The Athletics did not need much offense Thursday afternoon. Jeffrey Springs made sure of that.
Springs carried a no-hitter into the seventh, Tyler Soderstrom drove in the only run, and the A’s beat the Yankees 1-0 at Yankee Stadium. After winning 3-2 the night before, the Athletics locked down another tight game and took the series in the Bronx to take the series 2-1.
The tone setter
Springs was in command from the start. The left-hander worked 7.0 scoreless innings, allowed one hit, walked two and struck out six. He never let the Yankees settle in, holding Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger hitless while New York managed only one hit all afternoon.
The Yankees finally threatened in the seventh. Giancarlo Stanton walked, Ben Rice followed with a single to break up the no-hit bid, and both runners moved into scoring position on a double steal. Springs did not crack. He struck out Randal Grichuk, then got Austin Wells to fly out and end the inning. That was the moment the game turned from tense to winnable.
The run that finally held
The Athletics had chances earlier, but they could not cash in. Then the seventh opened with one loud swing.
Max Muncy tripled to right to start the inning, and Soderstrom followed with a single to right that brought him home for a 1-0 lead. That proved to be enough, even if the A’s left more on the table. They finished 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranded six.
Still, in a game like this, one clean hit can carry everything.
Small margin, clean finish
The bullpen handled the rest. Justin Sterner worked a scoreless eighth, allowing only a walk, and Hogan Harris closed the ninth for his first save of the season.
That finished off a three-pitcher shutout. The Athletics struck out eight Yankees and never gave New York the extra swing it needed. They did commit one error, but they cleaned up the rest of the afternoon and kept every small mistake from turning into a run.
Numbers that mattered
Springs was the headliner, but he had support. Muncy went 2-for-4 with a double and a triple, and his seventh-inning triple created the game’s only run. Soderstrom went 1-for-4 with the RBI single, and Nick Kurtz added two hits. Lawrence Butler and Darell Hernaiz chipped in one each.
Ryan Weathers was sharp for the Yankees, allowing one run in 8.0 innings. But the Athletics found the one opening they needed and made it hold. They did not overpower New York. They just pitched better, stayed composed late and took the one run on the board.
Up next
The Athletics head to Queens on Friday to open a series against the Mets at 4:10 p.m. ET. The A’s have not announced a starter, while New York is set to send right-hander Clay Holmes to the mound.
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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.
