​SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 01: Shea Langeliers #23 of the Athletics celebrates his solo home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the bottom of the fifth inning at Sutter Health Park on July 01, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images Happy Friday A’s fans. Earlier this week, the Athletics opened a six-game homestand by dropping two of three to the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Tonight, they welcome the Miami Marlins for the start of a three-game series. The Marlins, whose payroll sits even lower than the A’s, posted an MLB-best 20-6 record in June to surge into the National League Wild Card picture. Miami’s pitching staff, ranking 11th in ERA in the league, has played a major role in the team’s recent winning stretch. While the A’s won’t face standout right-hander Max Meyer, they will still meet the Marlins’ Dominican duo of Sandy Alcántara and Eury Pérez on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Meanwhile, only the Colorado Rockies have a higher ERA and have yielded more runs than the Athletics’ much-criticized pitching staff. Yes, the team is again playing in a hitter-friendly minor league park, this time for a second straight season. But that doesn’t change the fact that these are major-league pitchers who have earned their way to baseball’s highest level, and they should be capable of making the necessary adjustments to limit damage in a power-hitting environment.
Right now, it appears the Athletics can only count on J.T. Ginn and Gage Jump to deliver consistent quality starts. On Wednesday night, Ginn shut down the Dodgers for six innings, helping his club avoid the series sweep. Two nights earlier, Jump endured his first rough outing against a Dodgers lineup loaded with star power, so the result wasn’t entirely surprising. The promising rookie left-hander will look to rebound in Sunday’s homestand finale. Before that, the A’s will start tonight and tomorrow night with right-handers Jack Perkins and Aaron Civale.
Offensively, the Marlins are the polar opposite of the Athletics. Miami relies on speed to manufacture runs, leading the majors with 94 stolen bases this season. In contrast, the A’s still lean on power, with speed coming from players like center fielder Henry Bolte, but their offense remains driven primarily by the long ball. The Marlins won’t make it easy, but there would be no better way for the Athletics to celebrate the Fourth of July than by putting their June struggles behind them and taking the series.
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