The Houston Astros Carlos Correa swings for a double in the top of the seventh inning against the Sacramento A’s at Sutter Health Park on Thu Sep 25, 2025 (AP News photo)
Sacramento A’s podcast with Lincoln Juarez:
#1 How did Framber Valdez’s pitching performance on Thursday compare to his recent outings — in terms of innings, strikeouts, and earned runs?
#2 Which offensive contributions (home runs, RBIs, multi-hit games) from Astros or A’s hitters had the biggest impact on the final 11–5 score?
#3 The Astros’ 11-5 win prevented a series sweep by the Athletics, and what was the series outcome?
#4 How did the result affect Houston’s position in the AL Wild Card race (especially vis‑à‑vis Detroit or Cleveland)?
#5 Talk about tonight’s starting pitchers for the Kansas City Royals LHP Noah Cameron (9-7 ERA 2.90) the A’s starter for tonight is RHP Mason Barnett (1-1 ERA 7.56) at Sutter Health Park.
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.
Nick Kurtz #16 of the Athletics trots around the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Houston Astros in the bottom of the six inning at Sutter Health Park on September 25, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
WEST SACRAMENTO — After winning the first two games of their series against the Astros, the A’s struggled on Thursday afternoon and failed to sweep, losing 11-5.
J.T. Ginn, who has had mixed results this season for the A’s, wasn’t sharp again. Ginn only managed to complete three and two-thirds innings as the Astros shelled him for seven runs on six hits. Making his final start of the year, Ginn also surrendered three walks while striking out four.
Mark Kotsay spoke after the game about where he felt Ginn’s issues stemmed from.
“We talk a lot about free bases really hurting us and setting the tone. And I think for J.T., that first inning he really fished his way into some trouble. And when you do that against a good team, it’s tough to maneuver and to get out of those types of jams. I think the command wasn’t there today. The pitches were up in the zone.”
The bullpen
The A’s bullpen also struggled after tossing great innings in the first two games of the series.
Brady Basso was first out of the pen to relieve Ginn in the fourth inning. Basso recorded the final out of the fourth and got two outs in the fifth before being lifted after giving up two runs on three hits while walking three.
Osvaldo Bido came in for Basso and tossed two and a third innings of solid work. Bido gave up one run on two hits while striking out three and walking one.
Scott McGough was the final arm out of the bullpen for Kotsay, pitching the eighth and ninth. McGough gave up one run on one hit while striking out two.
The bats
The A’s bats struggled against Astros starter Framber Valdez, whose only blemish was a Nick Kurtz solo home run in the bottom of the sixth to get the A’s on the board. It was the 34th home run of the season for Kurtz and a foreshadowing of things to come later in the game.
Kurtz did his best to pull the A’s closer in the eighth inning with another home run which was his 35th of the season. The second blast, a 389-foot shot to left-center field that left the bat at 105 mph, was the A’s second and third runs of the game.
After the game, Kotsay spoke to the approach from Kurtz that has allowed him to succeed against both righties and lefties this season.
“He hadn’t seen a ton of Framber and for the approach to be what it was to have success, he needed to hit the ball left-center and the results would come. And I think you saw that he stuck with the approach and did a really nice job of getting the ball elevated, which was tough to do off Framber and getting a couple balls that he could handle and drive the other way.”
Whenever Kurtz gets the ball in the air the opposite way, it almost always seems to have a chance to be a home run. That was an opinion Kotsay agreed with after the game.
“When Nick touches the baseball, especially in the air opposite field, good things happen and we saw it today.”
Kurtz, who always has the same demeanor postgame, was calm and determined in his comments as if this is a normal result he expects every game.
“My power is going to the backside of the field,” Kurtz said. “I had to realize that I could still do that on inside pitches. I don’t need to try to pull.”
Kurtz went on to describe his relationship with A’s hitting coach Darren Bush, who is highly regarded among the players and in the organization.
“Oh, he’s awesome. I’m able to go to him whenever something feels a little off, whether it’s a simple mental adjustment, whether it’s a swing adjustment. We’re talking on a day-to-day basis on what I feel and what he sees, so it’s been really great to have him here throughout the whole way, especially with a bunch of young guys…”
The A’s added two more runs in the ninth thanks to a JJ Bleday RBI double and a Max Schuemann RBI groundout. They finished with five runs on 12 hits and three walks.
