The Athletics walked into Kauffman carrying what looked like real momentum, but it vanished fast in an ugly series-opening loss to the Royals.
Mason Barnett never gave them a chance to settle in. In just 2.2 innings, he was tagged for seven hits and six runs, and that early damage dictated everything that followed. The A’s showed some fight after that, but the hole was too deep to climb out of.
That was especially frustrating after the bullpen had just put together a strong showing against the Rangers. In that series, the relief corps worked 6.2 innings without allowing a run, with the approach centered on pulling a pitcher as soon as a baserunner reached. Against Kansas City, though, Barnett’s short outing made that plan feel out of sync, and the bullpen eventually cracked.
Tommy White was one of the few bright spots. Power has been the calling card throughout his baseball path - 75 home runs across three college seasons at LSU and NC State, plus 22 more in the minors, including nine with the Aviators this season before his call-up to the Athletics.
Since arriving, he had been a steady power presence, and after hitting his first home run against the Rangers on Sunday, he added another in the series opener. That kind of pop could be a real turning point in his career, and even with the season winding down, he looks like someone who will leave a mark.
Seth Johnson, acquired from the Phillies in the final hour of the deadline in exchange for Colby Thomas, didn’t help stabilize things. The 27-year-old reliever worked one inning, gave up three hits and two runs, and did not give the Athletics the late-game lift they needed.
Johnson has already been optioned four times this season by the Phillies, and after another rough outing, the move is raising more questions than answers. At this point, the Athletics need to see less of him down the stretch.
In Other News...
As Turned A Winnable Game Into Another Brutal Bullpen Collapse
Jeffrey Springs gave the Athletics what they needed for most of the night, working 5 2/3 innings and limiting the Royals to two runs while Oakland held an early lead in the second-to-last game of the series. For a stretch, it looked like a winnable one for a club trying to piece together enough pitching support behind a starter who had done his job.
Then the game slipped away in the later innings, with Kansas City mounting the kind of late push that has become all too familiar for Oakland this season. The bullpen could not hold the line, and what had been a manageable night turned into another painful finish, leaving the As to sort through how a lead and a solid start still ended in a loss. [Read more 🡒]
Shea Langeliers Has A Hobby As Fans Will Love
Shea Langeliers has found another way to keep himself busy away from the field, and it is the sort of hobby plenty of Athletics fans can appreciate. The All-Star catcher has built a serious collection of Marvel and sports trading cards, to the point where the cards now fill two suitcases, and he has even pulled teammates like Nick Kurtz into the mix.
Langeliers card habit has also become a conversation starter beyond the clubhouse, creating connections with players on other teams along the way. For now, the collection stays packed away, but he already has a plan for it down the road, with hopes of putting everything on display in a dedicated space at his future home. [Read more 🡒]
Athletics Left Fans With One Big Deadline Frustration
The trade deadline came and went without the Athletics landing the kind of pitching help many around the club had been hoping for, leaving a familiar source of frustration in its wake. Oakland did make one move, sending Colby Thomas to get Seth Johnson back, but otherwise stayed quiet as the market unfolded, even with the rotation and bullpen still looking like areas that could have used more support.
Jonah Heim had been part of the deadline conversation before news broke that his season was over, and his absence only sharpened the focus on how the A's might use their roster depth moving forward. The club still has infielders who could draw interest, and that remains the clearest path if Oakland decides it wants to turn some of that surplus into the pitching help it passed on this time. [Read more 🡒]