After a sweep at the hands of the Tigers, the Athletics found a game that looked tailor-made to snap the slide. J.T.
Ginn was back on the mound, the offense had enough support behind him, and for a while it seemed like the A’s were lining up a much-needed win. Instead, a string of self-inflicted mistakes and a bullpen collapse turned it into another frustrating loss.
Henry Bolte was one of the few bright spots, and on his birthday he kept showing why his recent stretch has people paying attention. Bolte went 3-for-4 with a run and a stolen base, and he came through in the ninth with a single that put the tying run in scoring position. It still wasn’t enough, but the performance fit the way he’s been swinging lately.
Bolte has had a roller-coaster season, but the last week has been his best run yet. Over his last seven days, spanning six games, he’s batting .438 with a 1.238 OPS, both team highs in that stretch.
He also has a homer and three RBIs in that span, again leading the Athletics. Right now, he’s forcing his way into the conversation.
The bigger story, though, was how the game slipped away. Hogan Harris took the loss after a brutal outing that lasted just 0.2 innings, with two runs and three walks charged to him. That’s especially jarring because Harris has been the most dependable pitcher since the break.
His outing unraveled fast. He walked the first two hitters he faced, then watched two runs cross on a wild pitch. For a pitcher who has been among the A’s best options on the roster, it was an alarming turn, even if it’s hard to imagine it becoming a regular thing.
On offense, Jacob Wilson is now carrying even more weight with Nick Kurtz back on the 10-day IL. The A’s had Langeliers around the first time Kurtz went down before the All-Star break, but that safety net isn’t there now. Without Langeliers or Kurtz, Wilson has become the clearest source of production.
And Wilson delivered. He flashed the leather defensively and lined a clutch two-run double that gave the Athletics a three-run lead.
It didn’t hold up, but the effort was there. If Wilson keeps producing like this, the Athletics may still have enough to make something interesting happen late in the season.
In Other News...
Athletics Pitching Prospect May Be Building Something Oakland Needs
Nathan Dettmer took another step forward for Midland on a night when the Athletics farm system had plenty of activity to sort through. The right-hander worked deep into the game and kept Frisco quiet, while Luke Mann supplied the offense with a home run and two RBIs in support of a sharp RockHounds effort.
For Oakland, outings like this matter because the organization has been looking for more reliable pitching depth to emerge from the lower levels. Dettmers mix of strikeout stuff and efficiency stood out in a system report that also included action across the Pacific Coast League, Midwest League and California League, but the bigger question is whether this kind of start is a sign of something more durable coming together. [Read more 🡒]
Athletics Just Made A Front Office Change At A Brutal Time
The Athletics are making a front office shift at an awkward moment, with general manager David Forst and the organization mutually agreeing to part ways. Forst had been with the club since 2000 and had served as GM since 2015, so this is a significant change for a franchise already juggling a difficult season and a looming move to Las Vegas for 2028.
Dan Feinstein will step in as interim GM for the rest of the 2026 season, giving the Athletics a new voice at a time when the current roster is sitting at 45-70. The timing only adds to the sense of transition around the club, which now has to keep moving forward on the field while its baseball operations leadership takes on a different look. [Read more 🡒]
Athletics Just Changed The One Job That Shapes Their Next Era
The Athletics are entering another reset in a front office that has already defined much of their recent identity, parting ways with David Forst after an extended run that stretched across a quarter-century with the organization. Forst had been the clubs general manager since 2015, and his departure lands at a moment when every decision around the roster and the business of rebuilding carries extra weight for a team still trying to chart a steadier path forward.
Assistant GM Dan Feinstein has moved into the interim role while the search for a permanent replacement gets underway, putting a familiar internal voice in charge during a transition that could shape the next era of the franchise. For the Athletics, the bigger question now is not just who fills the job, but what kind of direction the next hire will bring to a club that has spent years searching for something closer to stability. [Read more 🡒]