeated the A’s in front of 11,194 on a chilly night in commanding fashion, 9-2.

Aaron Civale, who has been the A’s best starter so far in the 2026 season, got the ball for the A’s to start the homestand at Sutter Health Park.

Civale cruised for the A’s in the first two innings of the game. He allowed two quick base hits with two outs in the first inning but got out of things unscathed, and had a one, two, three inning in the second inning. It was the third inning that did Civale in. After getting two outs in the inning, Civale gave up six runs on six hits as he completely melted down in what was an inexplicable inning. Civale managed to keep himself in the game to pitch the fourth inning, but he gave up a leadoff home run to start the fourth inning of action to continue his rough stretch. All in, Civale managed to go only four innings, giving up seven runs on nine hits while walking one and striking out two. Civale needed 73 pitches in his outing.

Mark Kotsay was forced to go to the A’s bullpen early in the fifth inning, and he elected for Jack Perkins first to relieve the starter, Aaron Civale. Perkins last pitched Friday night against the Angels when he pitched two and a third innings. Perkins was fantastic in the first four innings of his relief, allowing only one hit. However, Perkins found trouble in the ninth inning when he gave up a solo home run before being pulled with two outs in the ninth inning. Perkins tossed four and two-thirds innings in relief as the long man while giving up three hits and two runs in his outing that required 63 pitches.

The last man out of the pen for the A’s was Joel Kuhnel, who came in and got a strikeout for the final out of the top of the ninth inning.

On the offensive side of the ball, there was very slim output from the hitters. The A’s only managed seven hits and two runs in a game they would like to forget. The A’s hits came from Jeff McNeil, Zack Gelof, Henry Bolte, Shea Langeliers, Tyler Soderstrom and Darell Hernaiz, who had two hits. Langeliers was responsible for the A’s run in the eighth inning as he connected for a solo home run. Langeliers’s home run traveled 400 feet to right-center field and jumped off the bat at 104 mph.

The A’s only other run came in the ninth inning when McNeil grounded into a double play. It was the A’s second and last run as they fell to the Mariners 9-2.

The A’s and Mariners will play game two of the series on Tuesday at 6:40 p.m. PST. The A’s will send Luis Severino (2-5, 4.23 ERA) to the mound while the Mariners are scheduled to counter with Emerson Hancock (3-2, 3.07 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 worked hard to get win on Sunday to avoid a sweep

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Sacramento A’s pitcher Aaron Civale will get the start against the Seattle Mariners at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento on Mon May 25, 2026 (photo by MLB file)

Sacramento A’s podcast Barbara Mason:

1.After losing the first two games of the series, the Sacramento Athletics were looking for a win in game three on Sunday to not only avoid the sweep but also remain in first place in the American League West.

2.There were some real offensive standouts in Sunday’s game starting with Carlos Cortez leadoff batter and it didn’t stop there, this roster had a great game from Nick Kurtz, Tyler Soderstrom and Jonah Heim.

3. The A’s not only got great offensive work from Tyler Soderstrom but he was outstanding defensively. Rookie Henry Bolte continues to deliver after being brought up along with Alika Wiliams who came onboard a little over a week ago from Pittsburgh.

4. The A’s opening pitching strategy worked great for the A’s. Luis Medina did open the game but came out early. He has recently come off Tommy John surgery and has been working stricktly out of the bullpen.

5. The A’s will now open a series with the Seattle Mariners with the first game Monday night. This will be a series between the top two teams in the American League West.

Barbara Mason does the Sacramento A’s podcasts each Monday 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. 

Sacramento A’s podcast Daniel Dullum: A’s Cortes and Kurtz home runs put the final touches on Pads to avoid sweep

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Sacramento A’s Carlos Cortes circles the bases after hitting in the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park in San Diego on Sun May 24, 2026 (AP News photo)

Sacramento A’s podcast Daniel Dullum:

#1 No doubt about it Daniel good pitching defeats good hitting every time as the Sacramento A’s held the San Diego Padres to just two runs for the win?

