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New York Times
05-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Giants stink up Sacramento as Justin Verlander's winless streak continues
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — In the first Battle of the Bay rivalry game played on the banks of the Sacramento River, it was difficult to gauge whether the sellout crowd at Sutter Health Park on Friday night contained more A's fans or San Francisco Giants fans. You can't judge by crowd noise when the Giants barely gave their fans a reason to cheer. Advertisement The A's lit all the fuses in an 11-2 victory. They pummeled starter Justin Verlander for six runs in three innings, extended his winless streak to 14 starts as a Giant — double his previous career-long drought entering the season — and forced the three-time Cy Young Award winner to make the candid self-assessment that he hasn't been good enough to deceive major-league hitters. The A's also ruined what could've been a magical narrative. Verlander took the mound Friday night exactly 20 years after his major-league debut for the Detroit Tigers. Then, he was a 22-year-old top draft pick with a dimpled chin getting a spot start in the back half of an Independence Day doubleheader at Cleveland's Jacobs Field. He lost that day, but there was no question that his future was bright. Now, Verlander is a 42-year-old pitcher with gray-flecked stubble on that dimpled chin. After falling to 0-6 Friday night, it's an open question how much remains. Regardless, Verlander didn't have the support to win Friday. The Giants made an abundance of defensive lapses, including two bobbles from Heliot Ramos in left field and errors by two different third basemen (Brett Wisely and Sergio Alcántara). Jung Hoo Lee got turned around by a fly ball that went for a triple. Catcher Patrick Bailey overran a foul pop and stumbled in the grass as he tried to recover. The A's torched Mason Black, who had the odd assignment of making his Giants debut while pitching on the same mound where he'd already made seven starts for the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, including one as recently as June 27. When the Giants played an equally sloppy game last Tuesday in Arizona, manager Bob Melvin gave the team a verbal dressing down. The group responded by winning the next two to split the series. So the sudden regression was alarming. Advertisement 'It was bad,' Melvin said. 'We've had a couple of games in the last week that are uncharacteristic with how we play. That's the part that bothered me the most in this game. It just looked like there was a lack of focus on the defensive end, and that's a concern. Given the bad optics along with the bad results, it's no surprise that the Giants will hustle Matt Chapman back from the injured list. He's expected to be active and in Saturday's lineup, even though he has been out since he sprained his hand on June 8 and played in only one minor-league rehab game to regain his timing. Chapman walked in four plate appearances and fielded a couple of grounders while playing five innings Friday for Triple-A Sacramento at Reno. Clearly, Melvin misses Chapman's stabilizing clubhouse presence as much as the Gold Glove defense at third base and the right-handed production in the lineup. 'The at-bats are the things that you worry about a little bit,' Melvin said. 'But the intensity he brings on the field every day — he's kind of the heartbeat of the team.' What about Verlander's pulse? What's next for him after he failed to build on one of his better results of the season last Sunday against the Chicago White Sox? When the future Hall of Famer walked in his stocking feet into a cocoon of reporters in a hallway outside the visiting clubhouse Friday, he was equal parts clinical and candid. He provided a fascinating glimpse into the mind of a pitcher who has spent two decades wrestling with mechanics, reinventing his pitch mix and developing stratagems to fool major-league hitters with whatever movement his body happened to allow in that moment. Now, he is in something near to crisis mode again. 'I feel like I was pretty easy to hit tonight,' said Verlander, who allowed seven hits and a walk. 'Frankly embarrassing. I need to be better than that. I thought I found something between starts that would help and send me in the right direction, and … yeah. No, it didn't. So back to the drawing board. 'I'm just not deceptive enough.' His stuff appeared competitive at times. Verlander's average fastball velocity of 94.2 mph was a tick above his season rate, and he struck out five in three innings and induced 10 whiffs on 60 pitches. But only two of those whiffs were on 15 swings against his four-seam fastball, which did not put A's batters away. The inflection point came in the second inning after Verlander gave up consecutive doubles to Tyler Soderstrom (aided by Ramos' bobble) and Max Muncy. Verlander responded by striking out the A's Nos. 8 and 9 batters and was a pitch away from minimizing the threat when he had a 1-2 count on Lawrence Butler. Then Butler fouled off three pitches before drawing a nine-pitch walk. Verlander couldn't put away Jacob Wilson with an 0-2 count, either. The rookie shortstop hit an 0-2 slider to drive in both baserunners and give the A's a 5-0 lead. Advertisement Asked about whether the defensive lapses contributed, Verlander cut off the question with a wry laugh. 'If I blamed it on the defense tonight, no, that would be such a cop out,' he said. 'I was not nearly good enough.' Did the 10 swings and misses leave him with any optimism? 'That's the problem,' Verlander said. 'I know that I can still be successful with the given stuff that I have at this level. I'm just not deceptive enough right now, and I need to figure that out. I need to figure out how to blend stuff better. Guys are able to execute their game plan against me too easily. I can't quite get fastballs by guys when I should be able to. Can't quite get them to chase the good offspeed pitch. When I do throw a bad one, they're on it. 