The Oakland Athletics finalized a lineup for the series finale in Las Vegas, hoping to complete a sweep of the Colorado Rockies, and sent left-hander Jeffrey Springs to the mound against Rockies right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano.
Lawrence Butler batted leadoff, Nick Kurtz served as the designated hitter and Jeff McNeil started at first base. Carlos Cortes made his first start of the series in right field and was slotted fourth in the order. Zack Gelof was singled out among the bats the A's would need to create RBI chances, while Alika Williams started at shortstop after a three-hit, one-walk night the previous evening. Shea Langeliers was given a day off behind the plate after catching the last two games, and Jacob Wilson did not start after recently returning from the injured list with a shoulder issue.
The club made a roster move the morning of the game, recalling left-handed reliever Brady Basso and optioning right-hander Joey Estes to Triple-A.
Oakland handed the ball to Springs for his 15th start of the season; he entered the game 3-6 with a 4.68 ERA, 63 strikeouts and 75 innings pitched. Springs last recorded a victory two months ago. Across the first game of the Las Vegas series he took a no-decision, allowing five runs on eight hits over five innings.
Opposing him was Tomoyuki Sugano, who came in 6-4 with a 4.08 ERA and 39 strikeouts through his first 13 starts and roughly 68 1/3 innings, riding a two-start winning streak.
The stakes were immediate: the A's had won the first two games of the series in Las Vegas and were chasing a sweep in muggy, triple-digit heat. Managerial choices in the lineup underlined that urgency — Cortes into right and Kurtz at DH to rest his legs, Williams in for a hot bat and Gelof positioned as one of the hitters expected to manufacture runs.
The most notable friction going into the finale is the decision to start Springs despite an extended winless stretch and durability concerns. He had not earned a win in two months, and while his peripheral numbers show strikeouts and innings, his recent starts — including the five-run outing earlier in the series — have left questions about his ability to limit damage and prevent long balls.
The immediate next event is the first pitch between Springs and Sugano that will decide whether the A's leave Las Vegas with a sweep. The lineup and the bullpen call — including Basso's recall — frame a single, clear test: can Oakland’s offense back Springs and finish a three-game winning run, or will Sugano and the Rockies halt the sweep bid?