#2 A’s sluggers Carlos Cortes and Nick Kurtz helped spark the Athletics’ 5–2 victory with home runs at Petco Park how important are they to the A’s line up?

#3 What was notable about Nick Kurtz’s performance and on-base streak during the Athletics vs. Padres game?

#4 Starting pitchers for Monday night as the second place Seattle Mariners come calling in Sacramento. Starter for Seattle RHP Luis Castillo (1-5 ERA 6.41) for Sacramento RHP Aaron Civale (5-1 ERA 3.31) first pitch at Sutter Health Park 6:40pm PDT.

#5 How did fans and commentators react to the Athletics’ offensive struggles earlier in the series before their Game 3 win over San Diego?

Daniel Dullum does the Sacramento A’s podcasts each Sunday 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. 

Sacramento A’s game wrap: A’s Find Their Missing Bite and Take the Finale 5-2

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Sacramento A’s Carlos Cortes (2) gives thanks to the Almighty after hitting a top fo the first inning home run against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park in San Diego on Sun May 24, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Mauricio Segura

The boys from Sactown had spent the first two games of the series staring at chances that slipped away. This time, they did not wait around for permission. Carlos Cortes opened the game by lifting a home run to right center, giving the Green and Gold the surge they had been lacking as of late.

It was one swing, one run, and one early reminder that Cortes has been one of the hottest bats in the lineup, hitting .381 over his previous 23 games and carrying the best batting average in the majors among players with at least 100 plate appearances.The Cortes led A’s got the three run win 5-2 at Petco Park in San Diego.

The first inning also gave the Athletics something just as valuable as the lead: a calm defensive start. Fernando Tatis Jr. singled to begin the bottom half, but Miguel Andujar rolled into a smooth 6-4-3 double play started by Alika Williams. Gavin Sheets then took a called third strike, and the A’s were back in the dugout with momentum still in their hands.

They added on in the second with the lower part of the order doing the damage. Zack Gelof drew a walk, and Henry Bolte ripped a double to left to bring him home. Bolte has brought speed, energy, and a little electricity to the lineup since his call-up, and he kept showing why the A’s were willing to give the 22-year-old center fielder meaningful starts so quickly. Williams followed with a single to left that scored Bolte, stretching the lead to 3-0 before the Padres could fully settle in.

Luis Medina worked through early traffic and was helped by his defense before Jacob Lopez took over in the second. Lopez had never faced the Padres before, and his outing became a test of patience. He did not dominate, but he didn’t allow the game to unravel either.

The Padres put runners on, but the A’s kept finding ways to cut off rallies, including a huge relay in the fifth when Tatis doubled to left and Ty France tried to score from first. Tyler Soderstrom fired to Williams, Williams relayed home, and Jonah Heim finished the play at the plate. It was a sequence of baseball reel highlight finesse. “How about that”, I could almost hear Mel Allen say from his heavenly pressbox stool.

The A’s pushed the lead to 4-0 in the fourth without a hit doing the final damage. Heim doubled, Jeff McNeil and Bolte drew walks, and after Michael King’s wild pitch, Heim scored from third. The inning could have been bigger, especially with the bases loaded, but even one run mattered in a series where every missed chance had felt expensive.

San Diego finally broke through in the sixth when Andujar doubled, moved to third, and scored on Manny Machado’s sacrifice fly. Ty France then tightened the game in the seventh with a solo homer to right off Justin Sterner, trimming the lead to 4-2. Suddenly, the finale had the familiar feel of a game ready to test the A’s bullpen again.

The ninth inning gave the Athletics breathing room, and it started with Cortes again. He singled to left, Lawrence Butler pinch-ran, and Nick Kurtz dropped a bunt single toward third. Kurtz had already extended his remarkable on-base streak to 47 games, moving past Rickey Henderson and into third place alone in Athletics history. That is not a footnote anymore. That is franchise royalty territory. Tyler Soderstrom followed with a ground-ball single to right, scoring Butler and giving the A’s a 5-2 lead.

