A’s drop opener 3-2 to AL Champion Blue Jays
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The day we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived. A’s Opening Day baseball is under way for 2026. Granted, it’s not opening day at “our” our ballpark, we’ll have to wait another week for that celebration, but it is the start of the most promising season in recent memory. Let’s hope that watching the Blue Jays hoist the American League Pennant will serve as even more motivation for this young and uber-talented team to take their play to the next level.
Luis Severino got the start for the A’s today. The 32-year-old righty hopes to improve upon a rough first season in the kelly-green and gold where he went 8-11 with a 4.45 ERA in 162 innings. He matched up against Kevin Gausman, who finished the year with a 10-11 record over thirty-two starts for the Jays, logging a 3.99 ERA with 189 strikeouts.
Both pitchers were rock solid through the first three innings. Severino, only allowing one baserunner, a walk to Vlad Jr. Gausman was perfect through three innings with six strikeouts. But the A’s broke through against Gausman when Shea Langeliers launched the first homer of the season over the left field wall for a 1-0 lead.
Severino worked his way into a bit of a jam in the bottom of the fourth walking Nathan Lukes and giving up a single to Guerrero. But two ground balls; one a double play and the other a 6-3 ground out got him quickly out of the inning. His luck ran out in the bottom of the fifth when a bad miscommunication between Clarke and Soderstrom allowed a gapper to score two runs and bring Gimenez to third with just one out. Seve worked his way out of the jam but hit the bench trailing 2-1 for the first time this game. That was all for Severino, who finished his day with 5.0 innings, three hits, two earned runs, three walks and three strikeouts. Scott Barlow made his A’s debut in the bottom of the sixth with a quick 1-2-3 inning.
Gausman was finished after six, replaced by Louis Varland. Langeliers greeted him with a base hit and Soderstrom walked with no outs. But Varland buckled down and escaped without allowing a run. Barlow got the first two outs in the bottom of the seventh then gave way to Hogan Harris. He walked one but escaped unharmed. Harris came out again for the eighth and tossed another quick inning for the A’s.
The Blue Jays closer, Jeff Hoffman entered to shut down the A’s in the ninth. He got Kurtz on an ABS challenged strike three. But Shea Langeliers ripped his second homer of the game to straight away centerfield to tie the game.
With one out Soderstrom swung at strike three, but the ball got away from Alejandro Kirk and Soderstrom beat the throw to first. Unfortunately, Hoffman struck out the side, and we went to the bottom of the ninth tied at 2-2.
Justin Sterner entered the game to pitch the ninth. Sterner got two easy outs, but then Kazuma Okamoto singled and Ernie Clement doubled to move Okamoto to third with two down. Andrés Giménez singled to drive in the winning run. The A’s dropped the opener in Toronto 3-2 to the Blue Jays.
