By Time Byrnes
The toughest stretch of the 2025 schedule came to a close, with the A’s achieving a 2-7 record over the last ten days.
After winning just one game versus the Yankees at home and one game against the Dodgers in L.A., the Athletics were swept in the three-game series versus the Giants in San Francisco.
Formerly the “Battle of the Bay” or the “Bay Bridge Series,” the newly named “I-80 Series” saw the A’s bats go silent, and the offense score a mere three runs. Even though they lost 5-of-6 on the road trip, the Athletics road record(14-12) remains fourth best in the American League and sixth in the majors.
After losing the opener in San Francisco 9-1, the A’s have an argument that the umpire cost them a shot at winning the second game.
In the 10th inning of a scoreless game, the pre-positioned man on second base, A’s closer Mason Miller, was ahead in the count 0-2. The televised game showed that his next four pitches were clearly strikes, but Home Plate Umpire Nate Tomlinson called ALL of them a ball and walked the hitter.
A check of ESPN’s strike location module clearly showed and verified all four pitches to be strikes. Tomlinson called three more pitches in the strike zone, a ball, and the Giants scored a walk-off “walk” to win 1-0. The game’s calling was reminiscent of the infamous umpire Angel Hernandez and his inconsistent strike zone.
The series finale was a hard fought 3-2 loss, which included another instance of Manager Mark Kotsay overusing reliever Tyler Ferguson.
Kotsay used him in nearly half of the A’s games in March and April, then ran him out four games in a row to start May.
Ferguson hit the proverbial wall during the fourth game and gave up three earned runs in 2/3 of an inning.
He has pitched three times in the last five days and has given up seven more earned runs in just 2.2 innings.
Kotsay has consistently left relievers in too long when they are struggling and watched their statistics jump to nearly irreversible numbers.
The loss was the A’s fifth in a row, the longest of the season for the team.
Athletics Batting:
The only A’s starter with a good series was 2B Luis Urias, who had hits in each game, of which two were doubles, with two runs and a stolen base. Urias has hit safely in seven straight games, in 12-of-15 games in May. He has increased his batting average to a respectable .273.
Shortstop Jacob Wilson is the A’s player to focus on this season as he is off to a fast start. However, after reaching a stellar .363 batting average, Wilson experienced the first true slump of his career. He went hitless in the four straight games.
He broke his 0-for-14 streak with a hard double in the series finale and added a single to finish the series at .337, the fifth-best average in MLB.
Third baseman Miguel Andujar has a six-game hitting streak and has hit safely in 16 of the last 19 games, yet Kotsay continues to sit him down. Andujar has consistency at the plate, which demands that he be in the lineup every game, and benching him is a questionable decision by the A’s skipper. Andujar has played every game in a series, in just 5-of-15 series in 2025.
On a sour note, three everyday players went hitless for the entire series(Langeliers, Bleday, & Kurtz), going 0-for-27.
Athletics Pitching:
Despite the sweep, A’s starters Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs had solid outings versus San Francisco.
Severino went six innings of four-hit, scoreless baseball. At the same time, Springs pitched well into the seventh inning of the rubber game, giving up one earned run on two hits.
The Athletics pitching staff saw a lot of recent movement, including optioning starter RHP Osvaldo Bido to AAA Las Vegas. Bido has been hit extremely hard all year and has given up 22 earned runs in his last five starts.
Recently, RHPs Michel Otanez and Anthony Maldonado were promoted from Vegas and LHP Matt Krook.
Otanez was ineffective as he gave up three earned runs in 1/3 of an inning. Maldonado also struggled by allowing two earned runs in one inning. Both gave up timely home runs as Mark Kotsay, again, left his vulnerable relievers in too long.
On a good note, Matt Krook went 1.2 innings of scoreless relief in his season debut.
In addition, starting RHP J.T. Ginn is expected to be activated today from his rehab assignment and will start versus the Angels tonight.
Upcoming Series:
The Los Angeles Angels (20-25) meet the Athletics (22-25) in West Sacramento, with both teams coming off series sweeps of sorts.
The A’s lost three to the Giants while the Angels swept their three-game series with the division-leading Dodgers.
The A’s have to take advantage of the poor relief pitching of the Angels and get their top-five offense back on track.
Mark Kotsay needs to make better decisions regarding his “game challenges,” lineups, and player usage. He may need to hurt some feelings and get his best player options in the lineup every day.
Angels RHP Jose Soriano (2-4, 3.46) versus J.T. Ginn (1-1, 4.61)
May 19, 2025, 7:05pm.
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