The bottom of the ninth still had some drama. Hogan Harris issued two walks, including one after Jackson Merrill’s challenged plate appearance was overturned. With two on and one out, Scott Barlow was asked to settle the whole thing down. He did exactly that, striking out Nick Castellanos before getting Tatis to fly out to right, where Butler handled the final out.

After dropping the first two games, the Athletics needed more than a decent effort. They needed a response. They got one from Cortes, Bolte, Williams, Soderstrom, Kurtz, and a bullpen that held firm when the Padres tried to make the game uncomfortable. It was tough, timely, and exactly the win a first-place team needs before heading into a crucial series tomorrow in Sacramento.

Speaking of that series, Memorial Day Monday brings a big one to Sacramento, as the A’s open a three-game set against their West Coast rivals and the team currently chasing them in second place, the Seattle Mariners. Aaron Civale gets the opening-night ball for the A’s, bringing a 5-1 record, 3.31 ERA, and 37 strikeouts into the matchup. Seattle will counter with Luis Castillo, who enters at 1-5 with a 6.41 ERA and 47 strikeouts. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. Pacific.

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 game wrap: The A’s Played Well, but Failed to Follow Through; Pads Giolito blanks Sac 2-0

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San Diego Padres starter Luis Giolito was dealing against the Sacramento A’s at Petco Park in San Diego on Sat May 23, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Mauricio Segura

The Sacramento Athletics had enough baserunners to have made Saturday night a clear win, but the absolute lack of finishing touches failed to get any of them across the plate. A 2-0 loss to the Padres became a lesson in missed chances, survival pitching, and how a game with only two runs can still feel like it had a dozen turning points hiding in the San Diego the dirt.

Sacramento opened with immediate pressure against Lucas Giolito. Carlos Cortes started the game with a hard line-drive single to right, and Nick Kurtz followed with a base hit to move Cortes to third. Two powerful statements right off the bat (pun intended), especially with the heart of the order due. But Shea Langeliers then lifted a ball to right, Brent Rooker struck out, and Tyler Soderstrom’s easy fly was shut down as the inning slipped away without a run. The A’s had Giolito wobbling, but they never made him pay.

J.T. Ginn, making his first start since taking a no-hit bid into the ninth inning against the Angels, had to work through speeding traffic right away. Fernando Tatis Jr. drew a walk to begin the Padres’ first, and Manny Machado later reached as well, but Ginn struck out Gavin Sheets and Nick Castellanos to keep San Diego off the board. Considering Ginn had been riding one of the more dramatic recent starts by an A’s pitcher, his early command issues made this outing feel like a very different test. This one was not about chasing history. It was about escaping a pileup.

The escape act finally cracked in the second. Jackson Merrill reached, stole second, and the Padres loaded the bases after Freddy Fermin and Sung-Mun Song reached. Tatis was hit by a pitch, forcing in Merrill for the game’s first run. Ginn still avoided major damage when Miguel Andujar grounded into a force at the plate and Sheets flew out, but San Diego had taken the lead without needing a big swing.

The Padres added their second run in the third after Castellanos reached and Merrill doubled to right. Ty France grounded out to short, scoring Castellanos, and that was enough breathing room for San Diego’s staff. José Suarez replaced Ginn in the inning and limited the damage, while the A’s bullpen later gave the lineup a real chance. Joel Kuhnel delivered two perfect innings with three strikeouts, and Scott Barlow worked around a France walk in the eighth to keep it at 2-0.

The issue was the offense kept stepping into traps. In the third, Cortes drew a walk before Kurtz hit into an unassisted double play. In the fourth, the A’s had their best chance after Rooker and Soderstrom reached, Giolito uncorked a wild pitch, and Henry Bolte reached to load the bases. Jeff McNeil then hit into a double play, ending the threat and turning a possible turning point into another stranded opportunity.

