After a rough first week of the season, the Athletics won two of three games against both the Houston Astros and New York Yankees. But, an injury to Brent Rooker could chase away the good vibes for the A’s.
Results
FRI: ATH 11, HOU 4
At long last, the bats woke up for the Athletics. A Denzel Clarke RBI single opened the scoring in the bottom of the 2nd inning. After Houston tied things up in the next frame, the A’s proceeded to score ten unanswered runs across the 3rd-5th innings.
Lawrence Butler and Max Muncy each had RBI hits in addition to their back-to-back home runs. Tyler Soderstrom had multiple RBI hits, and Jacob Wilson pitched in an RBI single, too. On the mound, Jeffrey Springs went six innings, allowing just one run on one hit with seven strikeouts. Michael Kelly and J. T. Ginn were not sharp in relief, but the lead was large enough that the Astros didn’t threaten.
SAT: HOU 11, ATH 0
The A’s couldn’t build on the offensive momentum from Friday night. They tallied just five hits (all singles) against Tatsuya Imai, Kai-Wei Teng, and Steven Okert, striking out 13 times as a team. It was a different story for the Athletics’ pitching.
Luis Morales got the start and only made it three innings. He gave up eight hits, walked six batters, and allowed five earned runs. Elvis Alvarado, Hogan Harris, and Luis Medina combined to allow the remaining six runs. The Astros totaled 18 hits on the day.
SUN: ATH 12, HOU 10 (10 innings)
The series finale did not lack action on Sunday between the A’s and Astros. Scoreless through four innings, Yordan Alvarez’s two-run homer in the 5th inning opened things up. Cam Smith added an RBI single in the frame. In the bottom of the 5th, the Athletics battled back. Carlos Cortes had an RBI double, and with the bases loaded, Tyler Soderstrom’s triple plated three more runs. Brent Rooker added a sacrifice fly to put the A’s up 5-3.
Christian Walker hit a two-run homer in the 7th to level the score. But, just as they did in the 5th, the A’s didn’t let that lead last long. In the bottom of the 7th, Rooker hit a two-run home run of his own. Jeff McNeil and Cortes added RBI singles to give the hosts a four-run lead. Then, Scott Barlow happened. The veteran reliever recorded zero outs in the 8th inning. Before his exit, the sequence was: home run, walk, walk, double. Mark Leiter Jr. finished the inning, but not before allowing the Astros to tie things up at 9-9. Carlos Correa singled home a run in the 10th. But, after walking Soderstrom, Bryan Abreu gave up a three-run walkoff homer to Rooker in the bottom of the inning. The veteran DH finished the day with six RBIs.
TUE: NYY 5, ATH 3
Amed Rosario took Aaron Civale, his former Cleveland teammate, deep in the 2nd inning to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead. Civale didn’t give up another hit until the 5th when Jose Caballero doubled. Offensively, the A’s big inning came in the 3rd as they tallied four hits and three runs. Nick Kurtz had a two-run RBI double before Tyler Soderstrom’s own RBI double brought him home. Those were Kurtz’s first two RBIs of the 2026 season.
Justin Sterner pitched the 6th & 7th in relief of Civale, giving up just two hits and zero runs. That scoreless run came to an end, courtesy of Mark Leiter Jr. in the 8th. He allowed three straight singles to start the inning, including an RBI knock from Giancarlo Stanton to make it 3-2. After getting Jazz Chisholm Jr. to fly out, Rosario blasted his second HR of the game. This time it was a three-run shot to put the Yankees ahead. Joel Kuhnel, called up to replace Luis Morales on the roster, finished off the inning. But, the A’s went 1-2-3 in the 9th against David Bednar to complete the series-opening defeat.
WED: ATH 3, NYY 2
Facing his old club, Luis Severino had a rough 1st inning in the Bronx. He allowed three straight singles to start the game, giving the Yankees a 1-0 lead. He struck out a pair, but then he walked Jazz Chisholm Jr. to load the bases. Sevy walked catcher J. C. Escarra to allow another run to score. The good news for the A’s was that those would be the only two runs the hosts would score.
