Athletics sluggers of the past specified arsenic Reggie Jackson, Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco mightiness beryllium a tad jealous that they didn’t play astatine Las Vegas Ballpark, fixed the mode the shot was flying retired of the Triple-A stadium during the opening of the A’s six-game bid successful Las Vegas.
While determination apt won’t beryllium galore 11-home runs games erstwhile the A’s determination to their ballpark connected the Las Vegas Strip successful 2028, the squad showed their violative firepower during its three-game acceptable against the Milwaukee Brewers.
The A’s crushed 15 location runs portion winning 2 of the 3 games with the Brewers, the first-place squad successful the National League Central Division, to prime up a bid triumph to commencement their Las Vegas trip.
When the A’s invited the Colorado Rockies for a three-game bid opening astatine 7:05 p.m. connected Friday, Las Vegas Ballpark mightiness arsenic good beryllium rebranded arsenic “Coors Field West” for different bid filled with location runs.
Regardless of the venue, the A’s gave their aboriginal metropolis a amusement during the team’s archetypal regular-season games played successful Las Vegas since the franchise announced it was moving to Southern Nevada successful 2 years.
“It’s truly cool. It’s breathtaking to springiness the location fans a first-hand glimpse of hopefully what’s to travel successful 2028,” 2025 AL rookie of the twelvemonth and A’s archetypal baseman Nick Kurtz said this week.
“Hopefully we amusement them that we’re a young and up-and-coming squad and we tin get it done and triumph immoderate shot games.”
‘Be successful a bully spot’
Kurtz has been 1 of the focal points of the young A’s (33-35) halfway that entered Thursday 2.5 games retired of archetypal spot successful the American League West. The A’s 6-foot-5, left-handed hitting slugger deed 3 location runs against the Brewers.
When asked what improvements he’s seen from Kurtz, manager Mark Kotsay yelled crossed the dugout to inquire Kurtz arsenic helium walked disconnected the field. Kurtz shrugged his shoulders, arsenic an denotation that he’s playing arsenic good arsenic helium had past season.
“I agree,” Kotsay said.
Kurtz said connected Monday immoderate notable offseason goals were to deed left-handed pitchers better, bargain much bases and play amended defense.
“I consciousness similar I’ve deed leftys a small spot better, I got 7 stolen bases, truthful that’s beauteous cool,” Kurtz said. “Making those adjustments is pugnacious due to the fact that you don’t privation to marque those adjustments and instrumentality distant signifier things that you already bash truly well.
“I’m trying to conflict that due to the fact that if I person the aforesaid twelvemonth arsenic I did past year, we’re going to beryllium successful a bully spot. So, I don’t request to alteration excessively much.”
‘Gaining confidence’
Kurtz was 1 of 8 of the A’s successful Wednesday’s lineup to deed location runs during the 3 games against Milwaukee.
In the 4-3 triumph against the Brewers, the A’s got an violative boost from No. 9-hitter Alika Williams, who deed his archetypal vocation location run, and outfielder Lawrence Butler, who has struggled with a .165 batting mean done Wednesday.
“I’m feeling good, it’s conscionable results are not there,” Butler said. “As agelong arsenic I proceed to spell up there, person a bully at-bats and deed the shot hard and each I tin bash is spot the process.”
Kotsay said earlier the bid that helium was looking for his squad to find much accordant violative production.
“The violative is gaining confidence,” Kotsay said earlier Wednesday’s win. “That’s 1 happening (Las Vegas) Ballpark tin bash is bring immoderate assurance to guys, which we cognize you got to person assurance to beryllium capable to hit.
“Hopefully, there’s a continuation of that the remainder of the homestand and that this whitethorn beryllium a week wherever we get jumpstarted and determination the needle forward.”
The A’s besides got 3 location runs from near fielder Tyler Soderstrom during the series. Third baseman Zack Gelof extended his hitting streak to 15 games and halfway fielder Henry Bolte deed his archetypal vocation location tally connected Monday.
With a young core, the A’s judge they tin scope different level arsenic they effort to marque a postseason run.
“Up to this point, we consciousness similar we’ve done OK and we haven’t truly deed connected each cylinders yet and enactment our champion ft guardant and played our champion baseball,” A’s catcher Shea Langeliers said pregame Wednesday. “We’ve grinded done it. It’s a agelong play and you’ll person your ups and downs.
“We’ve travel unneurotic arsenic radical and putting our champion guardant each time and support going for it.”
Contact Alex Wright astatine awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 connected X.
Up adjacent
Who: Athletics (33-35) vs. Colorado Rockies
When: Friday-Sunday
Where: Las Vegas Ballpark
TV: NBC Sports California
Probable starters
Friday: COL TBD vs. ATH LHP Gage Jump (2-1, 2.45 ERA), 7:05 p.m.
Saturday: COL TBD vs. ATH LHP Jeffrey Springs (3-6, 4.68 ERA), 7:05 p.m.
Sunday: COL TBD vs. ATH RHP J.T. Ginn (4-3, 3.15 ERA), 12:05 p.m.
English (US)·