The Athletics dropped two of three at home vs. the Cleveland Guardians. Then, they had a stadium groundbreaking ceremony in Vegas before losing a series in Detroit vs. the Tigers.
Results
FRI: ATH 5, CLE 1
To open the series vs. the Guardians, Nick Kurtz stayed hot and blasted a two-run homer in the 1st inning. The A’s also got RBI singles from Lawrence Butler, Jacob Wilson, and Luis Urias against Cleveland ace Tanner Bibee. The lone run for the Guardians came on a solo homer from Angel Martinez off of Jeffrey Springs. The lefty went 7.1 innings, allowing three hits, and the one run.
SAT: CLE 4, ATH 2
The Guardians scored four runs in the second inning off of Mitch Spence and that was all the offense they would need to get the win. Luis Ortiz went six innings for Cleveland and allowed just two hits for the A’s and punched out 10. Austin Wynns had an RBI double in the 7th and Max Muncy added a sacrifice fly in the 8th. Lawrence Butler, Jacob Wilson, and Nick Kurtz combined to go 0/10 with seven Ks.
SUN: CLE 3, ATH 0
In the rubber match on Sunday, Stephen Vogt’s Guardians got out to a 2-0 lead in the 2nd inning against JP Sears. Cleveland added another run in the 5th as Slade Cecconi shut down the A’s. The home team had their chance in the final frame as they loaded the bases with one out. But, Emmanuel Clase struck out Max Muncy before Lawrence Butler rolled over a pitch and grounded out to end the game. In positive news, Jack Perkins made his MLB debut out of the bullpen and threw three innings of one-hit ball and struck out two.
TUE: DET 11, ATH 4
A pair of two-run homers by Brent Rooker and Denzel Clarke off of Tarik Skubal were not nearly enough for the A’s on Tuesday. Luis Severino got knocked around to the tune of 5 innings pitched and seven earned runs. The Tigers added some insurance runs late, partially assisted by the Athletics’ defense. For the second time in one week, reliever Tyler Ferguson gave up multiple runs in less than an inning pitched.
WED: ATH 3, DET 0
Jacob Lopez went seven innings and allowed three hits and zero runs against the Tigers. The offense for the Athletics was provided by Nick Kurtz, who hit a three-run home run in the 3rd inning. It was a three-hit day for the star rookie. Michael Kelly and Mason Miller combined to allow just one hit across the final two innings to secure the victory.
THU: DET 8, ATH 0
The Athletics could only muster three singles the entire game with two of those being infield singles. On the other hand, the Tigers got home runs from Spencer Torkelson and Gleyber Torres and only two Detroit players went hitless. Jeffrey Springs was fhe starter for the A’s and went five innings, allowing the Tork home run and a two-run double to Jahmai Jones.
What Else?
- On a day off for the Athletics on Monday, the team hosted an event for the groundbreaking of the new ballpark here in Las Vegas. With MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, various former A’s players, and members of the organization in town, expectation (hope?) still seems that the new home of the A’s will be ready by Opening Day 2028. Check out Eric Nguyen’s excellent photo gallery of the event right here on VegasSportsToday.com.
- Bob Nightengale of USA Today mentioned that the Chicago Cubs are keeping an eye on Luis Severino ahead of the trade deadline. An ESPN article on trade targets linked him with a return to the New York Mets. Could the A’s deal their signature signing of the offseason less than one year into his contract? Based on his performance this season, the club would be selling pretty low on their ace. Or, are there concerns about his metrics (as I detailed here) and they feel his value will continue to depreciate? Both articles mentioned how much better he has been on the road, but his brutal start in Detroit won’t help that argument. Whether they decide to move him or not, Sevy will be an interesting trade consideration for the A’s this summer.
- I explained in a recent article how Jacob Lopez’s profile as a pitcher will lead to some interesting results. After a clunker on 6/3 (5 ER, 3 HR allowed in 4.1 IP), he’s done this in his next four outings: one earned run and 29 Ks over 23 innings. There’s a lot of season left, but his development could be huge for the pitching-desperate Athletics.
- Jack Perkins got the call-up to the show on Sunday and faced the Guardians in his debut. As I’ve written about previously, he was untouchable for Las Vegas. In fact, Perkins serves as a perfect example of how prospects can force an organization’s hand by playing their way into a promotion.
- Jacob Wilson advanced to Phase 2 of voting for the 2025 MLB All Star Game. Now, he faces off with Bobby Witt Jr. for the chance to start in the game at shortstop for the American League. While Wilson received the most votes in Phase 1 between the two players, votes are reset for Phase 2.
- One prospect that has not played their way into a call-up is Aviators RHP Mason Barnett. The A’s #4 prospect (per MLB Pipeline) has a 5.79 ERA in 16 starts. He has zero scoreless outings in Triple-A and has just 65 Ks in 74.2 innings. Last night, he allowed five earned runs on eight hits in just 4.1 innings. The 24-year-old headlined the return for Lucas Erceg and will need to get things on track in the second half.
- Ken Waldichuk went three innings in a rehab start with Stockton on 6/22 and allowed just one hit and struck out four batters. He will make his next appearance for the Aviators, where he will join fellow rehabbing A’s Zack Gelof and Shea Langeliers.
- In a very volatile bullpen, Michael Kelly has been a reliable option for Mark Kotsay to turn to. Since returning from his one-year gambling suspension, he has appeared in seven games, pitching 8.1 innings and has given up just four hits and allowed zero runs. With dependable relievers always a hot commodity around the trade deadline and with him not even reaching arbitration until 2027, could Kelly net the A’s any prospect capital this summer?
- The 2025 MLB Draft is just weeks away and the Athletics hold the 11th overall pick. While there will be changes as we move closer to the big day, these are the current players being projected to go at #11: Brendan Summerhill, CF, Arizona (ESPN & Bleacher Report), Gavin Kilen, 2B, Tennessee (MLB.com & Baseball Prospect Journal), and Wehiwa Aloy, SS, Arkansas (The Athletic).
System Spotlight
Colby Thomas: The Las Vegas Aviators are the first half champs of the Pacific Coast League, and their star outfielder is a major reason why. Through 74 games, the A’s #3 prospect (MLB Pipeline) is slashing .296/.360/.903 with 17 home runs. The 24-year-old could be providing another powerful right-handed bat in the MLB lineup sooner than later.
Joshua Kuroda-Grauer: The A’s third round pick in 2024 is doing well in his first full professional season after thriving in his first action down the stretch last year. He’s hitting .296 and has 17 steals in 57 games with Lansing in High-A.
Tzu-Chen Sha: After excelling with Stockton, the 21-year-old RHP was called up to Lansing earlier this week. His debut in High-A on 6/25 (5 ER in 3 IP) went poorly. However, he had 59 strikeouts in 50 innings with a 2.70 ERA in Low-A. Over his MiLB career, he’s worked almost exactly the same amount of innings as a starter and reliever.
What’s Next?
The Athletics are off to the Bronx for a weekend series against the Yankees. Then, they travel down to Florida to face the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-game set.
(Top photo of Luis Severino. Courtesy: Athletics)
