Over a sun-drenched weekend at Sutter Health Park, the A’s played host to the Cleveland Guardians. The three-game set from June 20–22, 2025, showcased the swift rise of rookie Nick Kurtz, a dominant outing from Jeffrey Springs, and Cleveland’s methodical pitching mastery.
Opening the series, the A’s leaned on a stellar performance by veteran right-hander Jeffrey Springs, who navigated 7⅓ innings, allowing only three hits and one run with six strikeouts. It was his best outing since May, marking a solid return to form as the A’s won the series opener 5-1.
However, the spark wasn’t just on the mound. Nick Kurtz launched his 10th home run of the season, a 406-foot shot to left-center in the first inning, continuing an improbable hot streak: his fifth home run in six games. The A’s offense clicked into gear: two runs in the second thanks to infield miscues by Cleveland, and another in the seventh on a Brent Rooker single. Tyler Soderstrom contributed with a key stolen base, later scoring on a Luis Urías single.
The A’s defense also made its presence felt, notably through standout grabs by Denzel Clarke in foul territory. When Mason Miller closed in the ninth, the crowd erupted. The A’s had taken a crucial opener, and they did so riding both rookie energy and veteran poise.
Guardians LHP Luis Ortiz responded with a gem in Game 2: six innings, 10 strikeouts, and only two hits allowed. Cleveland erupted for all four runs in a decisive second inning, highlighted by a rally that began with a Bo Naylor RBI double and finished by a Jose Ramírez RBI single, his 900th career RBI as the Guardians snapped back to win the game 4-2.
The A’s offense stalled early but showed fight with RBI doubles by Austin Wynns and a clutch sacrifice fly from veteran Max Muncy in the eighth. Despite tallying five hits, the A’s couldn’t push through. Ortiz held firm, Cleveland secured the win, and the tone of the series shifted.
Sunday’s finale brought another pitching duel, this time with Guardians RHP Slade Cecconi dominating seven scoreless innings: six hits, no runs, and three strikeouts. The Guardians capitalized early with a 2-run second inning, followed by an insurance run in the fifth, as the Guardians took both the game, 3-0, and the series, 2-1.
The A’s broke through with a bases-loaded chance in the ninth, but Cleveland’s Emmanuel Clase slammed the door with a strikeout of Max Muncy, completing a polished weekend performance. The shutout truly underscored Cleveland’s command of the series finale.
For the A’s, the series spotlighted both promise and peril. Kurtz’s emergence is a narrative note of optimism: young, clutch, and capable of generating excitement. Springs’ veteran presence showed that even amid pitching uncertainty, there are moments of reliability. However, stark inconsistencies remain. The offense, outside its heroes, was largely neutralized, and bullpen depth remains a serious question mark.
Cleveland, meanwhile, took a series that felt potentially ripe for an A’s upset and flipped it with veteran savvy and pitching depth. Their young arms, Ortiz and Cecconi, provided the foundation, and their offense executed where the A’s could not.
This split leaves both teams at a crossroads: the A’s with glimpses of a future worth building toward, the Guardians with a roadmap of pitching-led success. As the schedule marches on into July, both teams will reflect on a weekend that offered a little of everything.
The A’s return home to Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, CA on Friday, July 4, at 7:05 PM, to face the San Francisco Giants in a three-game weekend series the rivalry nature of which is sure to bring large crowds and intense energy to both the stadium and the city.
Ahsan Awan has been covering sports for two decades and has been covering professional baseball since 2005. All images taken by Robert Longan and Jason Reed for American Presswire and ©2025 Robert Longan and Jason Reed for their specific unique images for American Presswire and subject to unlimited use under license unless otherwise noted. Robert Longan can be found on X as @robbielphoto and on Instagram as @lngn_media. Jason Reed can be found on X as @fieldofdd and on Instagram as @fieldofdaydreams. Ahsan Awan can be found on X as @quackarazzi and on Instagram as @quackarazzi. American Presswire can be found on X as @ampresswire and on Instagram as @ampresswire.