A’s bullpen obliterated late by Angels. Losing streak is now MLB’s worst of 2025
Athletics manager Mark Kotsay had said this week it was going to take one player putting the team on his back to help end its eight-game losing streak.
Through six innings on Thursday, he thought he got just that.
“This one hurts,” Kotsay said after A’s ace Luis Severino had one of his best outings of the season at Sutter Health Park against the Angels on Thursday afternoon. “He threw the ball so good today ... and the next thing you know, you’re down again.”
Severino exited the game after six innings and allowing just two runs with the A’s leading 5-2. But then the bullpen yielded eight runs over the final three innings and the A’s lost, 10-5. The nine-game losing streak is the longest in Major League Baseball this season — and the A’s fell to 8-17 in their new home in West Sacramento. The A’s have lost eight of their last nine home games and are 2-8 in Sutter Health Park so far in May.
The bullpen’s struggles have been an ongoing theme during the last three-plus weeks. Kotsay’s relievers have allowed 80 runs over their last 22 games, giving them an 8.64 ERA, and have blown a slew of leads during that span. For the season, the bullpen came in with a 5.69 ERA, the third worst in the majors.
The A’s have been searching for answers. They’ve made 22 transactions since the start of May, all of which have involved pitchers. The latest was the elevation of right-handed reliever Carlos Duran from Triple-A Las Vegas on Thursday. He made his Major League debut in the ninth inning and got just one out while walking three hitters and being tagged with three earned runs.
“We’ve brought some different guys in to try them in non-leverage roles, and we haven’t been able to hold games,” Kotsay said. “Today’s game, (it’s) 7-5 going into the ninth, and we can’t hold that game. It’s 10-5 in the box score. It looks like we didn’t play a good baseball game and that’s kind of the story for the last two weeks, maybe longer, right?”
“We’ve run into a tough stretch with the amount of earned runs that we’ve given up. Is there a quick fix? I’d love to tell you there is, but obviously we’re going to keep trying. We’re going to keep working. That’s all we can do.”
The Angels’ five runs in the seventh inning came on a go-ahead grand slam from Tyler Ward, who went 9-for-18 with two home runs and nine RBIs during the four-game sweep. Logan O’Hoppe hit his fourth home run in three games two batters later. He had eight hits in 18 at-bats in the series.
If there’s a silver lining, it’s that Severino allowed two runs or fewer for just the second time in seven starts at home. He came in with a 6.75 ERA at home compared to 0.72 on the road.
Throughout the season, he’s made it clear he’s had a hard time getting comfortable in Sutter Health Park, which heretofore had been used only as a Triple-A stadium. It’s the only ballpark he’s pitched in this season where he can’t go to the clubhouse between innings — because it’s located beyond the left field fence and not behind the dugout.
Severino changed his routine by throwing a between-starts bullpen session on the field’s mound this week instead of in the bullpen. He said it helped him get comfortable, and the result was not walking anyone while striking out five in Thursday’s day game.
“That’s a win for me,” Severino said. “... The other part, there’s just nothing I can do. So for me, just getting comfortable on the mound, throwing strikes.”
Rookie first baseman Nick Kurtz hit three home runs for the A’s in his previous two games after hitting just one in his first 23 games. His two homers in Tuesday’s loss marked the first multi-home run contest of his career. He drove in a run with a third-inning sacrifice fly on Thursday.
A’s infielder injured, expected to miss time
Third baseman Gio Urshela exited the game in the sixth inning with a right hamstring injury. Kotsay said he expects the 33-year-old to get an MRI done on Friday and that he will miss time.
Urshela went 1-for-2 with a walk before leaving Sunday’s game. He’s hitting .224 with no home runs and 13 RBI over 32 games with the A’s this season. He was signed as a free agent after appearing in 36 games last season with the Atlanta Braves.
