Full Breakdown
Athletics Edge Rockies 6-4 in Las Vegas Series Opener
6/13/2026, 12:52:53 PM
Series Opener Recap
On Friday night at Las Vegas Ballpark, the Oakland Athletics defeated the Colorado Rockies 6-4 to open a three-game weekend series. The A’s took a 2-0 lead in the fifth when Shea Langeliers and Nick Kurtz hit back-to-back solo homers (Langeliers’ 18th of the season, 450 ft; Kurtz’s 16th, 471 ft). Colorado answered with a three-run shot in the sixth to lead 4-2, but Max Muncy’s two-run double in the bottom of the sixth tied the game. Lawrence Butler scored on a catcher’s throwing error in the seventh to give Oakland a 5-4 lead and added an RBI single in the eighth for a final 6-4 margin.
Background & Context
The matchup marked the start of a weekend series between the AL West-bound Athletics (34-33, one game under .500) and the NL West’s worst club, the Rockies (26-43). Both teams are playing in the hitter-friendly Las Vegas Ballpark, where the ball travels farther than in many major-league venues. Oakland seeks to stay within striking distance of a playoff spot, while Colorado is evaluating trade options for its roster.
Key Performances
- Lawrence Butler – non-starter who scored the go-ahead run on a catcher error and later drove in the insurance run with an RBI single.
- Gage Jump – left-handed rookie starter who logged five innings, allowing three runs on five hits, striking out six and issuing one walk (75 pitches).
- Sean Sullivan – made his major-league debut for Colorado, delivering three shutout innings before being removed after 49 pitches.
- Nick Kurtz and Shea Langeliers – provided the early offensive spark with consecutive homers.
- Max Muncy – hit a two-run double that erased Colorado’s lead.
- Mason Barnett – earned the win, pitching 1 2/3 innings of relief.
- Hogan Harris – closed the game, recording his sixth save after inducing a ground ball to end the ninth.
Statistical Snapshot
- Butler’s on-base streak extended to 21 games after a seventh-inning walk.
- Zack Gelof reached a 16-game hitting streak with a sixth-inning single.
- Kurtz logged his fifth long ball in as many games.
- Jump’s line: 5 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K.
- Colorado’s three-run homer traveled 450 ft; the ball’s distance matches the earlier report of a 450-ft blast.
- Rockies starter Kyle Freeland entered Saturday with a 1-6 record and a 7.81 ERA.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The ESPN recap attributes Colorado’s three-run sixth-inning homer to pitcher Cole Carrigg, while other sources describe the blast only as coming from the “home-run leader” without naming a player. No additional confirmation of Carrigg’s involvement appears in the AthleticsNation accounts, leaving the hitter’s identity unresolved.
What’s Next
Colorado will start left-hander Kyle Freeland on Saturday night. Oakland has not announced its opening pitcher for the second game of the series.
