The Athletics were swept by the Texas Rangers before dropping two of three against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Results
FRI: TEX 5, ATH 2
Jack Leiter did well to limit the offense for the A’s in the series opener. He allowed a two-run double to Brent Rooker in the 3rd inning, which tied the game at two. Jonah Heim took Jeffrey Springs (5.2 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 5 K) deep to put Texas back in front. Michael Helman hit a two-run HR off of Michael Kelly to extend the lead and secure the win. The biggest takeaway from this game was Nick Kurtz leaving the game early with an oblique injury.
SAT: TEX 9, ATH 3
Mason Barnett made his MLB debut on Saturday night, getting the start on the bump. It went about as expected for someone that has struggled as much as I detailed he has recently in Triple-A. In just four innings, he allowed eight hits and five earned runs. The Rangers led 4-0 before Lawrence Butler and Brent Rooker went deep to cut the lead in half in the 3rd inning. Texas responded with three runs to push the lead up to five. Carlos Cortes answered with an RBI a double for the A’s. Pinch hitter Dylan Moore hit a two-run home run to close the scoring. The Rangers totaled 17 hits and none of the four relievers for the Athletics had hitless outings.
SUN: TEX 9, ATH 6
It was J. T. Ginn’s turn to have a rough outing for the Athletics in this series. He gave up two home runs and five earned runs in six innings. Elvis Alvarado relieved him in the 7th and had an especially rough inning. He allowed an infield single, made a fielding error during the next at-bat, and followed that up with a walk. With the bases loaded, he walked Wyatt Langford to send another run home. After striking out Joc Pederson, he gave up a single to Adolis Garcia to extend the lead to 7-0. The Rangers added another run in the 8th before the Athletics finally responded. Jacob Wilson, Tyler Soderstrom, and Carlos Cortes had RBI doubles and Brent Rooker had an RBI groundout in a five-run bottom of the 8th. Each team scored one run in the 9th as the visitors secured the lopsided series sweep.
MON: ATH 11, STL 3
Luis Morales got the starting pitching back on track for the A’s and the offense provided plenty of thump in the Labor Day win. Morales improved to 3-0, throwing 5.2 innings and allowing two runs on five hits with 8 Ks. JJ Bleday and Zack Gelof hit home runs in the 4th inning to put the Athletics up 3-0. Ivan Herrera answered with a solo shot in the bottom of the frame for St. Louis. In the 6th, after a Colby Thomas RBI single, Bleday hit another home run to bump the lead up to 5-1. Masyn Winn pulled back a run in the next frame, but then the A’s blew things wide open. Brent Rooker (ground rule double) and Tyler Soderstrom (single) had RBI hits in the 7th. In the 8th, Willie MacIver had an RBI groundout, Lawrence Butler had an RBI single, and Tyler Soderstrom added another RBI hit (two-run double). Jose Fermin had an RBI single in the 9th to close out the scoring.
TUE: STL 2, ATH 1
Luis Severino and Miles Mikolas delivered solid performances to put their teams in position to win. In his return from the IL, Sevy went five innings and allowed three hits, zero runs, and struck out four. Mikolas threw six innings and allowed one run on five hits with zero Ks. The lone run he allowed was an RBI double from Nick Kurtz in the 3rd inning. Hogan Harris relieved Severino and walked Victor Scott II to open the 6th. After a sacrifice bunt and a groundout, Michael Kelly yentered to get the final out of the inning. Instead, he gave up a two-run home run to Ivan Herrera. The Athletics did not get a hit off of either reliever for the Cardinals as the hosts held on to win, 2-1.
WED: STL 5, ATH 1
Matthew Liberatore kept the Athletics off the board during his 5.1 innings of work. He allowed just four hits and struck out seven. Jeffrey Springs was slightly less sharp opposite him, allowing two runs on five hits in six innings. Both runs came on a Willson Contreras RBI single in the 3rd inning. Nolan Gorman took Elvis Alvarado deep to extend the lead to 3-0 in the 7th. The lone run for the A’s was a solo home run in the 8th for Nick Kurtz. Contreras picked up his third and fourth RBIs on the day with a triple in the 8th to complete the scoring.
What Else?
- Now that we’re a week into September, it’s the perfect time to reflect on August as a whole for the A’s. It was a positive month for the young roster as they went 15-12 and put up solid numbers across the board. They finished 6th in OPS, 10th in both runs and hits, and 15th in HRs. On the pitching side, they were 12th in both ERA and Ks, and 11th in WHIP.
- A big reason for that success last month was the play of Shea Langeliers. His .968 OPS and 11 home runs earned him the American League Player of the Month honors for August. Langeliers follows teammate Nick Kurtz, who was the Player of the Month in July. I’ve written before about how important it is for the catcher to become the hitter the club envisioned. His OPS currently sits at .839 on the season, well above his previous career best of .738 last season. His next home run will set a new career high and he’s still just 27 years old.
- While some intriguing options (Jacob Lopez, Jack Perkins, and Luis Morales) have emerged in the rotation, the bullpen hasn’t had similar development. Obviously, subtracting one of the best relief pitchers in the world in Mason Miller doesn’t help the cause. But, which players have showcased they could step into the roles at the end of the game? Sean Newcomb has been solid. Michael Kelly has been mostly dependable since returning from his gambling suspension. Eduarniel Nunez has electric stuff but without the consistency to harness it. The bullpen could be an area for the team to spend a little bit on in free agency. They might want to make a similar but far more effective move to the Jose Leclerc signing from last offseason.
- In addition to the bullpen, this final month can serve as an audition for players and a springboard into 2026. Young players like Zack Gelof, Darell Hernaiz and Colby Thomas will look to establish themselves as pieces for the future. Will Carlos Cortes or JJ Bleday do enough down the stretch to solidify their standing with the A’s? Can Denzel Clarke get back on the field to remind everyone how special he is in the outfield? With an exciting young core and All-Star DH Brent Rooker, there’s only so many positions up for grabs without a name locked in for the long-term.
System Spotlight
Tommy White: The promotion to Double-A has been smooth for Tommy Tanks. After hitting 11 HRs and 18 doubles in High-A, he joined Midland on 7/29. In 22 games in August, the former LSU slugger had a .313 batting average and hit his first AA homer. He hasn’t played since 8/26 with no move to the injured list. But, if he can get back on the field, a strong close to the season would put White in a strong position to start 2026 in Triple-A.
Blaze Pontes: Last season, Pontes struggled with Lansing to the tune of a 7.36 ERA. The 25-year-old RHP has found a groove in Year with the Lugnuts. On the season, he has a 1.28 ERA in 49.1 innings. In August, the 2022 16th-round-selection didn’t allow a single run. He threw 9 scoreless innings across eight appearances and gave up seven hits total.
Brayan Restituyo: While his numbers on the season won’t catch your eye, Restituyo was excellent for Stockton last month. Over nine appearances (15 innings), the 23-year-old LHP had a 1.80 ERA with 17 Ks. Hitters hit just .173 against him and he finished the month with four consecutive scoreless outings. His lone appearance this month was on Tuesday when he threw three no-hit innings and struck out three.
What’s Next?
The Athletics will wrap up their season series vs. the LA Angels over the weekend. Then, they will host the Boston Red Sox at Sutter Health Park.
(Top photo of Luis Severino, courtesy: Athletics)
