Athletics Snap Losing Streak: Top Takeaways From Win Over Angels

After falling behind early, the Athletics would put together a very solid performance.

Sep 22, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics right fielder Carlos Cortes (26) celebrates with shortstop Alika Williams (12) after hitting a home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the eighth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Even though it is too little, too late, the Athletics would end their losing streak at six.

With just five more games left in the season, the Athletics are just five more losses away from finishing the season 62-100. But with a win against the Angels, all they need to do is win one more game. From the looks of it, the Athletics are getting hot at just the right time to avoid this.

Luis Medina Is Looking Elite

Sep 11, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics pitcher Luis Medina (46) throws a pitch against the Seattle Mariners during the seventh inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Luis Medina has put together a very solid stretch of appearances to close out the season. In his last 7.2 innings pitched, Medina has posted a 0.00 ERA and 0.65 WHIP. In this stretch, Medina has allowed only one hit, the fewest by any Athletics pitcher in the last 15 days.

While this stretch doesn't mean much for the team now, the Athletics will need solid bullpen pitching in 2027 to complement a very healthy offense. If Medina can keep this up, it will raise the Athletics' ceiling next year and let the team look for starting pitching before the bullpen.

Carlos Cortes, WOW

Sep 22, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics right fielder Carlos Cortes (26) celebrates after hitting a home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the eighth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Carlos Cortes would have an excellent outing in the win, despite not entering the game as a starter. In his first at-bat, he hit an RBI triple, and in his second at-bat, he hit a two-run home run to give the Athletics a 7-6 lead in the eighth. By far, this was the best offensive outing of the night.

Cortes' role next season could be very interesting. With Denzel Clarke back in the mix, along with Tyler Soderstrom, who is bound to be back by next season, it is clear that the outfield is getting a bit crowded for Cortes to find his spot. But as we have seen, Cortes' bat gives him an edge that could earn him a reserve role.

Offense Cannot Play Catch-Up

Sep 20, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Athletics left fielder Henry Bolte (33) runs to first base after hitting a single during the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Athletics, despite scoring nine runs, would only record their first two in the sixth inning. By this point, the Athletics were staring down the barrel of a potential blowout from arguably the worst team in baseball. This will not be sustainable in any season, much less over the last five games of 2026.

With all the talent the Athletics have at the top of the lineup, there are no excuses for this lack of offense this early on. In the next few games, it would be nice to see the Athletics get hyper-aggressive when they get a runner on. Guys like Henry Bolte or Zack Gelof have the speed to create runs nearly every time. This means steals, bunts, and everything in between.