Up next
The A’s will begin their final series of the year on Friday at 7:05 p.m. PST at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento. They have yet to announce starters for the series against the Kansas City Royals. The Royals will send Noah Cameron (9-7, 2.90) 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.
Luis Severino #40 of the Athletics pitches against the Houston Astros in the top of the first inning at Sutter Health Park on September 24, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
WEST SACRAMENTO — During the 2025 season, Luis Severino has been mired in controversy surrounding the A’s and their temporary home at Sutter Health Park. Severino made a name for himself early in Sacramento by complaining about the ballpark’s mound, feel, and proximity to the clubhouse amenities he is accustomed to in MLB parks.
Through it all, I think Severino was largely misunderstood, but it didn’t help his image of complaining after rough starts at Sutter Health Park. Early in the season, Severino had some of the worst road/home splits in all of baseball for a starting pitcher.
So, when Severino took the mound on Wednesday night at Sutter Health Park, it felt as if he had something to prove to end the season. Severino fired six and a third innings of shutout baseball as the A’s defeated the Astros 6-0.
Severino’s final line was six and a third innings, giving up no runs on just three hits while walking only one batter and striking out five hitters.
After the game, Severino reflected on his start and the victory.
“I’m going to go to sleep really happy tonight. It feels good. I think I’m finally figuring it out… But yeah, really happy. I feel like I was in control the whole game. Shea was hitting all the good buttons and we were throwing a lot of strikes.”
Mark Kotsay was also pleased with the way Severino ended his 2025 season.
“I love the way it [the season] finished for Sevy. A tough stretch through May. We all went through it together. Obviously it impacted our season, but to turn the page, move forward and finish off the year the way he did tonight I’m really impressed and he showed that he’s a true pro coming off the injury to make a few more starts to finish off this season the way he did. It says a lot about him and the competitor he is, I know tonight meant a lot.”
Speaking on the turnaround recently for Severino, Kotsay credited his approach for the success.
“I think he’s just more aggressive. I think the confidence is there and he’s making pitches when he needs to make pitches, he’s attacking hitters and he’s on the aggressive.”
The bullpen
Hogan Harris came on to relieve Luis Severino and retired the last two batters of the seventh inning before pitching a scoreless eighth. Harris was perfect in his one and two thirds innings of work as he struck out two Houston hitters.
In the ninth, with the A’s up 6-0, Mark Kotsay elected with the sometimes unreliable ninth inning man Elvis Alvarado. Elvis, who has been solid for the A’s in his rookie season, got into a bit of trouble in the ninth inning. However, Elvis managed to escape the ninth giving up no runs after allowing two hits in the inning. A visibly excited Alvarado pumped his fist in a show of emotion after recording the final out of the game via a strikeout.
The bats
The A’s bats took advantage of everything they got going on Wednesday as they scored six runs on eight hits in the game. The A’s also drew three walks.
The A’s got on the board in the third inning when Tyler Soderstrom doubled home Nick Kurtz to open the scoring.
Shea Langeliers, who all in all went 4-4 in the game, added on for the A’s in the fifth inning with an RBI double that scored Brett Harris.
Brent Rooker came up later in the fifth inning and knocked home two runs on an RBI single to give the A’s the fifth inning 4-0 lead over the Astros.
The A’s final two runs both came courtesy of the long ball. In the seventh inning, Shea Langeliers and Tyler Soderstrom both hit solo home runs to give the A’s the 6-0 lead and seal the deal on the series win against the Astros.
Up next
The A’s and Astros will play the final game of a three game series on Thursday afternoon at 12:35 p.m. PST. J.T. Ginn (4-6, 4.57 ERA) is scheduled to take the ball for the A’s as the Astros have yet to announce the starter.
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.
Luis Severino makes the start for the Sacramento A’s at Sutter Health Park against the Houston Astros on Wed Sep 24, 2025 (AP News photo)
Sacramento A’s podcast Jeremiah Salmonson:
#1 How did Jeffrey Springs and the Sacramento Athletics’ bullpen perform in limiting Houston’s offense?
#2 What was the turning point or key inning that allowed Sacramento to pull ahead?
#3 How did Cristian Javier fare as the starter for Houston, and what were his main challenges?
#4 Which hitters for the A’s made the biggest impact offensively against the Astros?
#5 What are the playoff implications of this game for the Astros’ postseason hopes?
#6 Starting pitchers for Wednesday night’s game here at Sutter Health for Houston Hunter Brown (12-8 ERA 2.30) and for the A’s Luis Severino (7-11, 4.72 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.
