The Athletics split their two games Friday, falling 13-9 to the Padres at Hohokam Stadium before rolling past the Brewers 13-4 at American Family Fields of Phoenix.
It was a loud day all around. The A’s hit nine home runs across the two games, watched one wild comeback slip away in Mesa and then saw Tommy White put together the biggest statement of the spring in the nightcap.
A four-homer rally, then a late collapse
The opener looked dead early. San Diego tagged Aaron Civale for six runs over the first four innings and built a 6-0 lead before the A’s erupted in the fourth.
Henry Bolte started the charge with a three-run homer. Breyson Guedez followed with a solo shot, then Nick Kurtz went deep, and Tyler Soderstrom capped the inning with a two-run homer. Just like that, Oakland had turned a six-run hole into a 7-6 lead.
The A’s added another run in the seventh on Guedez’s sacrifice fly and carried an 8-6 edge into the eighth. However, the Padres flipped the game right back.
Nick Hernandez did not record an out and was charged with four earned runs in the eighth. Clay Dungan’s go-ahead two-run single changed the inning, and San Diego pushed across five runs total to take control again. The Padres then added two more in the ninth on Marcos Castañon’s homer.
Oakland still finished with 12 hits in the loss. Max Muncy went 2-for-4 and scored once, while Brent Rooker added two hits and a double. Kurtz, Bolte, Guedez and Soderstrom all homered.
White headlines the response
The second game belonged to White.
The Athletics jumped on Milwaukee early and never let go, then White slammed the door with a grand slam in the ninth. The rookie corner infielder finished 3-for-5 with a double, a homer and seven RBIs in the 13-4 win.
Oakland broke through in the second when Michael Stefanic tripled home a run and Chad Wallach followed with a two-run homer. An inning later, White ripped a three-run double to left and the A’s were suddenly in full control at 6-0.
Colby Thomas added a solo homer in the fifth. Stefanic went deep in the eighth. Then White delivered the loudest swing of the day with his grand slam in the ninth.
Stefanic finished 3-for-5 with a triple, a homer and two RBIs. Cade Marlowe also had three hits, while Thomas went 2-for-3 with a homer and an RBI. Wallach drove in two as well.
Jump sets the tone
Gage Jump gave Oakland exactly what it needed in the win. He worked three scoreless innings, allowed four hits and struck out three.
After that, Justin Sterner added a clean inning. Luis Medina gave up two runs, but Brooks Kriske helped steady things and A.J. Causey tossed a scoreless eighth. Geoff Hartlieb allowed two late runs in the ninth, though by then the result was well in hand.
The opener did not go as cleanly on the mound. Civale allowed six runs on nine hits in four innings, though the bullpen briefly kept the A’s in position to win before the eighth-inning unraveling.
A split, but plenty of noise
So the A’s settled for a split, yet there was no shortage of reasons to pay attention.
The opener showed how much thunder this lineup can generate when it gets rolling. The nightcap, meanwhile, belonged to White, who keeps making his case as one of the most dangerous bats in camp.
That made Friday feel like two very different games, but one very clear reminder. This spring lineup can get loud in a hurry.
Up next
The Athletics continue spring play Saturday against the Royals. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m. PDT.
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Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
