Listen, the streak was going to end eventually. The Phillies were not going to win out the rest of the season. Sunday, getaway day, after a long trip on the West coast made the most sense to chalk up a loss.
Still, losing to a guy who is most famous for creating some kind of ignition switch with gum, a paper clip and knowhow is frustrating.
The Phillies came into this one with one of their best pitchers on the “mound” in Sacramento. Jesus Luzardo has been so, so good for the Phillies this year, but you know who else has been good?
Jacob Wilson.
On the first pitch he saw from Luzardo, he sent over the fence for a 1-0 lead for the A’s.
Jacob Wilson crushes his first leadoff homer!
He is hitting .435 in his last 7 games, .315 in his last 15 games, and .339 in his last 30 games.
The clear AL Rookie of the Year favorite.pic.twitter.com/pEQ1QlOFM5
— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) May 25, 2025
Next thing you know, the A’s had more baserunners in the inning as Luzardo looked a bit off and Logan Davidson doubled and what? The A’s had a 3-0 after the first inning? Surely that wasn’t right.
Huh.
The Phillies are the Phillies though and battled back, one run at a time. They had a golden opportunity in the second when starter Gunnar Hoglund walked the bases loaded to begin the inning, but Mr. Double Play himself, J.T. Realmuto, hit into yet another one and, while it scored a run, killed a rally. In the third, Brandon Marsh doubled to begin the inning, then scored on a Trea Turner single to make it 3-2.
In the fifth, Alec Bohm and Marsh singled, then Bryson Stott hit a fly ball that put runners on the corners for Turner, who came through once again to tie the game at three.
Meanwhile, as the offense kept clawing back, Luzardo did his thing and shut down the A’s offense. At one point, he struck out eight over his final four innings, settling in (and adjusting to that nonsense the team calls a mound) to keep the Phillies in the game. Preying on a young offense that went fastball hunting, Luzardo relied instead on changeups and sweepers to keep them out in front.
In the eighth, Turner came up again, with two RBI already in his pocket and decided to add a third.
It looked like another win would come out of this team. But in their half, trying to snap a streak of their own, the A’s punched back. With Matt Strahm on in relief, Davidson walked with one out, then scored on a Lawrence Butler triple that tied it at four a piece.
That brought up Willie MacIver, a rookie making his debut. He dug into his bag of tricks and somehow punched a single into the outfield, his first hit of the game, his first major league hit and one that would give the A’s the lead.
In the ninth, Mason Miller came on for the third day in a row and got the first two hitters before Bohm singled, then was replaced by Johan Rojas to get a little speed on the bases. He decided that, with two outs, that was a perfect time to try and steal, only to be stopped in his tracks by MacIver.
Eh, damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
The Phillies come home having gone 6-1 on the trip and leaving in first place in the division. That’ll do. They get Atlanta at home starting on Tuesday.