MidValleySports.Com

By Tim Byrnes

The Athletics concluded the 2026 season, losing 3-of-4 contests to the trash can-banging cheaters from Houston, while the Astros will continue on into the American League Playoffs, and play the Chicago White Sox, in the 1st-round Wild Card Series.

(Astros: 7-5)
Twenty-four hours after being called up by the Astros, CF Lucas Spence introduced himself to the league by hitting three home runs, and his five RBI’s matched the A’s run output for the entire game.

Athletics starter Mason Barnett pitched six innings, allowing three of his four earned runs, via rookie Lucas Spence’s first of three home runs, in the 2nd-inning.

Jeff McNeil’s three-run homer in the 3rd-inning, tied the game with 2-outs, and three pitches later Zack Gelof’s solo-shot gave the Athletics a 4-3 lead.

Houston’s Isaac Paredes homered to open the sixth, starting a trend of A’s relievers giving up a solo-home run every inning, including Spence’s second “round-trip” in the seventh.

Christian Walker and Gelof (#2) traded home runs in the eighth, before Spence ended his amazing day, homering for the final 7-5 Athletics loss.

(Athletics: 6-5)
Athletics starter Jacob Lopez (W 7-5, 5.47) rebounded from a loss against the Guardians, where he gave up ten earned-runs, by going six innings and allowing just one run; Walker’s second home run in as many days.

The A’s put together a six-run sixth inning where scoring started with a two-run single by Michael Stefanic, followed by an RBI-single by C Jonah Heim.

Henry Bolte shook off a 4-strikeout opener with a two-run triple, and Lawrence Butler’s fielder’s choice scored Bolte, to give the A’s just enough runs to win. 

Reliever Geoff Hartlieb tried his best to lose this game, giving up three late runs to the Astros, but closer Hogan Harris pitched a scoreless ninth, for his 17th and final save of the season.

(Astros: 13-2)
The Astros’ Hayden Wesneski went seven innings, allowing two runs, as the A’s scattered just six singles, and did not have another extra-base-hit for the rest of the season.

Houston’s leadoff hitter Jeremy Pena, hit two of the Astros five home runs, scored four times, and had four runs-batted-in, as they went on to score 22 runs in the final two regular-season games.

Isaac Paredes hit his second bomb of the series to open the scoring in the 1st-inning, and Yordan Alvarez finally broke through, hitting his 42nd home run of the season, good for 4th in baseball.

In the A’s season finale Lucas Spence doubled, hit his fourth homer of the series, and had NINE RBI’S, to show that he will likely be a thorn in the side of the AL West for years to come.

Athletics starter Jack Perkins (L 3-13, 6.10) gave up three of the home runs, on his way to a five-inning, six earned runs loss that closed out his season.

Bolte and Gelof led the Athletics with two singles apiece.

(Astros: 9-0)
The Astros continued another game of batting practice, with another dozen hits against A’s pitching in the 9-0 shutout loss. The finale brought Houston’s series totals to: 43 hits, six doubles, a triple, and 13 home runs!

It was a pitch-by-committee for the Athletics, with seven relievers pitching the season-ending game, and Brady Basso serving up the most damage.

Basso (L 1-4, 6.07) gave up four runs in the third inning: an RBI-double to Yainer Diaz, and a Lucas Spence 2-run triple being the big hits in the inning. 

Christian Walker was, then, given an IBB with a man on second and 2-outs, and Spence made Basso pay. The move made no sense because although Walker had three home runs in the series, Spence had four, and it was another poor Mark Kotsay decision.

Lawrence Butler ended the season Sunday, going 2-for-4, and like the past couple of years, Butler finished strong by hitting almost .290 since his July 19th (.193) average.

The Athletics finished with the 3rd-worst record in baseball, and, imo, the worst pitching staff in baseball.

They were middle-of-the-road with 91 errors, and led baseball by hitting into 130 double plays, so they need to work on the little things in the off-season.