The Athletics’ skid kept rolling with another shutout loss, their eighth straight defeat, and the same issues keep showing up: thin offense, shaky pitching, and injuries piling on.
Gage Jump was the one bright spot on the mound. Against the White Sox, he worked 5.2 innings and gave up just five hits and one run while striking out seven and walking two.
After an ugly home stretch, it was a strong response from Jump, and the numbers on the road are starting to jump off the page. In four road starts this season, he owns a 0.75 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP.
If the Athletics had offered even a little run support, this one could have gone the other way.
Instead, the bats never answered.
Henry Bolte was another player who stood out, though his recent slump is hard to ignore. Over his last six games, he is batting .053 (1-for-19) with a .143 OBP.
His only hit in that span was a home run against the Tigers on July 7. Bolte’s speed still gives the Athletics a weapon, but he has not been able to get it into play lately.
The bigger issue is getting him on base in any way possible, because once he reaches, the lineup has a much better chance to cash him in.
There was at least some encouraging news in the bullpen. Luis Medina has been the most reliable arm in a group that keeps changing shape, and his recent stretch has backed that up. In his last seven outings, he has thrown 9.0 innings and allowed only five hits and seven walks, with a 0 ERA during that run.
The concern now is usage. Since the All-Star break, Medina has mostly been limited to about an inning at a time, except for his 3.0-inning outing against the Pirates. With the Athletics’ pitching staff struggling the way it has, Medina needs more chances to keep things from getting even worse.
In Other News...
Angels Just Let A Productive Infielder Slip Away
The Athletics kept working the waiver wire and came away with infielder Donovan Walton, claiming him from the Angels and using an open spot on the 40-man roster to make it happen. Walton has been productive in limited work this season, hitting .319/.354/.505 in 97 plate appearances, which makes him a notable pickup for a club still trying to patch together its infield depth.
Oaklands interest makes even more sense with injuries thinning that group and creating a path for Walton to see real time right away. The Angels still moved on from him despite the recent production, and now the As get a look at whether there is more value there than the waiver market suggested. [Read more 🡒]
Marlins First Round Pick Comes With A Twist Fans Will Judge Fast
The 2026 MLB draft opened with the White Sox taking UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky at No. 1, setting the tone for a first round that moved quickly through a run of familiar names and familiar pressure. Jackson Flora went to the Giants, Jared Grindlinger landed with the Angels and Vahn Lackey joined the Twins, while the White Sox also added Landon Thome and the Marlins used their first-round spot on Jacob Lombard.
For Athletics fans, the broader draft board matters because the top of the class can shape how the rest of the round falls, especially when clubs start chasing upside and value in different ways. The Marlins first-round choice is the one that will draw the most immediate debate around the league, and it adds another layer to a draft already heavy on recognizable bloodlines, premium positions and quick judgments from fans. [Read more 🡒]