Kurtz still gave the A’s one of their better storylines by reaching again with his second hit of the game, extending a streak that had already placed him among the longest in Athletics history. Big Amish’s ability to keep reaching base has become less of a hot streak and more of a nightly expectation, which is absurd in the best baseball way. Langeliers also nearly sparked something in the eighth with a double to left, but Jason Adam struck out Rooker and Soderstrom to end that threat.

By the ninth, Mason Miller finished it with force. Zack Gelof and Bolte struck out before McNeil grounded out, leaving the A’s with five hits, several chances, and no runs. The Padres did not win the game with any heroics. They simply cashed in once with a hit batter, once with a groundout, and let their pitching do the rest.

For the Athletics, the loss was frustrating because it was so reachable. Their pitching staff allowed only two runs, the bullpen settled the game beautifully, and the lineup had the right names at the plate in the right spots. But baseball being baseball, unpredictable, sometimes the whole night is not decided by who creates the most noise. Sometimes it is decided by who does the smallest thing at the exact right moment.

Game 3 starters for Sunday’s series closer will be Luis Medina (1-1 / 2.41 ERA / 18 k) for the A’s, and Michael King (4-2 / 2.31 ERA / 59 K) for the Padres at 4:10pm

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. 

San Francisco Giants podcast Stephen Ruderman: Jung Hoo Lee out on 10 day IL back injury; Giants suffer 4th inning nine set back against Sox

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San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee (51) is on the 10 day IL out with a back injury as of Fri May 22, 2026 (AP News photo)

San Francisco Giants podcast Stephen Ruderman:

#1 The Giants have now lost four straight games and are 2-7 in their last nine games. The loss on Friday night to the Chicago White Sox was not much of encouragement allowing nine runs in the top of the fourth inning at Oracle Park.

#2 Talk about pitcher Trevor McDonald he had a great break in with the Giants when he was called up and looked in command on Friday night until that fourth inning when the White Sox saw the baseball as big as beach balls.

#3 Also in the fourth inning McDonald and reliever Ryan Boruki hit outfielder Sam Antonacci it was the first time Giants pitchers hit the same batter whether it was the same pitcher or different pitchers.

#4 The Giants third baseman Matt Chapman has four extra base hits in his last six games. Chapman is hitting .304 with a .863 over the last six games.

#5 Talk about today’s starting pitchers for the White Sox RHP Erick Fedde (0-4 ERA 4.30) for the Giants RHP Andrian Houser (2-4 ERA 5.25) first pitch 1:05pm PDT

Stephen Ruderman is a San Francisco Giants beat writer for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento A’s podcast Mauricio Segura: Pads come out with the big flies to bury A’s 7-3 in series opener Friday

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Former Oakland A and current San Diego Padre Ramon Laureano watches his home run in the bottom of the seventh inning against the Sacramento A’s at Petco Park in San Diego on Fri May 22, 2026 (AP News photo)

Sacramento A’s podcast Mauricio Segura:

#1 Mauricio, Talk about A’s pitchers Jeffrey Springs and Jack Perkins who both got touched up by the San Diego Padres early in the game.

#2 The Padres got home run help from Ramon Laureano, Manny Machado, and Nick Castellanos the long ball put the A’s out of business early.

#3 Which Athletics hitters were expected to be key offensive contributors entering the series against San Diego?

#4 In spite of the loss the A’s still maintain a 1.5 game lead on the second place Seattle Mariners in the AL West

#5 How important will this Memorial Day weekend series for the Athletics’ be in the standings in the AL West race?

