The Athletics may not be headed to the postseason in 2026, but the last stretch of the schedule still has teeth. With nearly half of their remaining games coming against American League West contenders, the A’s have a chance to throw a wrench into somebody else’s plans.
That was the backdrop Friday night in West Sacramento, where Oakland’s season took on a spoiler’s edge and the Rangers felt the bite. The A’s pulled away late for an 8-3 win over Texas at Sutter Health Park, a result that pushed the Rangers to three games behind Houston in the AL West and a half-game out of the third Wild Card spot.
“When you can cause some chaos in the division, that’s a priority for us,” manager Mark Kotsay said. “That would be the fun part. … In a season that has been really challenging, there are games left here to at least have some impact in a divisional race.”
Friday’s opener was the first of 20 games the A’s will play against Texas, the Astros or the Mariners over the final six weeks of the 2026 campaign. All three are still in the thick of both the AL West chase and the AL Wild Card race, which gives Oakland plenty of chances to matter even if its own playoff path is closed.
Jeff McNeil made sure the A’s mattered in a big way on this night. He turned in a season-high four-hit performance and came painfully close to hitting for the cycle.
McNeil doubled in the second inning, singled in the fourth and homered for a solo shot in the sixth. By the time he came up in the ninth, he was one triple away from history and nearly got it. The 34-year-old veteran ripped a ball down the right-field line that bounced off the side wall and caromed in front of right fielder Brandon Nimmo.
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Luke Mann Is Giving The A's A Farm System Story To Watch
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Even so, Mann's surge is turning into one of the more interesting developments in Oakland's system. He has been the type of bat who can change a game in a hurry, and his recent run has given the A's something worth tracking closely as Midland keeps grinding through the Texas League schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Jeff McNeil And Carlos Cortes Just Gave A's Fans A Reason
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For a team with little margin for error, any hint of momentum matters, especially with only 40 games left to shape the seasons finish. Oakland still has plenty to sort through, and the relief work remains a major concern, but the recent production from McNeil and Cortes offers a reminder that the As can still put together competitive stretches if the bats keep carrying some of the load. [Read more 🡒]
Athletics Let Early Surge Slip Away In Another Costly Loss
The Athletics got a lift from Henry Bolte, who went 3-for-5 and launched a three-run homer, and J.T. Ginn gave them a chance by working six innings in his start. Even so, the early push was not enough in a 5-3 loss to the Texas Rangers, a result that kept Oakland from stringing together back-to-back wins and left the club with the worst record in the sport.
Oakland has shown flashes in spots, but the larger pattern keeps coming back around in the same frustrating way. The Rangers leaned on MacKenzie Gore to get into the sixth inning, then turned it over to a bullpen that finished with 3 1/3 scoreless frames, and now the series heads to its finale with Jacob Lopez lined up for the Athletics against Cody Bradford for Texas. [Read more 🡒]