Happy Friday A’s Fans! Hope everyone’s week has been going well so far.
The Athletics have had more success this week, once again showcasing better performances on the road than at West Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park. They got the weeklong road trip started with a series win over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. They were in prime opportunity to get the sweep, but suffered a bullpen collapse, resulting in a walk-off loss to end the series against the Cubs.
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The majority of the A’s roster has performed better on the road. The pitching staff has performed particularly well, posting a noticeably lower ERA away from home. Take left-hander Gage Jump, for example. He surrendered four runs on nine hits in his first MLB start at home before tossing seven innings of one-run ball against the Chicago Cubs on the road. However, the team’s bullpen remains shaky regardless of where the A’s play.
The A’s look to continue their stellar road form during this weekend’s three-game series against the division-rival Houston Astros. The last time these two teams met in Houston, Nick Kurtz launched four home runs in a historic performance that helped secure American League Rookie of the Year honors.
Right-hander Jack Perkins will make his first start of the season in the series opener. In 17 relief appearances, the 26-year-old is 2-2 with a 5.46 ERA and three saves. He has struggled recently and is now set to join the rotation following a series of injuries and ineffective performances among the club’s other starting pitchers. His performance will determine whether this is a one-time spot start or the beginning of a permanent role in the rotation.
On Saturday, A’s right-handed pitching prospect Kade Morris is lined up to make his first MLB start. He faces a stiff test against a lineup that includes Yordan Alvarez and Jose Altuve. Will Morris sink or swim?
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Sunday, the A’s wrap up the road trip with left-hander Gage Jump on the mound, looking to follow up his quality start at Wrigley with another solid outing. From the other dugout, A’s hitters will face Astros right-handers Peter Lambert, Tatsuya Imai and Mike Burrows.
Can the A’s make it two straight series wins? What are your expectations for this upcoming series in Houston?
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With voting now underway for the 2026 MLB All-Star Game, Athletics fans should get behind catcher Shea Langeliers as well as first baseman Kurtz, both of whom are emerging as legitimate All-Star contenders.
After playing three games against the Houston Astros this weekend, the A’s will spend next week in Las Vegas, hosting the Milwaukee Brewers and Colorado Rockies at the stadium of the A’s Triple-A affiliate, the Las Vegas Aviators.
Athletics’ 20-year-old left-handed pitching prospect, Wei-En Lin, has been dominant at Double-A. It will be fascinating to see how he handles the jump to Triple-A when he inevitably gets promoted, hopefully sooner rather than later.