Sep 8, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; Cincinnati Reds beginning pitcher Nick Lodolo (40) delivers in the course of the second inning towards the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Necessary Credit score: Denis Poroy-Imagn Photos With simply 14 video games remaining within the common season, the Cincinnati Reds head into Sunday afternoon’s sequence finale with the Athletics simply 1 1/2 video games behind the slumping New York Mets within the chase for the ultimate Nationwide League wild-card spot.
However Terry Francona’s squad missed one other golden alternative to shut the hole when it dropped its second straight recreation to the rebuilding A’s, 11-5, on Saturday night time in West Sacramento, Calif.
Two wins over the Athletics (69-80), who’re battling with the Los Angeles Angels to not end within the AL West cellar, and Cincinnati (74-74) could be only a half-game behind the Mets, who’ve misplaced eight straight video games.
The Reds could not benefit from New York’s newest slip-up even with ace Hunter Greene on the mound Saturday. Greene allowed 5 runs on 4 hits and 4 walks in simply 2 1/3 innings.
Afterward, Francona was requested by a reporter if he thought his crew may be urgent.
“I feel they’re good sufficient to know that we have to benefit from what is going on on,” Francona stated. “Nah, I feel generally the sport is tougher than you need it to be, and generally profitable is tougher than you need it to be. I do not level to they’re nervous. That is baseball. Generally the opposite crew performs higher than you.”
Left-hander Nick Lodolo (8-7, 3.10 ERA), who’s 0-0 with a 5.40 ERA in a single profession begin towards the Athletics, will attempt to assist the Reds salvage the sequence finale. He’ll oppose rookie right-hander Luis Morales (3-1, 2.73), who will make his seventh huge league begin and can face Cincinnati for the primary time.
The Athletics used a five-run eighth inning to interrupt open Saturday’s win with rookie first baseman Nick Kurtz offering the large blow, a 493-foot grand slam to lifeless middle, the longest dwelling run within the majors this season and the longest grand slam of the Statcast Period (2015).
“Yeah, I obtained that one fairly good,” Kurtz stated of his thirty first dwelling run, off reliever Scott Barlow.
The house run introduced again some reminiscences of the Bash Brothers — Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco — who have been in attendance because the membership inducted pitchers Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder and Barry Zito and broadcaster Monte Moore into the Athletics Corridor of Fame throughout a pregame ceremony.
“We needed this one slightly bit extra,” Kurtz stated. “You get guys like Mark McGwire, Jose Canseco, Tim Hudson and Barry Zito, you need to placed on a present. You need to present that we’re carrying on their legacy as an A.”
It was the third straight win for the Athletics, who enter Sunday’s contest tied with the Angels for fourth place within the AL West.
Lawrence Butler additionally had an enormous recreation for the A’s with two hits and three stolen bases to turn out to be the primary Athletic since Coco Crisp in 2013 to have 20 dwelling runs and 20 stolen bases in a season.
Carlos Cortes continued his sizzling hitting together with his third homer in two video games, and Brent Rooker clubbed his twenty eighth homer off Greene within the second inning, a 421-foot drive to left-center.
“Give their guys credit score,” Francona stated. “They swing the bat fairly good. You make a mistake and so they hit it a great distance.”
–Subject Degree Media
