A's astonishing 4-HR inning includes 3 straight on consecutive pitches

MESA, Ariz. -- If there’s one thing the Athletics are fully confident about ahead of the 2026 season, it’s that their lineup is capable of slugging with the best of them.

A glimpse of that offensive firepower was on full display in Friday’s 13-9 Cactus League loss to the Padres at Hohokam Stadium. The A’s flipped a six-run deficit to a one-run lead in the span of nine hitters for a seven-run fourth that featured home runs by Henry Bolte, Breyson Guedez, Nick Kurtz and Tyler Soderstrom.

Spring Training stats are just that, but what the A’s accomplished in that explosive frame does carry some historical significance. Per MLB research, the A's are the first team to hit four home runs in the same inning of a Spring Training game since the Angels in 2013, with Spring Training stats dating back to 2006.

The inning was highlighted by a trio of homers by Bolte, Guedez and Kurtz – all off Michael King – on three consecutive pitches. The last time that occurred in a regular season or spring game was March 29, when Yankees sluggers Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger and Aaron Judge began the game by homering on the first three pitches thrown by Brewers starter Nestor Cortes.

Kurtz’s home run was a signature opposite-field blast that became routine for him throughout his stellar American League Rookie of the Year campaign last season, towering through the warm Arizona air before clearing the left-field wall and landing onto the berm. Two batters before Kurtz, it was Bolte, ranked the A’s No. 5 prospect by MLB Pipeline, who got it started with a laser Statcast-projected 401-foot solo blast to right.

The most notable home run, however, may have been the middle of the three homers that was hit by Guedez, an 18-year-old who spent last season in the Dominican Summer League, who somewhat surprisingly found himself in a starting lineup filled with most of the A’s regulars on Friday.

Part of Guedez getting the starting assignment was the fact that the A’s had a split-squad game against the Brewers in Phoenix. They are also down a few outfielders in Denzel Clarke and Carlos Cortes, both of whom are away for the World Baseball Classic, while Lawrence Butler is working his way back from knee surgery.

Still, there were more experienced options manager Mark Kotsay could have gone with, but he was impressed by what he saw from Guedez, who had been called up from Minor League camp to appear in two previous spring games with the A’s and went 3-for-3, including a single off veteran reliever Kevin Ginkel in Wednesday’s game against the D-backs at Salt River Fields.

“This kid was impressive at Salt River two days ago,” Kotsay said of Guedez. “We always talk about leaving an impression on the staff when you come up. It could be just one at-bat or one play in the outfield.

“For me, the at-bat he took off Ginkel, and then again to follow it up yesterday in the game, I thought this kid deserved that opportunity to go out and make a start for us.”

Guedez, the A’s No. 23 prospect, is considered an impressive contact hitter with bat-to-ball skills but “not much power to his game” at this point. He showed there might be more pop in his bat than scouts originally thought with his homer on Friday, sending a first-pitch changeup from King well up the berm in right field a Statcast-projected 450 feet at 110.4 mph off his bat.

First to greet Guedez back in the dugout was Kotsay, who embraced the outfielder with a giant hug at the top step.

“Impressive young talent,” Kotsay said. “He’s really going to be fun to watch grow up.”

The A’s are not shying away from their identity as a team that relies heavily on the long ball.

So far, they’ve lived up to that reputation this spring. Including exhibition games, the A’s lead all MLB teams with 39 homers this spring. Of those 39, 18 have been hit by expected everyday players Soderstrom, Kurtz, Brent Rooker, Shea Langeliers, Max Muncy, Jeff McNeil and Jacob Wilson, while top prospects who could debut this year such as Bolte, Tommy White and Leo De Vries account for nine of those homers.

“It’s been fun to watch the progression,” Kotsay said of the offensive output. “You never really want to be completely dialed in with 10 days or so before the season opens, but it’s good to watch them get their at-bats and have their timing down.”