WEST SACRAMENTO – Henry Bolte delivered another campaign speech Sunday afternoon without opening his mouth.
A single to left in the first inning at Sutter Health Park and then a hard smash to shortstop that resulted in an infield hit in the second inning spoke loudly, and with almost perfect timing. It was Aug. 30, just in case any of the media voters who will choose the American League Rookie of the Month within days were still undecided.
It was, more specifically, the continuation of one of the few bright spots for the Athletics in a second half that continued to deteriorate with an 8-5 loss and three-game sweep at the hands of the Orioles. Bolte leads all rookies, not just in the AL, in hits in August and is tied for third in the category among all players this month, regardless of experience. He went 2-for-5 to increase his batting average to .321 over 27 games.
“I’m just trying to continue to put up good at-bats and have good days,” Bolte said. “[Being named Rookie of the Month] would be awesome, but the only way you get to those things is focusing day-to-day on at-bats. I’m focused on putting up good at-bats and helping us win. That’s been my main focus for the month.”
Monday night at Texas, the start of a seven-game trip that finishes in Seattle, is the final game before the calendar turns to September and Rookie of the Month is decided, with each AL team represented by five broadcasters and writers regularly assigned to the club. Bolte is that close to the MLB-stamped affirmation of his amazing leap from spending most of last season in Double-A to emerging as a top first-year player in 2026.
“I’m not going to say that it wouldn’t be awesome,” he said. “But, no, it’s not something that I’m going out and playing for every night. It’s a byproduct of doing the right things and working with the coaching staff here. It’s a testament to them, the work that we’ve been putting in and the help that they’ve been giving me. It’s a byproduct of all the work and just trying to go out and play good baseball.”
His two hits and one run scored were a key part of the offense that staked starter Jeffrey Springs to a 5-1 lead after three innings in Springs’ bid to win for the first time since April 14. Brian Serven had a home run and a single in the same early stretch, and designated hitter Lawrence Butler contributed a two-run double.
Springs was doing his part too, retiring nine of the first 10 Orioles and seven in a row at one point. In the fourth inning, though, Pete Alonso and Gunnar Henderson singled, and Coby Mayo hit a three-run homer. An inning later, Blaze Alexander singled, Alonso walked, and Henderson blasted a three-run home run, 413 feet to the berm beyond right field. The 5-1 cushion for Springs had flipped into a 7-5 deficit that prompted Athletics manager Mark Kotsay to pull Springs.
“I think that’s kind of the story of the year for Jeffrey so far,” manager Mark Kotsay said after the A’s lost for the 22nd time in 30 games. “It seems like every mistake he makes gets hit really hard. He can’t get away with that mistake in a game that he needs the pop-up or the rollover on.
“A couple balls up in the zone, the Henderson at-bat … the other night, when J.T. [Ginn] pitched, he gave up three homers, but they were all solos. It seems the story this year for Jeffrey is it always leads to a [multirun] homer that is not a solo but a big impact in the game.”