The Sacramento Athletics dropped a rough one on Thursday, September 17, 2026, falling to the Tampa Bay Rays 10-1 in a nine-inning game that was never close. Jeffrey Springs couldn't get out of the fourth inning, surrendering six earned runs on five hits in just 3.1 frames, and the Sacramento offense could manage only a solo home run from Lawrence Butler against a Rays staff that was locked in from the jump. The nine-run margin says everything you need to know about how the night went.

Jeffrey Springs Struggles Sink Athletics Early

Springs entered the game and simply didn't have it. He allowed five hits and two walks across 3.1 innings, giving up six earned runs before Sacramento's bullpen was forced to take over far too early. Geoff Hartlieb provided the one bright spot in relief, tossing 1.2 scoreless innings with two strikeouts and no hits allowed. Joe Rock couldn't find the zone after him, recording zero outs while allowing two earned runs on one hit and two walks. Chris Roycroft and Yunior Tur each ate some innings but the damage was already done — the Athletics used six pitchers in total, a sign of how badly the starter struggled.

Drew Rasmussen Dominant for Tampa Bay

On the other side of the equation, Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen made it look easy. He worked five full innings, allowing just four hits and two walks while striking out three and not giving up a single earned run. Rasmussen earned the win and handed the Athletics lineup a long, frustrating evening. The Rays bullpen — Casey Legumina, Brody Hopkins, Steven Matz, and Alex Cook — held Sacramento to nothing after Springs departed, with Matz and Cook each striking out two batters in their respective scoreless frames.

Lawrence Butler Provides the Only Sacramento Highlight

Lawrence Butler was the lone bright spot for Sacramento. He finished 2-for-4 with a solo home run and one RBI — the only run the Athletics would score all night. No other Sacramento batter posted more than one hit according to the box score highlights, and the offense as a whole could not string together any sustained threat against Rasmussen or the Rays' bullpen.

Rays Offense Pounded Sacramento All Night

Tampa Bay spread the damage around. Liam Hicks went 2-for-4 with two RBI, and Chandler Simpson was 2-for-5 with two RBI as well. The Rays built their lead incrementally and never let Sacramento back into the game, making it a comfortable wire-to-wire victory.

Key Performances at a Glance

Athletics

  • Lawrence Butler: 2-for-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI
  • Jeffrey Springs (L): 3.1 IP, 5 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
  • Geoff Hartlieb: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 K

Rays

  • Drew Rasmussen (W): 5.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
  • Liam Hicks: 2-for-4, 2 RBI
  • Chandler Simpson: 2-for-5, 2 RBI

What's Next for Sacramento

The Athletics will need a bounce-back effort the next time they take the field. Nights like Thursday — where the starter can't get through four innings and the offense generates a single run — are going to be tough to replicate in a positive direction. Sacramento will look to its rotation to reset and give the bullpen some rest after a six-pitcher outing. Butler's bat showed it can do damage; the Athletics need the rest of the lineup to follow his lead.