'These hitters are so good, you know. … I make a good slider and he takes it. I make a really good slider in the strike zone, and he fouls it off. I make a bad one, and he's on time and barrels it. That's not what you're looking for as a pitcher. We're not robots. Execution isn't always perfect. You watch the most perfect games ever thrown, and they throw a lot of pitches down the middle. It's more about deception, keeping guys off balance, and I'm not doing a good job of that right now mechanically.' Verlander has struck out 3,476 batters. He instantly recognizes the sight of an uncomfortable hitter in the box. He also instantly recognizes the reverse. Verlander has a 4.84 ERA and hasn't pitched much better than a No. 5 starter, but he also hasn't pitched the Giants out of too many games. The six runs Friday were a season high. Although his outings have been on the short side, he allowed three runs or fewer in 11 of his 13 previous starts. This one was a total stinker, though. And he acknowledged it. 'I've had a lot of crappy starts in my career,' Verlander said. 'You work on something and the only person (who) can tell you whether it's beneficial enough is the hitter when they're reacting to pitches in real time. And the reactions I saw tonight, I wasn't good enough.' Advertisement There hasn't been any discussion about lifting Verlander from the rotation. He has one more start before the All-Star break, and it will come Wednesday against the Philadelphia Phillies in San Francisco. 'I'm already onto the next thing,' Verlander said. 'I threw some balls against the wall and felt some different mechanics that I've been thinking about, and I'm optimistic that will be the next thing that works. I've had two or three instances in my career where I kind of had to reinvent the wheel and everything I've known to try to fix something that doesn't work. 'I feel like I'm kind of there where it's like, 'All right, well, now it's time to just throw s— against the wall and see what works.'' Verlander couldn't find the right formula in time for a 20th-anniversary night that would allow any waxing or full-circle tributes. He couldn't find it in time to entertain the contingent of visiting fans in the sellout crowd of 12,332 who shelled out hundreds even for lawn seats. It'll be up to Logan Webb, who grew up in nearby Rocklin and came to Triple-A games here as a kid, to give Giants fans and his own sizable family contingent something to cheer about. 'We didn't put on a good show,' Melvin said. 'It felt like there were a lot of Giants fans there, and when we scored, you could hear them. We just didn't give them enough of an opportunity to get into it.'
Forbes
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Athletics Adjust To Their Minor League Home Park In A Major League Way
WEST SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 24: A general view of Sutter Health Park on January 24, 2021 ... More in West Sacramento, Calif. The stadium is the home of the Sacramento River Cats. (Photo by) The team formerly known as the Oakland Athletics is now called the Athletics. That's because the Major League Baseball franchise is planning to move to Las Vegas. The team now plays in West Sacramento, California, which is 82 miles from Oakland. The A's now play their home games at Sutter Health Park, which is also the Triple-A franchise of the Sacramento River Cats, the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. The park opened on May 15, 2000. The seating capacity of Sutter Health Park is 14,611. It is 330 feet down the left field line, 403 feet to dead center field, and 325 feet to right field. Bullpens are behind a low wall in right field. Several small press boxes have been created. This old scout attended a June 20-23 weekend series between the Athletics and the Cleveland Guardians at the Athletics temporary West Sacramento home. It was a unique experience, as the Athletics made every effort to provide the 'look' and 'feel" of a Major League Baseball stadium. In an effort to provide a playing facility in West Sacramento that meets the standards of Major League Baseball, and the Major League Baseball Players Association, the Athletics had to make a considerable number of modifications to Sutter Health Park. SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 17: A detail shot of the shoes worn by Jacob Wilson #5 of the ... More Athletics against the Houston Astros at Sutter Health Park on June 17, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by) According to some of the changes include: 1- Modification of the the video board. A state-of-the-art video experience, featuring a 75X 32 main display was installed. 2- Modifications were made to enhance the sustainability, performance and playability of the natural grass surface. Since the field is in constant use with the Athletics and River Cats both playing home games at Sutter Health Park, the installation of AirPAT technology is used to help allow the grass to thrive, with good moisture management. As the heat continues to increase in West Sacramento, the grass surface could become an issue. 3- Increased infrastructure for stadium technology will help with device traffic from both fans and media. 