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California Series Recap
Series Recap
California Athletics at Chicago White Sox
Result: A’s win series, 2–1
Chicago record: 6–12
Game 1 – A’s 4, White Sox 2 (4/15)
Luis Severino and the A’s staff kept your lineup mostly quiet in the opener.
California scratched one across in the 1st after a Jarren Duran misplay in center set up an RBI knock from Nick Kurtz.
Esteury Ruiz added an RBI infield single in the 4th, and Lawrence Butler’s RBI double in the 5th made it 3–1.
Shea Langeliers provided insurance with a solo homer in the 8th.
Offensively, you finally broke through in the 4th when Luis Robert Jr. singled and Andre Lipcius drove him in. Miguel Vargas launched a solo shot in the 9th, but the comeback stopped there. You stranded 12 runners, which really told the story of the night.
Game 2 – White Sox 4, A’s 1 (4/16)
This was your cleanest, most complete win of the series.
Mike Vasil shoved: 6.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 3 K, facing just one real jam all night.
In the 3rd, Lenyn Sosa and Kyle Teel set the table, and Vargas’ deep sac fly made it 1–0.
The big swing came in the 4th: Luis Robert Jr. triple, then newly activated Josh Rojas crushed a 2-run homer to right to push it to 3–0.
A’s finally got on the board in the 6th on a Nick Kurtz RBI double, but the pen (Murfee, Anderson, Burke) closed it down.
In the 7th, Meidroth’s sac fly brought home Teel for a key insurance run.
You only had five hits, but they were loud and well-timed, and the pitching/defense did the rest.
Game 3 – A’s 8, White Sox 2 (4/17)
The finale got away immediately and never really came back.
Martin Pérez was ambushed: a leadoff single, a walk, then a 3-run Brent Rooker homer. Later in the inning, Esteury Ruiz added a 2-run shot. It was 5–0 before your lineup even settled in.
Two more runs in the 2nd and a solo blast by Langeliers in the 4th stretched it to 8–0.
Your bullpen (Dunn, Bryse Wilson) stabilized things, tossing 5+ scoreless and at least keeping you from burning more arms.
Offensively, you didn’t break through until the 7th, when Andrew Vaughn singled and Luis Robert Jr. followed with a 2-run homer off José Leclerc. That’s all you got; Mitch Spence otherwise cruised through six shutout frames.
Series Themes & Standouts
Luis Robert Jr. – Impact all over: multiple hits, a triple, a home run in Game 3, several steals, and some aggressive baserunning that kept pressure on the A’s.
Josh Rojas’ return – Immediately slotted in at short and made noise: the huge 2-run homer in Game 2, plus added contact and speed at the top half of the lineup.
Pitching rollercoaster –
Vasil’s dominant start in Game 2 was exactly what your rotation needed.
On the flip side, rough outings from Shane Smith (Game 1) and especially Pérez (Game 3) put you in early holes.
RISP issues – You repeatedly put traffic on the bases (especially in Game 1), but the big hit was often missing. California out-slugged you early; you answered late, but usually from too far behind.
Overall: you grab the middle game behind Vasil/Rojas/Robert Jr., but two flat offensive nights and a nightmare first inning in the finale give California the 2–1 series win. You head out of the set at 6–12.
News / Transactions
April 15, 2025
LF Zach DeLoach optioned to AAA Charlotte.
SS Josh Rojas activated off the IL and joins the MLB club (immediately starting at short and homering in Game 2).
April 16, 2025
SP Jesse Scholtens optioned to AAA Charlotte.
April 18, 2025
1B Matt Thaiss designated for assignment.
LF Mike Tauchman activated off the IL.
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