Jeffrey Springs #59 of the Athletics pitches in the top of the third inning against the Houston Astros at Sutter Health Park on September 23, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
WEST SACRAMENTO — The Athletics embarked on the final week of the season on Tuesday night at Sutter Health Park when they took on the Astros at 7 p.m. PST. In a game with playoff implications for the Astros as they try to gain ground on the AL West-leading Mariners, the A’s defeated the Astros 5-1.
Jeffrey Springs got the ball for the A’s and didn’t disappoint. Springs, who pitched brilliantly in his previous outing in Boston, turned in five innings of one-run, three-hit baseball against the Astros on Tuesday. Springs struck out three Astros and walked only two in his outing, which lowered his ERA to 4.11 for the season. It was good to see Springs put together a few solid outings to end the season and put himself back on solid ground after a bit of a rough stretch recently.
The bullpen
The A’s used three relievers in the game to finish off what Springs started in the victory.
Tyler Ferguson, who has been a mainstay for the A’s all season in the bullpen, tossed scoreless sixth and seventh innings for the A’s. Ferguson didn’t allow a hit or a walk in his two-strikeout appearance.
Justin Sterner came on to pitch the eighth inning for Mark Kotsay and delivered a scoreless frame, with his only blemish being a walk.
Michael Kelly came on to close things out as he tossed a scoreless ninth inning with a strikeout to end the game.
The bats
The A’s kept a stream of pressure on the Astros offensively all night, collecting nine hits and five runs in the contest.
Brent Rooker got the A’s on the board first when the Astros’ starting pitcher made an error on a popup to allow Nick Kurtz to score with two outs in the inning.
Darrell Hernaiz got the A’s their second run of the game on an RBI single that scored Jacob Wilson in the fourth inning to give the A’s a 2-1 lead.
The A’s added two more runs in the fifth inning when Tyler Soderstrom laced an RBI double, and Jacob Wilson singled him home one batter later to give the A’s a 4-1 advantage.
In the eighth inning, the A’s scored their last run when Carlos Cortes hit a sac fly to score Wilson and extend the lead to 5-1 heading into the ninth inning.
Wilson did not record an out on Tuesday as he went 2-for-2 with two walks and remained in the hunt for the MLB batting title. After play ended on Tuesday, Wilson had a .318 average, seven points back of Aaron Judge, who was at .325 heading into the final week of the season.
Up next
The A’s will take on the Astros in game two of their three-game set on Wednesday at 7 p.m. PST. Luis Severino (7-11, 4.72 ERA) is slated to go for the A’s, while the Astros will send Hunter Brown (12-8, 2.30 ERA) to the mound.
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 Diego Padres pitcher Jeremiah Estrada is fired up after getting the third out against the Milwaukee Brewers at Petco Park in San Diego on Mon Sep 22, 2025 (AP News photo)
That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:
#1 The San Diego Padres for the fourth time are back in the post season within the last six years. The Pads clinched on Monday night against the Milwaukee Brewers with a 5-4, the Brewers did it in a 11 innings victory against the NL Central champions Milwaukee Brewers.
#2 Ozzie Albies the Atlanta Braves second baseman had to leave on Monday in a game against the Washington Nationals when he fractured his hamate bone in his left hand. Albies was in pain after fouling off a pitch while hitting against the Nats RHP Konnor Pilkington. Albies stayed at the plate for one more pitch but then walked toward the dugout and went to see the trainer. Former A’s second baseman Nick Allen came into replace Albies.
#3 The sale of the Tampa Bay Rays has been approved by the MLB owners and the club has been purchased by real estate developer Patrick Zalupski. The sale allows previous Rays owner Stu Sternberg to close the sale. The Rays who said on Sep 17th that the sale would close close to the last day of the regular season. Sternberg owned the team from Nov 2005 and renamed the team from Devil Rays to Rays in 2008.
#4 He’s 41 years old and he’s returning to the Atlanta Braves for the third time veteran pitcher Charlie Morton was signed by the Braves after the Detroit Tigers designated Morton for assignment. Braves manager Brian Snitker didn’t say one way or the other if Morton will pitch during the last week of the regular season.
#5 The Sacramento A’s who went 3-3 on their last road trip in Boston and Pittsburgh open up a six game homestand tonight in Sacramento against the Houston Astros and Kansas City Royals. The A’s had a rough trip losing to the Pirates Sunday 11-0 and losing second baseman Zack Gelof for the rest of the season due to a left dislocated shoulder. The A’s are hoping to finish the season on a positive note when face the Astros Tuesday night at Sutter Health Park.
