It was a tough week for the Athletics as they came away with zero wins, extending their losing streak to nine games. However, help could be on the way as a top prospect is reportedly set to join the big-league roster.
Results
Athletics at Giants
FRI: SF 9, ATH 1
In Major League Baseball’s first Rivalry Weekend, the Athletics faced off against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Friday night was the Wilmer Flores Show as the first baseman slugged three home runs and totaled 8 RBIs in the win.
SAT: SF 1 ATH 0
Flores played a prominent role in Saturday’s matchup, albeit a very different offensive showcase. The teams combined for just ten hits and went into extra innings in a scoreless tie. In the 10th inning, Mason Miller walked Flores with the bases loaded for the lone run of the game.
SUN: SF 3, ATH 2
Sunday’s series finale was another close one that went the Giants’ way. Reliever Tyler Ferguson allowed a pair of RBI singles in the 8th inning to give San Francisco the win and the sweep. Lawrence Butler’s two-run single in the fourth inning provided all of the scoring for the A’s.
Angels at Athletics
MON: LAA 4, ATH 3
In the series opener vs. the Angels, the A’s welcomed starter J. T. Ginn back from the injured list. He allowed a home run to Nolan Schanuel in the first inning before the A’s answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning. A three-run 3rd inning gave the Angels back the lead, and they held on for a 4-3 victory.
TUE: LAA 7, ATH 5
On Tuesday night, Shea Langeliers and Nick Kurtz both homered in the 4th inning to put the A’s up 4-1. But, the Halos responded with a four-run inning in the 5th and added to their lead with two runs in the 9th. Seth Brown’s RBI single in the bottom of the 9th tightened the final score to 7-5.
WEDS: LAA 10, ATH 5
A home run derby broke out at Sutter Health Park on Wednesday as the teams combined for seven home runs across the first seven innings. Nick Kurtz’s second home run pulled the A’s within one at 6-5 before the Angels tacked on four insurance runs in the final two frames.
THU: LAA 10, ATH 5
In the series finale vs. the Angels, the A’s held a 5-2 lead at the end of the 5th inning. Then, Taylor Ward’s grand slam highlighted eight unanswered runs to give LA their second straight 10-5 victory. The loss was the ninth consecutive for the A’s as they fell to last place in the AL West with a record of 22-29.
What Else?
- According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the A’s are set to promote outfielder Denzel Clarke to the MLB roster. The 25-year-old outfielder is slashing .286/.436/.416 with seven steals in 31 games with Triple-A Las Vegas. He is the A’s #5 prospect via MLB Pipeline. His athleticism and defensive prowess combined with his ability to get on base should be a welcome boost to the outfield group.
- Nick Kurtz is starting to flex some of the power potential that made him the fourth overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. According to Baseball Savant, Kurtz is fourth in MLB with an average bat speed (mph) of 77.6 among players with at least 100 swings this season.
- JT Ginn’s return to the rotation was a brief one as a quad strain put him back on the 15-day IL after allowing four runs in four innings of work on Monday. Gio Urshela is also heading to the IL as he was removed from Thursday’s game with a hamstring injury.
- Brent Rooker joined Chris Rose for the latest installment of Dugout Discussions. He touched on if he thinks the A’s can make the playoffs, his interactions with fans on social media, and a wide range of other topics. You can watch the full conversation HERE.
- A pair of lefties on the 60-day IL are working their way back as Ken Waldichuk and Brady Brasso both threw bullpens on 5/20 and will throw again on 5/24, per MLB.com.
System Spotlight
Henry Bolte (AA): After being promoted to Double-A partway through last season, Bolte is thriving with Midland to start this season. A second-round pick in 2022, the 21-year-old has a .306/.400/.503 slash line with a .903 OPS through 42 games. He also has 16 steals already in 2025 and tallied 78 across the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Shotaro Morii (ACL): One of the most unique prospects in baseball, Morii elected to sign into Major League Baseball as an international free agent rather than begin his professional career in the NPB (Japan’s top professional baseball league). The 18-year-old is also expected to be a two-way player for the Athletics in the future. To start his professional career in the organization, he’s played seven of his nine games at DH with two appearances at shortstop. He’s knocked in nine RBIs during those games in the Arizona Complex League.
Daniel Susac (AAA): The A’s first round selection in 2022 had a huge game on Sunday as he hit two home runs and tallied 6 RBI in a 14-4 win over El Paso for the Aviators. With seven home runs already this season, he’s already past halfway to matching his 2024 total of 12 HRs with Midland.
What’s Next?
The Athletics will welcome Bryce Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies to town for a weekend series before heading to Houston for a two-game set vs. the Astros.
Who am I and what is this?
As this is my debut here at Vegas Sports Today, it feels like the perfect opportunity to introduce myself and my role here. My name is Carson A. Merk, and I’ve covered a variety of sports for over a decade in written form, on the radio, and via podcast. Now with VST, I’ll be providing you a concise weekly article (with a special feature on occasion) to keep you updated on the Athletics ahead of their eventual move here to Vegas.