Series Wins Over Astros, Yankees Hint at A's Postseason Potential
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Early-season results can be misleading, but taking two of three from both the Houston Astros and New York Yankees offers a compelling early signal that the A's may be built to contend for a postseason berth.
On Thursday, April 2, the Astros were 5-2 and sitting atop the AL West. The A's ended up taking the first game in a blowout, then losing the second game in a blowout the other way, before Brent Rooker's two home runs propelled them to victory on Sunday. The Astros ended up getting swept by the Colorado Rockies to begin this week and now sit at 6-7, a half-game above the A's.
The Yankees were an impressive 7-2 on Monday, and were throwing out Cam Schlittler and his 0.00 ERA on the season, along with Will Warren's solid 2.70 to begin the year in the first two games. The A's bullpen blew the first game, but they got to Schlittler for three runs while Aaron Civale held the pinstripes at bay.
On Wednesday the A's came back late with a run in the top of the ninth before new addition Joel Kuhnel collected his first save since 2022.
Welcome to the team, Joel. You're the closer now.
— Jason Burke (@ByJasonB) April 9, 2026
Jeffrey Springs held the Yankees without a hit into the seventh inning on Thursday, and was followed by Justin Sterner in the eighth and Hogan Harris in the ninth to close out a tight 1-0 at Yankee Stadium. These are not games the A's typically win in this fashion. The last time the A's won 1-0 at Yankee Stadium was 1979.
They held the Yankees to seven runs in three games, which is a run total they've tallied in single games three times already this season.
Most impressive stat
Winning two of three against the Yankees on the road is a solid feat no matter the weather or the circumstance. New York is always ready for the A's best punches, and they're typically ready to counter at a moment's notice.
But the one number that stood out the most in this series was zero. As in the A's hit zero home runs the entire series, and still managed to take home a series win. This is a group that is built upon power, and they have big bats up and down their lineup. But they also have guys that can lay down the bunt or take a pitch the other way in the right situation.
Obviously the cold had something to do with the home runs being limited for both squads, but each team was playing in the same conditions all series long. The A's just came out ahead.
Huge momentum push
The fact that both of these teams were in first place when the series began is a big deal, since the A's were just 1-5 a week ago, and have managed to rattle of four of six against two of the tougher teams in baseball.
Not only is the opening stretch of Blue Jays, Braves, Astros and Yankees a tough one, but they didn't get off on the right foot in those first two series. Now, with another big series against the Mets about to begin, the A's are starting to get things rolling, and are sitting at 5-7.
Another series win this weekend would put them at 7-8 against some of the better teams in baseball to begin the year. A sweep would have them at 8-7. Of course, getting swept would also put them at 5-10 and in a much worse spot.
This Mets series is going to be a tough one, with Clay Holmes, Kodai Senga and Freddy Peralta lined up for New York. But if the A's get back to Sacramento having gone roughly .500 during this gauntlet stretch—well, they'll be greeted by the first-place Texas Rangers.
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Jason has been covering the A’s at various sites for over a decade, and was the original host of the Locked on A’s podcast. He also covers the Stanford Cardinal as they attempt to rebuild numerous programs to prominence.
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