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 Jeffery Springs will make the start against the Houston Astros on Tue Sep 23, 2025 at Sutter Health Field in West Sacramento (AP file photo)
Sacramento A’s podcast Barbara Mason:
#1 The Sacramento A’s on Sunday were trounced in the last leg of their road trip against the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-0 at PNC Park. The Pirates Jared Triolo and Joey Bart both hit a home run and got four hits in the slugfest.
#2 For Triolo it was his seventh homer of the season and it landed in the left center field bleachers off A’s pitcher Mitch Spence.
#3 To add insult upon injury the Pirates Joey Bart slugged a three run home run off A’s reliever Osvaldo Bido to make it 10-0 in the bottom of the fifth.
#4 For the A’s Spence went 3.1 innings allowing seven runs, nine hits and reliever Bido allowed three runs, four hits in 2.2 innings of work.
#5 The A’s return back to Sacramento and this will be their final homestand for the 2025 season. The A’s will be hosting the Houston Astros starting Tuesday night. Starting pitchers for the Astros RHP Cristian Javier (2-3 ERA 4.45) for the A’s LHP Jefferey Springs (10-11 ERA 4.17) 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.
Pittsburgh Pirates Joey Bart circles the bases after hitting a three run bottom of the fifth inning home run against the Sacramento A’s at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on Sun Sep 21, 2025 (AP News photo)
Sacramento A’s Silenced in Pittsburgh as Pirates Dominate 11-0
By Mauricio Segura
The A’s had a dismal Saturday afternoon running headfirst into a Pittsburgh Pirates buzzsaw that chewed them up and spit them out in an 11-0 loss. From the very first inning, it was clear this one was not going to go the Green and Gold’s way.
Mitch Spence got the start for Sacramento and had trouble from the jump. After quickly collecting two outs in the bottom of the first, he gave up a single to Bryan Reynolds, walked Spencer Horwitz, and then watched Andrew McCutchen slap an RBI single to right.
Nick Gonzales followed with a double, and suddenly the A’s were in a 2-0 hole. Still manageable, but a negative vibe could be detected at this point as it lowered like a mist over the visiting dugout.
The A’s bats made contact but had nothing to show for it. Lawrence Butler flied out to start the game, but Brent Rooker and Nick Kurtz responded with back-to-back singles, hinting at a rally. Tyler Soderstrom’s strikeout and Jacob Wilson’s routine flyout ended that early threat. That sequence would pretty much sum up the day, squandered chances and little to no pressure on the Pirates’ pitching staff.
Pittsburgh kept adding on. In the second inning, Jared Triolo launched a two-run homer after Nick Yorke reached on a fielder’s choice. That made it 4-0, and the A’s offense continued to look like it had left its bats back in Sacramento.
By the time the fourth inning rolled around, the Pirates put the game on ice. Joey Bart singled, Yorke doubled, and Oneil Cruz ripped a two-run single to right. Another RBI hit from Triolo pushed the score to 7-0, and Spence’s day was done. He was lifted after just 3.2 innings, tagged for seven runs on 10 hits.
Osvaldo Bido tried to steady the ship out of the bullpen, but the Pirates were not slowing down. In the fifth, McCutchen drew a walk, Jack Suwinski doubled, and then Bart struck again, this time with a three-run homer that stretched the lead to 10-0. Bart, who entered the game with just three home runs on the season, looked like an All-Star against Sacramento pitching, finishing with a homer, a double, and three runs scored.
The A’s, on the other hand, went down meekly inning after inning. They scattered a handful of singles, Rooker had two, MacIver chipped in one late, and Schuemann reached in the seventh, but never advanced a runner past second base.
By the eighth, the Pirates tacked on one more for good measure when Jared Triolo doubled and later scored on a groundout. It was insult on top of injury for Sacramento, like waiting in line for a nice five-star restaurant, but having the maître d not let you in because he doesn’t like your new tie.
In total, the Athletics managed seven hits, all singles except for Brett Harris’s eighth-inning double, but not a single one came through in the clutch. They struck out 11 times and left eight runners stranded. Pittsburgh’s pitching staff, led by starter Mike Burrows and relievers Carmen Mlodzinski, Yohan Ramírez, and Dauri Moreta, completely shut down the lineup.
