For the first time since 2020, the Athletics took the season series vs. the Houston Astros. They will take on the Kansas City Royals to end the 2025 regular season. Also, their Double-A and Triple-A affiliates both excelled in the postseason.
Results
FRI: ATH 4, PIT 3
It was not an ideal start to the series opener for the Athletics. An error from Darell Hernaiz jump started a three-run bottom of the 1st inning for the Pirates. Following the error, they registered three straight hits. That would pretty much be the extent of the Pittsburgh offense on Friday night. Nick Kurtz hit a solo homer in the 4th and Lawrence Butler’s three-run HR in the 5th put the A’s in front. Luis Severino locked in after the rough 1st inning and went five innings. Four relievers (Alvarado, Basso, Sterner, and Kelly) allowed three hits combined, zero runs, and struck out five.
SAT: PIT 2, ATH 0
The Athletics had just two baserunners across nine innings on Saturday. No A’s reached base outside of a Jacob Wilson double in the 2nd inning and Brett Harris being hit by a pitch. Rookie starter Bubba Chandler went five innings, allowing just the one hit, and struck out six. In total, the A’s struck out 13 times on the day. Luis Morales started opposite Chandler and allowed solo home runs to Nick Yorke and Bryan Reynolds.
SUN: PIT 11, ATH 0
After Saturday’s low-scoring affair, the Pirates teed off of Athletics’ pitching in the series finale. Mitch Spence pitched just 3.1 innings, allowing seven runs (six earned) on nine hits and walked two batters. Osvaldo Bido relieved him and allowed three runs in 3.2 innings. Scott McGough completed the day for the A’s and allowed one run in his lone inning of work. Offensively, the A’s went 0/8 with runners in scoring position and only had one extra base hit (a Brett Harris double).
TUE: ATH 5, HOU 1
With the Astros battling for the third wildcard spot, they dropped the series opener at Sutter Health Park. Nick Kurtz doubled to lead off the 1st inning. After retiring the next two hitters, it seemed that Cristian Javier would avoid any damage. Brent Rooker popped a ball up in the infield, Javier failed to catch the catch the routine fly ball, allowing Kurtz to score from 2nd. A Cam Smith sacrifice fly in the 2nd tied things up. Christian Walker’s infield single in the 3rd was the final hit of the day for Houston. Darell Hernaiz picked up the go-ahead RBI on an infield single in the 4th. Tyler Soderstrom and Jacob Wilson had RBI knocks in the 5th to extend the lead. Carlos Cortes finished up the scoring with a sac fly in the 8th. Jeffrey Springs picked up the win as he allowed just the one run on three hits, two walks, and three strikeouts in five innings. In relief of Springs, Tyler Ferguson, Justin Sterner, and Michael Kelly combined for four innings, zero hits, one walk, and three Ks.
WED: ATH 6, HOU 0
In almost certainly his final appearance of 2025, Luis Severino had one of his best starts of the season. He went 6.1 innings, allowed just three hits, zero runs, and struck out five. On the offensive side, Tyler Soderstrom and Shea Langeliers did the heavy lifting. Soderstrom’s RBI double in the 3rd inning opened the scoring. Langeliers, who went 4/4, followed that with a ground rule RBI double in the 5th. Brent Rooker added an RBI single in the same inning to increase the lead to 4-0. Langeliers and Soderstrom hit back-to-back solo home runs in the 7th inning to cap off the scoring. Hogan Harris and Elvis Alvarado threw the last 2.2 innings, combining for four Ks and securing the shutout win.
THU: HOU 11, ATH 5
Framber Valdez and the Houston offense made sure they didn’t leave this series with nothing. After dropping the first two games, Framber went seven innings, striking out ten, and only allowing one run. Meanwhile, J. T. Ginn lasted less than four innings and allowed seven runs on six hits and three walks. By the end of the 5th inning, the Astros held a 9-0 lead. Nick Kurtz’s solo home run in the 6th broke up the shutout. Houston tacked on two more runs across the 7th and 8th inning. Kurtz went deep again, his 35th of the season, in the bottom of the 8th. JJ Bleday and Max Schuemann picked up RBIs in the 9th as the series came to an end.
What Else?
