The House Always Wins Media Network | A’s Baseball Podcasts

The A’s were three outs away from stealing another one in Kansas City, but the ninth inning turned into a nightmare. Leading 3-1, the A’s handed the ball to Hogan Harris, who surrendered a single, a walk and then watched Kansas City tie the game on a two-run single from John Tolbert. After the A’s went to Elvin Alvarado, Bobby Witt Jr. delivered the gut punch—a walk-off RBI single that completed a three-run ninth-inning comeback and a 4-3 Royals victory.

Before the collapse, the A’s did plenty right. Brady Basso and the pitching staff kept Kansas City largely quiet, while Jeff McNeil continued swinging a hot bat and the offense manufactured three runs, including a two-run sixth inning. Zack Gelof and McNeil helped set the table, while Nick Kurtz's replacement in the lineup and the bottom half of the order battled to give the A’s a 3-1 cushion. But in the end, another late-game failure turned a potential road win into another brutal loss. Last Call: A’s Postgame breaks down where it went wrong, the ninth-inning decisions, the bullpen meltdown and whether this was a game the A’s simply had no business losing.

John Fisher's fingerprints may be all over the A's biggest problem—and it has nothing to do with the batting order. In this explosive episode of Budget Baseball, Quinlan and Sammy examine the A's lack of investment in analytics, research and development, and player development following Ken Rosenthal's reporting on the David Forst departure. The question is simple: Can an organization realistically compete in modern Major League Baseball when it doesn't invest enough in the people and technology working behind the scenes? The A's may have talented players, but talent alone doesn't create a sustainable winner.

Then Quinlan takes the discussion directly to the mound, breaking down JT Ginn, Jacob Lopez, Jack Perkins and Luis Morales to show how pitch-design decisions can either maximize a pitcher's strengths—or make them worse. From Lopez and Perkins being asked to throw sinkers that don't complement their fastballs to Morales' changing pitch mix, the conversation exposes the danger of blindly copying league-wide trends instead of building around what each pitcher actually does well. Are the A's making their pitchers worse? Is their analytics operation too small to uncover the next competitive advantage? And ultimately, does the responsibility fall on John Fisher? This is one of the most revealing episodes of Budget Baseball yet.

The A’s jumped on the board first behind Jeff McNeil’s 375-foot homer, but Kansas City answered immediately and never really gave them control of this one. Bobby Witt Jr. was the difference-maker, going 3-for-4 with a homer, double, stolen base, and three runs scored as the Royals turned a 1-0 deficit into a 6-1 lead. The A’s did fight back, with Tommy White and Brian Serven contributing to a three-run fifth inning that pulled them within two.

But every time the A’s got close, Kansas City had another answer. Witt’s sixth-inning single helped set up another Royals run, and his eighth-inning double sparked a two-run rally that extended the lead to 9-4. The A’s managed one final run in the ninth, but it was far too little, far too late. Tonight, Where Stats Meet Instincts, hosted by Sam, takes over the postgame and breaks down Bobby Witt Jr.’s domination, the A’s pitching problems, the offensive bright spots and another frustrating loss that never quite felt out of reach until it was.

The A's finally put the bats and arms together and walked away with a series win over the Rangers, taking two of three behind some serious offensive fireworks. On this episode of The Habit Hunter, Hobbs breaks down the biggest moments from the series, including Jeff McNeil's monster performance, Henry Bolte's power surge, Carlos Cortez's big hits, Gage Jump's gritty start, JT Ginn's outing, and a bullpen that actually looked like it knew what it was doing. And yes, Hobbs has plenty to say about the A's lineup decisions along the way.

Hobbs also dives into the latest roster moves, the A's continued struggles with runners in scoring position, the team's habit of giving opponents life after taking leads, and why certain players simply need to be on the field more often. Plus, there are thoughts on the A's broadcast, Jenny's unforgettable home-run call, potential changes for next season, and plenty of the trademark Habit Hunter sarcasm. The Habit Hunter is now available on YouTube and wherever you listen to your podcasts.

The drought is finally over! The A’s took two of three from the Texas Rangers, winning Sunday’s finale 5-2 to capture their first series win in West Sacramento since April 28-30 and their first home series victory since June 12-14. After going 0-12-1 over their previous 13 series at their current home ballpark, the A’s finally gave the home crowd something worth celebrating. Jacob Lopez delivered six strong innings, striking out six while allowing two runs on five hits, and the offense answered with three home runs from Lawrence Butler, Zack Gelof and Tommy White.