It’s back to Sacramento now for a three-game stint against the Astros beginning Tuesday, then the final three-game weekend series with the Royals. It’s been a fun season for sure.
Starting pitchers for the Astros RHP Cristian Javier (2-3 ERA 4.45) for the A’s LHP Jefferey Springs (10-11 ERA 4.17) 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.
Sacramento A’s starter Luis Morales pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the bottom of the first inning at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on Sat Sep 20, 2025 (AP News photo)
Sacramento A’s go quiet in Pittsburgh as bats freeze against Pirates pitching
By Mauricio Segura
The Sacramento Athletics rolled into Pittsburgh’s PNC Park Saturday night with the swagger expected of a club that had taken seven of its last eight. But baseball has a way of humbling even the hottest teams, and Saturday night, the bats of the Green and Gold fell silent in a 2-0 loss to the Pirates.
From the first pitch at 6:42 p.m., it was clear the A’s weren’t going to find many friendly bounces. Bubba Chandler, Pittsburgh’s rookie right-hander, entered the night with a 5.66 ERA but looked like he was back on the Florida showcase circuit, mowing down the A’s lineup with a calm efficiency that belied his numbers.
Chandler punched out six Sacramento hitters through five innings, including a first-inning one-two-three of Lawrence Butler, Brent Rooker, and Nick Kurtz, all swinging or fouling into outs. That set the tone for the kind of night it would be.
Luis Morales, the A’s own rookie arm, took the mound with a 4-1 record and a crisp 3.08 ERA. He didn’t implode, but he also didn’t have much room for error. Morales surrendered just four hits in his outing, but two left the yard.
Nick Yorke struck first in the second inning with a solo shot to left, his first in the big leagues, giving the home crowd something to cheer about and putting the A’s in an early hole. An inning later, Bryan Reynolds added his 16th homer of the season, this one a blast to right-center that doubled the Pirates’ lead.
And that was all Pittsburgh needed. The rest of the night belonged to their bullpen, which combined with Chandler to scatter just three Sacramento hits, Wilson’s double in the second, Harris being plunked in the third, and nothing else that resembled a threat. From the fourth inning on, the A’s never put a runner past first base.
Shea Langeliers, who has been one of baseball’s hottest hitters since the All-Star break with 18 home runs and 34 extra-base hits in that stretch, couldn’t find the spark. He struck out three times, leaving his bat mostly ornamental.
Rooker, fresh off reaching the 30-homer plateau for the third straight season, also wore the collar, fanning in all four trips. Even Kurtz, the rookie phenom whose 33 long balls have him leading all Major League first-year players, looked mortal as he went down swinging twice and grounded out weakly once.
The A’s had some defense to hang their hats on. Jacob Wilson, Sacramento’s other Rookie of the Year candidate, doubled in the second and made several sharp plays at shortstop, including a heads-up throw to catch Yorke trying to stretch his luck on the bases in the fourth.
Morales himself settled after the Reynolds blast, retiring seven of the final eight he faced. But when your offense can’t get out of neutral, tidy defense and solid pitching performances turn into footnotes instead of headlines.
By the seventh, the game had the feel of inevitability. Pirates reliever Braxton Ashcraft entered and didn’t blink, striking out five of the nine hitters he faced. Dennis Santana came on in the ninth to finish it, needing just a groundout, a flyout, and one more strikeout of Rooker to slam the door shut.
The 2-0 defeat was the A’s 82nd of the season, officially guaranteeing a fourth straight losing campaign, something the franchise hasn’t endured since the dark days of 1993 through 1998. Yet, perspective matters. This team had already secured more wins than any A’s club in the past four years, and the Green and Gold still boast a pair of rookies in Kurtz and Wilson who look like franchise cornerstones.
Baseball fans in Sacramento won’t take much solace in moral victories, but they can at least see the outlines of a competitive future. For now, though, the reality is simple: when the A’s don’t homer, they don’t win. They are 46-9 this season when out-homering opponents, but just 10-46 when the other side takes them deep more often. Saturday fell squarely in that latter column.
The series wraps up Sunday with a day game before the A’s return home to close out 2025 against Houston and Kansas City. The Pirates, long out of the playoff picture, were just playing spoiler. And on this night, spoil they did.
Starting pitchers for Sunday: For Sacramento RHP Mitch Spence (3-5 ERA 4.48) for Pittsburgh RHP Mike Burrows (2-4 ERA 4.10) first pitch 10:35 am 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.
Sports Radio Service 