The Athletics are staring at one last chance to keep this series from ending in a sweep, and the path is pretty clear: hit with runners in scoring position, get length from the middle of the order, and don’t burn through the bullpen again.
The most obvious issue has been the offense’s inability to cash in. Over the last two games of the series, the Athletics are hitting just .167 (2-for-12) with runners in scoring position.
Even in Tuesday’s loss, when they went 2-for-10 in those spots, they still managed to score five runs. That kind of production shows the lineup can pile up runs, but not nearly consistently enough.
For that to change, the Athletics need a stronger night from Jonah Heim and the other bats in the middle of the order. Before those chances can really stack up, though, Zack Gelof and Henry Bolte have to reach base at least twice apiece. If that happens, the lineup should be in position to do damage.
Pitching remains the other major concern, and Jacob Lopez’s start in the first game of the Orioles series still looms over what followed. He threw 5.0 innings, allowed three hits and one run, and still ended up as the spark for the losing streak.
Lopez reached exactly 100 pitches to finish the fifth, which essentially sent him to the bench before things could get worse. That forced Mark Kotsay to turn to the bullpen earlier than planned, and four relievers had to finish that game.
Since then, the relief group has been asked to do a lot. The Athletics have already used six different relievers in the series, though Elvis Alvarado and Hogan Harris are still available and among the more dependable arms left. Even so, there isn’t much room for comfort.
If Lopez has trouble getting quick outs again, the bullpen will need to limit the damage and keep the game from getting away. The fewer runs allowed, the fewer pitchers the Athletics have to use, and that matters with the Mariners coming up next.
In Other News...
A's Young Bat Is Making Triple-A Hard To Ignore
The Las Vegas Aviators kept piling up offense in a 14-12 win over El Paso, and right fielder Devin Taylor was right in the middle of it. He homered twice and also came through with key hits as the Aviators turned a high-scoring night into another reminder that their lineup has plenty of thump, with Colby Halter and Johnathan Rodriguez adding their own damage in the win.
For the A's, that's the part worth watching. Taylor's surge at Triple-A has made the promotion look less like a test run and more like a real audition, and every loud night only sharpens the conversation about how soon he might force the issue. The rest of the farm system had its own mixed slate, with Midland, Fort Wayne and Stockton also in action, but Taylor's bat is the one making it hardest to ignore what is happening in Las Vegas. [Read more 🡒]
Athletics Head To Seattle With Two Familiar Problems Still Looming
The Athletics left the Rangers series with some offensive momentum, averaging 5.0 runs a game and closing with a nine-run outburst that gave the lineup a much-needed jolt. Even so, the underlying issue was hard to miss: too many innings began with Oakland chasing the game, which put extra pressure on every at-bat and made early traffic on the bases feel like a missed chance rather than the start of something bigger.
As the club heads to Seattle, the focus turns to whether that improved scoring can show up sooner and whether Henry Bolte can be turned into the kind of table-setter this offense needs when he gets on base. The bullpen offered a different kind of encouragement, with Chris Roycroft and Geoff Hartlieb both handling multi-inning work well enough to suggest Mark Kotsay may want to keep leaning that way as he looks for more stability behind a team still trying to solve the same two problems. [Read more 🡒]
Luis Severino Holds A Big Piece Of The A's Offseason Puzzle
Luis Severino is still one of the biggest variables hanging over the Athletics offseason plans, even as the club starts sorting through what the next few months might look like. The right-hander was brought in to anchor the rotation, but his first year in Oakland never really got off the ground after injury interrupted things and kept him out for most of the 2026 season.
His contract now looms almost as large as his health. Severino has an opt-out coming after 2026, and if he decides to stay, the As would get one more season from a pitcher they still need to count on. If he walks, he would head back into free agency just as Oakland braces for a possible front-office change and more roster turnover ahead of the move to Las Vegas. [Read more 🡒]