On tonight’s Last Call Live, we break down how the A’s finally slammed the door on the Sacramento series drought. Butler’s 394-foot blast got the offense rolling, but Gelof’s 403-foot two-run bomb in the seventh put the A’s back in front for good before Tommy White launched the first home run of his major league career in the eighth. We’ll talk Lopez’s bounce-back performance, Gelof’s huge moment, White’s first career homer, Hogan Harris closing it out, and what taking two of three from a division rival actually means for this team moving forward.

The A’s had Texas on the ropes, but the Rangers came roaring back to steal Game 2, 5-3, and Wyatt Langford was the difference. Langford collected three hits, including a massive 421-foot two-run homer in the sixth inning that flipped the game and erased the A’s early 3-0 advantage. The A’s jumped ahead in the second behind a three-run home run from Henry Bolte, but after that early punch, the offense went quiet when it mattered most.

Tonight on Last Call, we break down another frustrating loss, the A’s inability to protect a three-run lead, Langford’s monster performance, and a bullpen that ultimately gave Texas the opening it needed. The A’s had plenty of chances to answer after Langford’s homer but managed just one hit over the final four innings. Now the series comes down to the finale, and the question is simple: Can the A’s bounce back and take the series, or will Texas leave Sacramento with the W?

Jeff McNeil put together a monster night, collecting four hits and driving the A’s offense in an impressive comeback victory over the division-rival Texas Rangers. The A’s jumped out early, watched Texas answer with three runs in the sixth, then fought right back behind McNeil’s big bat—including a 400-foot home run—and a huge three-run eighth inning.

On tonight’s Last Call, we break down how the A’s turned a tight game into a statement win, McNeil’s four-hit performance, Lawrence Butler’s 411-foot blast, and the late-inning rally that put Texas on the wrong side of the scoreboard. Is this the kind of win that can give the A’s some momentum—or just another fun night in an otherwise frustrating season? Join us live at 10:00 tonight on YouTube!

The A’s may be 47-74, but there is plenty to talk about on Episode 6 of The Faithful Few.

Kobe and Nick break down the shocking departure of David Forst, the controversy surrounding the A’s calling it a “mutual parting of ways,” and what the move could mean for the next general manager — and potentially Mark Kotsay. Is the organization finally getting serious about building a winning team before the move to Las Vegas?

The guys also celebrate Gage Jump’s electric 11-strikeout performance against the Red Sox, Lawrence Butler finally finding his swing, and Jacob Wilson putting together an incredible errorless streak at shortstop. Then things get ridiculous with another edition of Bush League or Not? Before the guys settle another Tailgate Draft — this time selecting the most unique features in MLB ballparks.

Plus: the 2002 A’s 20-game winning streak, Tropic Thunder, the Great Tailgate Draft Voting Controversy, and plenty of A’s fan therapy.

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David Forst is out, but somehow Mark Kotsay is still in the dugout — and that decision is going to get plenty of attention tonight on All On Green. Rob and Big Stud are back live at 6:30 PM PST with plenty to say about the Forst firing, what it means for the A’s front office, and whether Kotsay has done enough to justify keeping his job. They’ll dig into potential managerial candidates, Jacob Wilson’s comments about Forst, the growing frustration surrounding this roster and the bigger question hanging over the organization: where is the accountability?

And there’s plenty more on the menu. Rob will talk about his trip to Boston, Jamie Arnold continues ramping up toward his arrival, and Leo De Vries made some noise by posting Junior Caminero’s monster home run. Then it’s time to turn the attention toward today’s matchup with the Rays. The frustration is real, the questions are piling up, and Rob and Big Stud aren't exactly known for whispering when the A’s give them something to talk about. All On Green goes live at 6:30 PM PST on YouTube.

David Forst is out, and Sam is taking a step back to grade his entire tenure as the person running the A’s baseball operations. In this episode of Where Stats Meet Instincts, Sam breaks down Forst’s performance across four critical areas: the MLB Draft, trades, free agency and international signings. The verdict? It’s complicated. The A’s have drafted extremely well in recent years, earning an A-, while the trade record lands around a C, free agency gets a D, and international scouting receives an F. Put it all together, and Sam lands at roughly a C- for the Forst era — while also acknowledging the enormous degree of difficulty he faced operating with limited resources.

But the real question isn't whether David Forst deserved to be fired. What happens next? Sam explains why he doesn't want to see the A’s simply promote someone from inside the organization and instead argues for a younger, outside baseball executive capable of completely modernizing the organization. From pitching development and minor-league development to player evaluation, international scouting and roster construction, Sam lays out exactly what he wants from the next A’s front office. The A’s are entering a new era, and Sam believes this is their chance to finally build the baseball operation that can make them competitive in Las Vegas.