The A’s Had Chances… Then the Padres Hit Nukes

The A’s came into San Diego looking to start the road trip strong, but instead got punched in the mouth by the one thing that changes games in a hurry: power. The Padres launched three home runs — including a go-ahead bomb from former Athletic Ramón Laureano that felt like baseball’s version of an ex showing up in a sports car just to ruin your evening. The A’s grabbed multiple leads, but every time they looked ready to build momentum, San Diego answered with one swing. On tonight’s special midnight edition of Last Call: A’s Postgame, we break down a frustrating 7-3 loss where the A’s simply got outslugged and outfinished. We’ll dig into the pitching decisions, missed opportunities, and why the late innings continue to feel like quicksand for this club. Was there anything encouraging to take from the offense? Did the bullpen deserve more help? And how much of this was just running into a Padres lineup finally starting to look like the version they envisioned? Plus, we’ll talk about the sting of seeing Laureano go yard, the A’s inability to answer late, and what needs to change immediately if this series isn’t going to spiral before breakfast.