MidValleySports.Com

By Tim Byrnes

The Tigers swept the Athletics in the three-game series, outscored them 32-7, and the home team appears to have waved the white-flag on the 2026 season. Manager Mark Kotsay sat Nick Kurtz and Jacob Wilson in the finale citing nagging injuries giving the Athletics little chance to keep up with youngster Max Clark and the Tigers.

(Tigers: 13-1)
Detroit’s Former #3 pick Max Clark went 3-for-4, with two doubles and a walk in his major league debut and the Tigers absolutely destroyed A’s pitching.

Athletics starter Jeffrey Springs (L 3-11, 6.17) surrendered five walks in just four innings and took the loss, but it was the bullpen that had the complete meltdown.

The game was close until Kotsay decided to stretch reliever Brady Basso into a third inning of relief which Basso seldom does. Clark’s RBI-double in the eighth inning started a seven-run disaster that concluded with A’s reliever Luis Morales allowing a Dillon Dingler grand slam.

As with the last two trips to the majors, Morales was left to mop up before returning to the minors, and he gave up a Ben Malgeri home run to finish the rout.

(Tigers: 8-6)
Saturday, the Athletics bats woke up with 15 hits but pitching continued to be among the worst in baseball, as Jack Perkins continued to get shelled.

Perkins (L 2-7, 6.72) gave up three home runs including Max Clark’s first career bomb in the sixth inning. This kid has it all: the game, the big smile that could rival Magic Johnson, and the Paul Skenes-level significant other. If ya know-ya know, and the cameraman in West Sacramento made sure you did….Thanks my guy!

Tommy White led the A’s at the plate, going 3-for-4 but Kotsay continues to reward good play with bad decisions. In a head-scratcher, White was pulled for a pinch-hitter Carlos Cortes, who was on an 0-for-15 stretch. Lefty v. righty aside, Kotsay pulled a player with two four-hit games in his first ten career games, and Cortes wound up striking out. If the A’s lose 100 games, again the manager position has to change, but ownership has been missing-in-action on these issues.

Tigers reliever Kenley Jansen may have been suffering from a bout of peri-menopause, when after securing the final out, IN A WIN, started a benches-clearing shoving match by barking at A’s Jeff McNeil. McNeil bunted for an RBI earlier and Jansen got in his feels. Funny thing, McNeil is about the only Athletics player that shows emotion, so he was unlikely to back down. Old-school guys don’t play!!!

Bolte also had a nice game, going 3-for-4 with a walk/double/home run, and three RBIs..

(Tigers: 11-0)
As with many previous Sunday’s, the A’s were probably looking forward to a day-off or traveling to the next city, instead of the series finale at hand.

With Kurtz and Wilson shut down for who knows how long, the already punchless lineup card got a whole lot worse. The only consistent bat has been McNeil, who is on a 14-for-42 stretch (.405) over his last 14 games, and he went 2-for-4, but the A’s scattered the remaining five hits.

Athletics starter Gage Jump (L 4-7, 4.59) had trouble with his control, walked six in just 3 2/3 innings, and allowed six earned-runs.

Reliever Ben Bowden, who was just promoted from the AAA Las Vegas Aviators, lasted just one inning, giving up four earned runs.

Extras:
The general consensus as to why Manager Mark Kotsay continues to maintain his job has been continuous improvement in the teams win/loss record. As it stands the team will likely lose 100 games, and for many of the same reasons the A’s have lost in previous seasons under Kotsay.

He still leaves pitchers in too long and the bullpen has undefined roles. The man has lost the clubhouse, and if the A’s are to be successful in Las Vegas, the culture has to change. Kotsay is way too comfortable being blown out every series and his lack of emotion is translating into indifference by the players. Change Must Happen!

Next: 8/4 340pm @ Reds Great American Ball Park Cincinnati Oh