Tyler Soderstrom gave the Athletics their early cushion, then gave them the final answer.
The A’s built a six-run lead by the third inning, watched the Mets chip it all the way down to one, then broke it open again in an 11-6 win Saturday at Citi Field. Soderstrom homered twice and drove in five runs, while Carlos Cortes added a three-run shot as the Athletics climbed back to .500 at 7-7 and stretched their winning streak to four games.
This one looked nothing like the previous two. After back-to-back shutouts, the A’s needed their bats to carry the day. They got enough early, then found one more burst late when the game started to tilt.
The big swing came early
The Athletics gave up the first run in the opening inning, but they answered fast.
Jacob Wilson and Jeff McNeil opened the second with singles. Then Denzel Clarke drew a bases-loaded walk to tie it, and Lawrence Butler followed with an RBI fielder’s choice for a 2-1 lead.
An inning later, the game turned hard.
Shea Langeliers doubled to open the third and moved to third on a passed ball. Soderstrom followed by driving a two-run homer to right-center. After Wilson and McNeil reached again, Cortes launched a three-run homer to right-center and suddenly the A’s were up 7-1.
Kodai Senga never recovered from that inning. He lasted just 2 1/3 innings and allowed seven runs on eight hits.
The Mets kept making it tight
The Athletics did not cruise from there.
Bo Bichette hit a two-run homer in the fifth to cut the lead to 7-3. Francisco Alvarez opened the sixth with a solo shot that was confirmed after review, and Brett Baty later added a sacrifice fly. Then Jorge Polanco led off the seventh with another home run, and the Mets were suddenly within 7-6.
That was the pressure point of the game.
Joel Kuhnel got the A’s through the rest of the sixth. Justin Sterner bent in the seventh but stranded two runners. Then Mark Leiter Jr. took over in the eighth and struck out the side, a clean inning that gave the offense a chance to breathe again.
The eighth put it away
The Athletics wasted no time taking control back.
With two outs in the eighth, Clarke singled and Nick Kurtz walked. Langeliers lined an RBI single to left to make it 8-6. Then Soderstrom delivered the loudest swing of the afternoon, crushing a three-run homer to right-center for the final margin.
That was enough, and more than enough.
Luis Medina handled the ninth, and the A’s had their fourth straight win.
Numbers that mattered
Soderstrom finished 3-for-5 with two homers, two runs and five RBIs. Cortes went 1-for-4 with a walk and three RBIs. Langeliers went 2-for-5 with a double, two runs and an RBI.
Wilson scored twice and finished with two hits. McNeil added three hits as the Athletics piled up 15 total. They went 4-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
Jacob Lopez picked up the win despite a rocky line, allowing five runs on seven hits over five innings. He walked three and struck out five.
The bigger takeaway was the response. The Athletics had been winning with pitching all week. On Saturday, when the game got messy, the bats made sure the streak kept going.
Up next
The Athletics will go for a three-game sweep Sunday at Citi Field. First pitch is set for 10:40 a.m. PT.
Aaron Civale is scheduled to start for the A’s against Mets right-hander Freddy Peralta. Civale enters at 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA, while Peralta is 1-0 with a 4.80 ERA.
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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.
