Postgame Report: A's (-125) Loss

Jacob Lopez struck out seven Giants in row between the end of the first and the end of the third inning but he takes the loss last night.  Lopez flashes some gaudy stuff but gets rattled easily.  A pair of singles in the top of the fifth got him yanked.  JT Ginn couldn't bail him out and the A's were down 5-1 after five innings.  

Hayden Birdsong walked five in the game but escaped having only allowed one earned run.  He managed six strikeouts and only allowed three hits on the night.  That's pitching, credit the rookie with a good start despite the walks.  

The A's stranded seven runners in scoring position.  The Giants pitched well under pressure and win this one 6-2.  

Lopez has been the bright spot in an otherwise muddled A's rotation.  Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs haven't added much to the A's long term viability and they certainly won't be making the playoffs this season.  It looks like they lost the Joe Boyle trade, he has pitched real well in Tampa.  They also traded Ruiz to the Dodgers for a pitcher who hasn't been able to throw strikes.  It's been a bad year for the A's who seemed to be on the brink of competing after a late season emergence in '24.  This season in Sacramento hasn't gone their way and it's almost certain that they will be back in Sac in '26.  I'd say the A's are down and out in Sacramento for the foreseeable future.  "Hey, somebody get Luis one of those frozen towels out of the icebox!"