The Sacramento Athletics pulled off one of their more dramatic wins of the 2026 regular season on Sunday, September 13, rallying from a four-run deficit to beat the Seattle Mariners 8-7 on a walk-off at Sutter Health Park. Lawrence Butler carried the offense with two home runs and four RBI, Zack Gelof added a home run of his own, and Elvis Alvarado earned the win in relief as Sacramento took down a division rival in nine innings. For anyone who left early: bad call.

Lawrence Butler Powers Sacramento Comeback with Two Home Runs

Butler was the story of this game, plain and simple. He went 2-for-4 with both of his hits leaving the yard — four RBI on the evening against a Seattle pitching staff that ran through five arms trying to contain him. The walk-off blow came against Mariners closer Andrés Muñoz, who allowed two hits and two earned runs in two-thirds of an inning to take the loss. When you need to put a rally to bed and Muñoz can't do it, the night belongs to Sacramento.

Gelof was productive in his own right, going 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI. Alika Williams chipped in two hits as well, helping Sacramento string together the kind of late-inning at-bats that defined this comeback. The A's trailed by four at some point and found a way — that's a hard thing to do against any division opponent.

Seattle's Randy Arozarena Had No Help From His Bullpen

Give Seattle credit where it's due. Randy Arozarena was exceptional, going 3-for-5 with two home runs and four RBI. He gave the Mariners every reason to win this game. Josh Naylor added two hits and Jhonny Pereda went 2-for-2 with two RBI, so Seattle's offense did its job. The problem was the bullpen.

Carlos Vargas gave up two earned runs in one inning of relief after starter Bryce Miller departed following five innings. Gabe Speier lasted just one out and surrendered two more earned runs. By the time Muñoz came in to protect a late lead, the bullpen had already burned through whatever margin Arozarena had built. Sacramento was patient, kept the line moving, and made Seattle pay.

Athletics Pitching: Shaky Early, Steady Late

Starter Jacob Lopez did not help the cause, allowing five earned runs on six hits in 3.2 innings — three walks complicated matters further. Scott Blewett added another earned run out of the bullpen. The A's were in a hole early and it looked deep.

But the relief corps stabilized. Luis Medina worked two-thirds of an inning without allowing an earned run. Geoff Hartlieb was the anchor, tossing two clean innings with two strikeouts and no walks — a two-inning effort that kept Sacramento close enough to compete. Hogan Harris allowed a run in the eighth but Elvis Alvarado came on and worked a scoreless ninth to earn the win, setting the stage for the walk-off in the bottom half.

Key Performances

  • Lawrence Butler: 2-for-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI
  • Zack Gelof: 2-for-3, 1 HR, 2 RBI
  • Alika Williams: 2-for-3
  • Geoff Hartlieb (W, IP credit to Alvarado): 2.0 IP, 2 K, 0 ER
  • Elvis Alvarado: 1.0 IP, 0 ER, win
  • Randy Arozarena (SEA): 3-for-5, 2 HR, 4 RBI

What's Next for Sacramento

The Athletics stay home at Sutter Health Park as the regular season continues to wind down. A comeback win over a division opponent — erasing a four-run deficit against a Seattle club that came in with a legitimate closer — is exactly the kind of result that matters this time of year. Butler's bat is the engine. When he's driving in four runs against quality arms, this lineup is capable of beating anyone.