WEST SACRAMENTO – Ahead of Tuesday’s series opener against the Angels at Sutter Health Park, manager Mark Kotsay was asked what would constitute a successful final homestand for the Athletics. His answer was simple.
“Put up a winning homestand,” Kotsay said. “These next two games against the Angels and then four against Houston are all important to us. We want to go out and show the fans that there’s something to be hopeful about next season.”
Tuesday night’s inspired effort should lend some optimism for 2027. Facing a six-run deficit in the sixth inning, the A’s offense exploded late for a 9-7 comeback victory over the Halos.
Following a three-run seventh that brought the A’s within a run, the comeback was completed in the eighth on a pair of two-run home runs. The first came from Carlos Cortes, who launched a Statcast-projected 386-foot no-doubt go-ahead blast to right. The second was by Zack Gelof, who provided some insurance with his blast that traveled a Statcast-projected 411 feet to left.
For Gelof, the homer was his 20th of the season, a number that seemed unlikely for him to reach heading into the year.
After the A’s traded for Jeff McNeil this offseason, Gelof – coming off an underwhelming campaign in 2024 and injury-riddled ‘25 – entered Spring Training seemingly on the outside looking in. He expanded his versatility in hopes of increasing his chances of making an impact on the big league club in a utility role.
Fast-forward seven months, and Gelof has reemerged as a key piece of the A’s future. The 26-year-old has set career highs in homers, RBIs (52) and runs (71). He’s achieved that feat despite having missed 34 games on two separate stints on the injured list due to a couple of freak injuries.