MidValleySports.Com

By Tim Byrnes

Timely hitting and the emergence of a longball star gave the Athletics a hard earned 2-2 split with AL West leading Houston Astros.

Together with the sweep of the Royals in the previous series, the A’s have won five of the last seven games.

Sandwiched between two walkoff wins over Houston, were blowout losses to a top offense and equally devastating pitching staff.

The losses were on the field but the questionable decisions regarding pitcher usage returned for the A’s skipper Mark Kotsay.

Athletics Batting:
All the chatter is about the game winning antics of rookie 1B Nick Kurtz.

Going back to the series finale in Kansas City, Kurtz lauched a solo home run in the top of the 9th inning to go on to win 3-2.

He came out in the series opener in West Sacramento and followed that with a bottom of the ninth, two run walkoff home run for the 3-1 win.

In last nights series finale, Kurtz continued his clutch hitting when he AGAIN hit a dramatic two run home run, this time in the bottom of the 10th inning, and walked it off with a 6-4 win.
During this five game burst of rookie power, Kurtz has gone eight-for-twenty (.400) with two doubles, four home runs, six runs, and eight RBI’s.

Surprisingly, he isn’t even listed among possible ROY candidates.

Shortstop Jacob Wilson is the front runner for the American League award batting .359 (2nd only to Aaron Judge’s .366).
He started the series slow, going hitless over two games but heated up and ended his series with a home run to enjoy.

Diehards are starting to call him ‘Hack’ Wilson on social media.
An interesting competition is brewing at catcher for the A’s.

With Shea Langeliers going on the IL, the Athletics went out and got Austin Wynns from the Reds and he has hit a couple of home runs in his short stint in Northern California.

While he has an impressive .333 average in 2025, and has thrown out multiple base runners, he is only hitting .200 for the A’s.

Willie MacIver is batting nearly 30 points higher and batted .500 in the two games he played in, hitting a double and a home run in the finale.

While there were few standout players other than Kurtz at the plate, as a team the Athletics lead the American League in hits, and continue to rank in the Top 5 in most offensive catagories.

Athletics Pitching:
Allowing 51 hits in a four game series usually spells disaster for a pitching staff, but the A’s staff is dead last in MLB in nearly all pitching catagories so its almost expected the staff will do poorly.

There were some signs of life among the four game series.
Three of the four starters allowed two runs or less and even Luis Severino had a decent outing in West Sacramento.

While his home record is (0-7, 6.70) he did hold the highest batting average in the AL to two runs in five innings.

Relief RHP Mitch Spence looks like he has himself a spot in the rotation. He finished his third consecutive five inning start and has only given up two solo home runs while fanning ten.

Mark Kotsay was back to his issues of his inability to pull a struggling pitcher in the series.

JP Sears walked the bases loaded in the first inning of his 3.1 inning outing, had a double, three home runs, and a hit-by-pitch before he was mercifully pulled from the game.

Reliever Tyler Ferguson is flat out overworked!
In his .2 inning, he gave up a single and a double play. Nice! Then went single, walk, home run.

He was at 20 pitches at this point and its around the point he loses his stuff but Kotsay left him in.

Next pitch-single.

Next pitch-single.

Obviously not his day right?

Nah…Double then pulled.

After hitting the 20 pitch mark here and there to start the season, Kotsay decided to pitch him four games in a row with 66 pitches and he hasn’t been the same since.

He had a (.52) era then and after six earned runs in his 2/3 of an inning against Houston, his era stands at (6.19).

Fans want Kotsay on a bus out of Sactown!

Upcoming Series:
The Cleveland Guardians (37-36) come to town to play the Athletics (31-46) as they continue along the West Coast.

Gametime:
Cleveland RHP Tanner Bibee (4-6, 3.79) versus Athletics LHP Jeffrey Springs (5-5, 4.52)
June 20, 2025 705pm
Sutter Health Park
West Sacramento