For the first time since early May, the Athletics won a series, defeating the Baltimore Orioles. Then, they were swept for the second time this season by the Los Angeles Angels.
(Top photo of Tyler Soderstrom. Courtesy: Athletics)
Results
FRI: ATH 5, BAL 4
The A’s took the lead with a four-run 3rd inning (RBI double from Lawrence Butler, RBI single from Jacob Wilson, and an RBI groundout from Tyler Soderstrom). But, Jackson Holliday’s solo homer in the 5th tied things up. In the bottom of that frame, Brent Rooker’s RBI single plated Butler for the game-winning run. The bullpen allowed zero runs across the final four innings. Mason Miller closed it out with a five-out save. It was the A’s first time winning back-to-back games since 5/4 and 5/5.
SAT: BAL 7, ATH 4
After giving up a sacrifice fly in the first, the A’s scored four runs in the bottom of the inning. The Orioles proceeded to score six unanswered runs between the 4th and 7th innings. Former A’s outfielder Ramon Laureano had three RBIs on the day. Luis Severino allowed six runs (five earned) and gave up two home runs as his record dropped to 1-6 on the season.
SUN: ATH 5, BAL 1
For the first time since taking two of three games vs. the Marlins in early May, the Athletics came away with a series win. On Sunday, five pitchers combined to allow zero earned runs (the lone run scored on an error by catcher Jhonny Pereda). Tyler Soderstrom and Jacob Wilson had RBI knocks in multi-hit performances, and Max Muncy went deep in the 8th inning to cap off the victory.
MON: LAA 7, ATH 4
Yusei Kikuchi shut down the A’s for 7.1 innings of one-hit baseball. Meanwhile, Jeffrey Springs struck out eight batters but also allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits. Tyler Ferguson gave up three runs in the 8th inning to extend the Angels’ lead before Max Muncy hit a two-run HR in the 9th to close out the scoring. The other offense for the Athletics came from a JJ Bleday two-run blast in the 8th. Despite the loss, the lasting image of this game will be of Denzel Clarke’s robbery of a home run in the first inning that many (myself included) are already calling the Catch of the Year (and one of the best EVER).
TUE: LAA 2, ATH 1 (10 innings)
It was a scoreless game until a Brent Rooker RBI double in the 6th inning. The Angels tied things up with a Travis d’Arnaud home run off of T. J. McFarland in the 8th. After the A’s went 1, 2, 3 in the top of the 10th, Nolan Schanuel walked it off with an RBI single against Hogan Harris.
WED: LAA 6, ATH 5
In the series finale, the A’s carried a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the 6th inning. Then, the Angels proceeded to score six runs in that single frame. Brent Rooker hit a two-run HR (his second HR of the game) in the 7th, but it was not enough to avoid the sweep.
What Else?
- The Athletics are winless in seven games so far this season against the Angels. LAA outscored the A’s 46 to 28 in the season series thus far. The AL West foes will meet six more times in 2025 with a pair of three-game series in August and September.
- Good news and bad news on the injury front for the A’s. While Nick Kurtz returned from the injured list on Monday, Jacob Wilson has missed two straight games with a sore hamstring and Shea Langeliers will be out for multiple weeks with a strained oblique. To add to their catching depth in his absence, the A’s acquired well-traveled veteran Austin Wynns from the Cincinnati Reds. The 34-year-old hit .400 with three home runs in 40 at-bats with Cincinnati this season.
- With the A’s desperate for quality pitching, Jacob Lopez provides a fascinating profile on the mound. The 27-year-old doesn’t throw hard (7th percentile fastball velocity), doesn’t get hitters to chase pitches (11th percentile chase %), and doesn’t induce a lot of groundballs (1st percentile groundball rate). But, he limits hard contact (83rd percentile avg. exit velocity, 97th percentile hard hit %) and doesn’t hand out free passes (24th percentile walk rate). As expected with this type of skillset, there is a lot of variances in the production on a given day. His last four appearances (three starts and one in bulk relief) perfectly depict that. The good? 5/23 vs. the Phillies: 7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 8 Ks. 6/8 vs. the Orioles: 4 IP, 4 H 1 R (zero earned), 5 Ks. The bad? 5/29 vs. the Blue Jays: 1.2 IP, 6 H, 7 ER, 0 K. 6/3 vs. the Twins: 4.1 IP, 5 H, 5 ER (three HRs allowed), 9 Ks.
- Meanwhile, Mitch Spence has had a nice month of June so far on the mound. In three appearances (12 innings), including two starts, he has a 0.75 ERA with seven hits allowed and 10 strikeouts.
- Is it possible that the A’s thinking Denzel Clarke had Gold Glove potential in CF actually undersold his defensive ability? Obviously, the sample size for Clarke is limited at the Major League level. But, he’s currently the 7th-best defender (across all positions) in OAA (outs above average). He only trails Pete Crow-Armstrong and Ceddanne Rafaela among centerfielders in that category. Also, his sprint speed ranks in the 96th percentile.
- The first round of the 2025 MLB Draft is exactly one month away. The Athletics hold the 11th pick in the opening round in Atlanta. Today, the College World Series begins and A’s fans that tune in could be seeing the next future star for the Green and Gold.
System Spotlight
Tommy White: After being drafted in the second round of the 2024 MLB Draft, White debuted with Stockton down the stretch. The A’s #8 prospect (MLB Pipeline) started this season with Lansing (High-A), where he has a .311/.392/.548 slashline with seven HRs and two steals in 35 games.
Junior Perez: When the Athletics traded Jorge Mateo to the Padres in 2020, they acquired a player to be named later or cash considerations in return. That player turned out to be Dominican outfielder Junior Perez. Still just 23 years old, Perez is excelling in Double-A with Midland. Through 56 games, he’s already hit 10 home runs, five away from tying a previous career high for a single season. Much like the player he was traded for, Perez’s speed is his calling card with 159 steals in his minor league career, including 41 in 2024 with Lansing.
Jack Perkins: After a breakout season in 2024, Perkins has continued to rack up the strikeouts in his first Triple-A action. The 2022 5th round selection is the most recent recipient of PCL Pitcher of the Week honors following a five inning, 10 strikeout performance on 6/6. Last night, he spun another gem and took a no-hitter into the 7th inning. His final line was 6.1 innings with 12 Ks and just two hits and one run allowed. On the season, he’s started eight games and has 61 Ks in 39 innings for the Aviators.
What’s Next?
The Athletics are off to Kansas City for a weekend series against the Royals. Then, they will return home for an AL West showdown vs. the Houston Astros.