The Athletics battled back in the 4th. After the first two batters were retired, Lawrence Butler, Max Muncy, and Jeff McNeil hit three straight singles with McNeil’s scoring Butler. Carlos Cortes drew a walk to load the bases and Muncy was able to score on Will Warren’s wild pitch. The score remained tied at two into the 9th. Facing closer David Bednar, Nick Kurtz singled and Shea Langeliers doubled. Tyler Soderstrom struck out, but Brent Rooker delivered on a sacrifice fly to score Kurtz. Jacob Wilson struck out to end the frame. Josh Kuhnel pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the 9th to pick up his second career save, the first for him since 2022.
THU: ATH 1, NYY 0
A’s starter Jeffrey Springs was the star of the show on Thursday. The veteran lefty had a no-hitter through six innings. The offense scored their lone run of the game in the top of the 7th inning as Max Muncy tripled to start the frame before a Tyler Soderstrom single brought him home.
After getting Cody Bellinger to fly out, Springs walked Giancarlo Stanton, then allowed his first hit of the day: a single by Ben Rice. But, he got a strikeout and another fly out to end the inning with no damage done. Springs’ final line was one hit, two walks, and six strikeouts in seven innings. Justin Sterner and Hogan Harris covered the final two innings, allowing zero hits and striking out a pair. The excitement of the series win was a bit dulled due to Brent Rooker exiting in the 1st after fouling off a pitch and grabbing his side.
What Else?
- According to MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos, Rooker will undergo imaging today. While losing one of their proven bats will be a major obstacle, it’s easier to rotate players into the DH role than it is a position in the field. The hope will be that it was just discomfort, but with Rooker immediately exiting the game, that does not bode well for the injury outlook. Zack Gelof seems ticketed to replace Rooker on the active roster, if needed.
- Luis Morales was optioned to Triple-A on Tuesday as Joel Kuhnel was called up to replace him. After debuting last season, Morales was given a spot in the rotation to start the 2026 campaign. He made two starts and only lasted a combined 7.1 innings. He’s given up four home runs, walked eight, and allowed ten earned runs. Now, the 23-year-old will look to regain his control, command, and confidence in the minors.
- Continuing the pitching reshuffling, Michael Kelly was sent to Triple-A and replaced by Jack Perkins. Like Morales, Perkins debuted last year and has electric stuff but struggles to find the zone at times. He’s pitched strictly in the bullpen to start the Aviators season and could slot into a long relief role if Mark Kotsay wants to give J. T. Ginn a start. Those two could also work in a piggyback situation for the interim.
- Nick Kurtz is still searching for his first home run of the season. He now has two doubles and two RBIs, but he’s struck out 20 times in 41 at-bats. His metrics (per Baseball Savant) don’t raise any alarm bells (100th percentile avg. exit velo, 97th percentile bat speed, 95th percentile hard hit rate). But, if Rooker misses any significant time, there will be even more pressure placed on the shoulders of Big Amish to lift the offense.
System Spotlight
Steven Echavarria (High-A): In his second start of the season, Echavarria pitched five innings of one-hit, shutout baseball with six strikeouts. The 20-year-old is in his second season in High-A with Lansing.
Eduarniel Nunez (Triple-A): Last season, Nunez pitched for: Double-A San Antonio, Triple-A El Paso and Las Vegas, and in the majors with the San Diego Padres and Athletics. He has acquired in the Mason Miller trade and has electric stuff but without the necessary control. He’s began 2026 with the Aviators and is off to a solid start. He’s made four appearances (5 IP) and has allowed just two hits (no runs) with six Ks. He still needs to cut down on the walks, but he’s working towards another shot in the big leagues.
A. J. Causey (Double-A): The 23-year-old arrived in the offseason from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for Mitch Spence. After pitching to a 1.72 ERA across two levels last season, Causey started his 2026 campaign with two hitless appearances. He has struck out four batters in 1.2 innings thus far for Midland and could be a sneaky good trade acquisition.
What’s Next?
The Athletics will remain in New York to play a three-game set vs. the Mets. Then, they will be back home for a series vs. the Texas Rangers.
(Top photo of Brent Rooker, courtesy: Athletics)