4- Renovated clubhouse, dugout, and player amenities help give the Athletics temporary new home a major league fell. The clubhouses are located in the outfield, and players must walk to and from the clubhouses down the left field line to access the clubhouses. But the facilities in the clubhouses and dugouts now include more modernized amenities and space to meet the needs of major league organizations. The Athletics are hoping their new Las Vegas home park will open in 2028. Ground has just been broken for construction of the new, $1.75 billion facility. The new stadium will seat 33,000 guests. WEST SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 24: An aerial view of Sutter Health Park on January 24, 2021 ... More in West Sacramento, Calif. The stadium is the home of the Sacramento River Cats. (Photo by) The Sutter Health Park Experience: This writer was very impressed with the overall environment the Athletics staff has created at their new temporary home. One gets the feel of a major league game, but the 'look' of a minor league facility. The park has only one deck, and that is strikingly different than the massive 30,000 seating capacities most fans experience. The positive attitude and overall friendliness of every staff member this old scout encountered was remarkable. The staff had a smile and a warm welcome for everyone. Fans were treated to a well planned display of interactive videos and music during down times in the games. There was a sense of enjoyment and joy in almost every minute of each game this writer attended. Concession stands bustled with business, and it seemed everyone was enjoying the readily available, common baseball game food. Sutter Health Park looked very clean, and very well maintained. It was a pleasure to attend games at the facility. Crowds for the first two games were just above 8,000 each game. SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 24: Jacob Wilson #5 of the Athletics celebrates a walk-off single ... More that scored Luis Urías against the Texas Rangers in the bottom of the ninth inning at Sutter Health Park on April 24, 2025 in Sacramento, California. The Athletics won the game 4-3. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) The Sunday game drew more than 10,000 spectators, as the team gave a Jacob Wilson bobblehead to everyone in attendance. Wilson is All Star Game bound, and he is a fan favorite. He will start at shortstop for the American League. His bobblehead was very popular. The Athletics have an exciting team. They are making the very best of a difficult situation as they await the construction of their new Las Vegas stadium. Until they move to Nevada, West Sacramento, and the staff working at Sutter Health Park can be very proud of the facility they are offering a major league club in their minor league park.
Fox News
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Athletics 'can't wait' to trade pitcher Luis Severino after his blunt complaints about team's ballpark: report
Athletics starter Luis Severino isn't shying away from his thoughts about his team's home ballpark. In turn, it appears the Athletics "can't wait" to be rid of him before the MLB trade deadline as well. Severino, who made a return to the Yankee Stadium mound over the weekend, was touched up by his former New York Yankees squad. Following the game, he unloaded on the difference between pitching on the road in actual MLB ballparks compared to Sutter Health Park, a minor-league facility that will be the Athletics' home for the next few seasons before their move to Las Vegas. Severino was asked about a USA Today report, which stated the Athletics "can't wait" to be rid of the man they signed a three-year deal worth $67 million to in December — the richest guaranteed contract in franchise history. He shrugged and answered with honesty. "If you ask me how I feel pitching at home, I'm not going to lie to you," he said, via The Athletic. "Because at the end, you guys are going to figure out if it's a lie or not. My job is here to try to pitch and every time you ask me a question, be honest with you guys. So, that's what I did." Severino added that his teammates feel the same way about Sutter Health Park, saying "I'm not the only one who feels the same way." The right-hander's original comment came on Friday, when he said "it feels like a spring training game," when he pitches at home compared to games on the road. "It's really tough," Severino said about his home park in West Sacramento. "If they trade me or not, I'm going to keep grinding. Trying to be my best going out there." Severino has struggled a bit this season, owning a 5.18 ERA over 18 starts (104.1 innings) with a 1.380 WHIP as well. And he clearly likes pitching on the road, as the stats back it up. In eight starts away from West Sacramento this season, Severino has a 3.23 ERA over 47.1 innings. At home, Severino's 10 starts have yielded a 6.79 ERA with 43 earned runs over 57.0 innings. The MLB trade deadline is July 31 at 6 p.m., giving the Athletics one month from Tuesday to find a trade partner for Severino if that's what they wish to do with him moving forward. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Shea Langeliers' three-run home run (11)
Athletics can't overcome early deficit in blowout loss to Astros On "A's Cast," Chris Townsend and Tony Kemp discuss the Athletics' early struggles in their 13-3 loss to the Houston Astros on Tuesday at Sutter Health can't overcome early deficit in blowout loss to Astros originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area 0:56 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
CBS News
23-06-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
A's to hold Las Vegas stadium groundbreaking on Monday
The Athletics will be making a major play toward their move to Sin City on Monday. The team is set to host a groundbreaking ceremony to kick off construction for their future Las Vegas ballpark. The story and future of the A's has been filled with twists, turns and speculation since the team left the Oakland Coliseum. Now, at the site of the former Tropicana Hotel, another page will be turned. According to the A's, the new Las Vegas stadium will be able to seat 33,000 fans – quite the jump in capacity from the team's temporary home at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, which can only seat around 14,000 people. The A's still have two more seasons in Sacramento, along with the rest of this season. There is also an option for a fourth season, depending on the timing of construction in Nevada. Monday's groundbreaking ceremony in Nevada is set to begin at 8 a.m.