- For the first time since the shortened season in 2020, the Athletics took the season series vs. the Houston Astros (8-5). While the Astros have dealt with more injuries than anyone in baseball, they are still in the mix for a wildcard spot and have a quality roster. If the upstart A’s will do damage in the AL West in years to come, they will need to handle business within their own division.
- Nick Kurtz continues to establish himself as the best rookie in baseball. Now with 35 HRs on the season, he sits 12th in all of baseball. But, he’s done that in just 409 at-bats, more than 100 fewer than any player ahead of him on that HR list. His .387 OBP only trails Juan Soto, Aaron Judge, and Shohei Ohtani among the top 25 HR hitters this season. That showcases his ability as an all-around offensive weapon rather than just a player that can run into a home run when they aren’t striking out all the time.
- Leo De Vries doesn’t turn 19 years old for another couple of weeks. That makes what MLB Pipeline’s #3 prospect in baseball did in the postseason for Midland even more astonishing. As you will read below, Midland’s Texas League title quest came up short. But, their star shortstop did his part in the two playoff series. In five games (19 at-bats), the 18-year-old phenom hit three home runs and only struck out twice (1.395 OPS). 2025 has been a window into the future for the Athletics with breakout rookie seasons from Jacob Wilson and Nick Kurtz. It’s hard not to imagine De Vries in that same lineup sooner than later.
- 2025 will not be a season to remember for Zack Gelof. He was injured to begin the season, injured again during his rehab assignment, and then not productive when he got playing time in the big leagues. On Friday, he dislocated his shoulder diving for a ball and will need to undergo surgery. He finishes the season with just 30 MLB appearances (less than 100 at-bats) and a .502 OPS. While he’s still just 25 years old, this is back-to-back rough seasons for the second baseman and the team can’t expect him to be his 2023 version anymore until he proves it. Max Muncy, a player Gelof will be competing with moving forward, replaced him on the active roster.
System Spotlight
Midland (Double-A)
After winning Game 1, Midland lost Games 2 and 3 as the Springfield Cardinals became Texas League champions.
In Game 1, Leo De Vries hit two home runs and scored on a two-run throwing error in the 8th inning. Five Midland relievers allowed just three hits over the final five innings to secure the 6-3 victory.
Clark Elliot hit a three-run home run to put Midland ahead in the 4th inning of Game 2. But, Springfield responded with two runs in next two innings to win 4-3 and force a Game 3.
After close battles in the first two games, Springfield exploded for a 13-1 title-clinching Game 3 victory. The Cardinals racked up 19 hits and chased starter Braden Nett after just 3.1 innings (6 H, 5 ER). Casey Yamauchi’s RBI double in the 2nd was the lone run for Midland.
Las Vegas (Triple-A)
The Las Vegas Aviators are champions for the first time since 1988. They swept the best-of-three Pacific Coast League championship series vs. Tacoma, winning 7-1 and 7-3.
In Game 1, Ryan Lasko hit a two-run home run in the 5th inning to get the scoring started. After Tacoma pulled back a run in the 6th, the Aviators responded with a three-run bottom of the 7th. Daniel Susac, Lasko, and Eurobiel Angeles provided the RBI hits. Nick Martini hit an RBI double before eventually scoring on a wild pitch in the 8th to complete the scoring. Starter Kade Morris went 7 innings and allowed one run on four hits.
The Aviators got the offense going early in Game 2. Bryan Lavastida had an RBI double and Junior Perez hit an RBI single in the 1st inning to put Las Vegas up 2-0. Tacoma answered with one run in the 2nd before Ryan Lasko hit a two-run HR in the bottom of the frame. Tacoma scored twice in the 3rd to cut the lead to one run. But, Luke Mann put the nail in the coffin with a three-run homer in the 6th. Three LV relievers (Baum, Leal, Walkinshaw) combined for 6.2 innings of no-hit baseball with six Ks to secure the title. Check out Kelsey Middleton’s recap of Game 2 from Las Vegas Ballpark here and photo of the champions below.
Next up, the Aviators will host the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimps, who won the International League series with a decisive Game 3 victory last night, for the Triple-A championship on Saturday.
What’s Next?
The 2025 regular season will come to a close for the Athletics with a three-game series at home against the Kansas City Royals. The A’s swept the Royals in mid-June.
(Top photo of Luis Severino, courtesy: Athletics)