Mauricio Segura filled in for Tony Harvey who does A’s podcasts each Saturday 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

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Sacramento A’s game wrap: A’s Early Edge Vanishes in San Diego Power Show 7-3

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San Diego Padres base runner Fernando Tatis (left) is tagged out by Sacramento A’s first baseman Nick Kurtz (16) in the bottom of the fifth inning at Petco Park in San Diego on Fri May 22, 2026 (AP News photo)

Sacramento A’s game wrap:

By Mauricio Segura

The Sacramento A’s just couldn’t hold the lead and later faltered to the San Diego Padres 7-3 at Petco Park in San Diego on Friday night. In the first inning was one that usually gives the dugout a false sense of ease. Carlos Cortes started it with a single to center, and Nick Kurtz followed by driving a double to center that brought Cortes home and extended his already impressive run of reaching base.

Kurtz entered this matchup carrying a 44-game on-base streak, the fourth longest in Athletics history, and he wasted no time adding another note to that growing file. Shea Langeliers moved him to third with a grounder, and Brent Rooker’s groundout scored him for a quick 2-0 lead.

The Padres answered with less traffic but more force. Fernando Tatis Jr. drew a free pass in the bottom half, and after Jeffrey Springs retired Miguel Andujar and Gavin Sheets, Manny Machado turned the game with one swing, sending a two-run homer to left center. Just like that, the Athletics’ early cushion was gone, and the game settled into a tug-of-war between Springs trying to keep the Padres quiet and the A’s trying to rebuild pressure against Walker Buehler.

The Green and Gold had chances, but the small details kept getting expensive. Henry Bolte drew a free pass and Jeff McNeil singled in the second, only for Darell Hernaiz and Cortes to leave both stranded. Kurtz reached again in the third, but the middle of the order could not cash him in. In the fourth, Zack Gelof opened with a double to left, and Bolte followed with a single to center that scored Gelof, giving the A’s a 3-2 lead. Bolte’s speed created the run, but his attempt to take second was cut down by Rodolfo Durán and Xander Bogaerts, trimming a possible larger inning into something much smaller.

Springs did his best to make that lead hold. He got a double play in the third, worked a steady fourth, and handled the sixth with three groundouts. That mattered because Springs had been trying to shake a rough stretch that included four straight losses entering the game, and for much of the night he looked ready to bend the trend back in the right direction.

The problem was that San Diego did not need many openings. Nick Castellanos tied the game in the fifth with a homer to left, and Ramón Laureano gave the Padres the lead in the seventh with another solo shot. Springs allowed only three hits, but all three left the yard, a cruel little baseball math problem with no friendly answer.

The sixth inning may haunt the Athletics more than any other. Bolte and McNeil singled with two outs, Hernaiz loaded the bases with a free pass, and the Padres had to bring in Adrian Morejon to face pinch-hitter Colby Thomas. With the game still tied and one swing able to change everything, Thomas struck out, leaving a bitter taste that continued to squirm on the palate throughout the rest of the game.

San Diego finally broke it open in the eighth. Durán, Tatis, Andujar, and Sheets opened the inning with four straight singles off Jack Perkins, with Sheets bringing home two runs. Machado struck out, but Bogaerts added a sacrifice fly to score Andujar, pushing the Padres ahead 7-3. José Suarez stopped the inning from stretching further by getting Sung-Mun Song to pop out, but the damage had already turned a tense game into a virtual unreachable summit.

The Athletics went quietly in the ninth against Jeremiah Estrada, with McNeil striking out, Lawrence Butler grounding out as a pinch-hitter, and Thomas flying out to center. The final score told one story, but the innings told a fuller one: the A’s started fast, Springs competed, Kurtz kept reaching, Bolte supplied a run, and San Diego’s power plus one late rally made the difference.

For a team that had just won back-to-back extra-inning games and remained in first place in the American League West, this was not a collapse so much as a reminder. In the majors, being close for seven innings only matters if the eighth does not bite you.

Game two Saturday will feature J.T. Ginn (2-2, 2.98 ERA, 44 K) back on the mound after his devastating near no-hitter loss in Anaheim a few nights ago. He’ll face Lucas Giolito (1-0, 5.40 ERA, 3 K), who will be making just his second appearance for San Diego. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m.

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.