WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Seiya Suzuki hit a three-run homer in the first inning, Kyle Tucker added a solo shot in the third to give him home runs in a career-best four straight games and the Chicago Cubs slugged away for a second consecutive night in beating the Athletics 7-4 on Tuesday.
The A’s answered in the bottom of the first on Brent Rooker’s two-run drive, and Shea Langeliers had a two-run shot in the third.
Cubs left-hander Justin Steele (2-1) struck out six over 6 2/3 innings and continued his impressive interleague success in his third start of 2025, helping Chicago win back-to-back games for the first time this season.
Ryan Pressly worked a scoreless ninth for his second save.
Tucker’s four home runs are tied with Aaron Judge for second-most in the majors.
Dansby Swanson added an RBI double after hitting home runs the previous two games. Chicago didn’t put up near the offensive numbers as a night earlier in an 18-3 rout that featured 21 hits, four home runs and Carson Kelly hitting for the first cycle by a Cubs player since Mark Grace in 1993.
A night after a sellout of 12,119 for the first major league game at Sutter Health Park, the A’s drew 10,095.
Chicago came out swinging against Luis Severino (0-1).
The right-hander had been stellar throughout his career against the Cubs but that changed in his second start of the year. Severino entered with a 1.00 ERA in four starts versus Chicago – three earned runs over 27 innings – before being tagged for six runs, five earned, in six innings.
He signed a $67 million, three-year contract with the Athletics in December.
Steele is 10-4 with a 2.33 ERA in 23 interleague games. Since the beginning of last year, he’s 4-0 with a 1.41 ERA in nine interleague outings.
Cubs RHP Jameson Taillon (0-1, 12.46 ERA) faces LHP Jeffrey Springs (1-0, 0.00) in the series finale Wednesday afternoon.
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| HITTERS | AB | R | H | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I. Happ LF | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .156 |
| K. Tucker RF | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | .353 |
| S. Suzuki DH | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | .229 |
| M. Busch 1B | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .259 |
| a- J. Turner PH-1B | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .200 |
| D. Swanson SS | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .258 |
| N. Hoerner 2B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .350 |
| P. Crow-Armstrong CF | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .161 |
| M. Shaw 3B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .167 |
| M. Amaya C | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .300 |
- a-singled for Busch in the 7th
| HITTERS | AB | R | H | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L. Butler RF | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .182 |
| B. Rooker DH | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | .269 |
| J. Bleday CF | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .227 |
| S. Langeliers C | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | .222 |
| M. Andujar LF | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .278 |
| T. Soderstrom 1B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .348 |
| G. Urshela 3B | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .111 |
| M. Muncy 2B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .158 |
| a- S. Brown PH | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .200 |
| J. Wilson SS | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .300 |
- a-grounded out for Muncy in the 9th
- 2B – K. Tucker (5), D. Swanson (3)
- HR – K. Tucker (4), S. Suzuki (2)
- SF – I. Happ
- RBI – I. Happ (5), K. Tucker (11), S. Suzuki 3 (6), J. Turner, D. Swanson (6)
- 2-Out RBI – D. Swanson
- Runners left in scoring position, 2-Out – M. Busch 2 (2), N. Hoerner, P. Crow-Armstrong 2 (2)
- HR – B. Rooker (2), S. Langeliers (2)
- RBI – B. Rooker 2 (5), S. Langeliers 2 (5)
- Runners left in scoring position, 2-Out – G. Urshela
- SB – N. Hoerner
- DP – 2 (Swanson-Turner; Hoerner-Swanson-Turner)
- E – M. Muncy
| PITCHERS | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J. Steele(W, 2-1) | 6.2 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 6.89 |
| J. Merryweather(H, 1) | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| P. Hodge(H, 3) | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 |
| R. Pressly(S, 2) | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.75 |
| PITCHERS | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L. Severino(L, 0-1) | 6.0 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 3.75 |
| T. McFarland | 0.1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7.71 |
| T. Ferguson | 1.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 |
| J. Sterner | 1.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 |
- Pitches-Strikes – J. Steele 78-56, J. Merryweather 4-3, P. Hodge 14-7, R. Pressly 11-6
- Ground Balls-Fly Balls – J. Steele 8-6, J. Merryweather 1-0, P. Hodge 1-1, R. Pressly 2-1
- Batters Faced – J. Steele 28, J. Merryweather, P. Hodge 3, R. Pressly 3
- Pitches-Strikes – L. Severino 107-65, T. McFarland 9-7, T. Ferguson 23-13, J. Sterner 20-13
- Ground Balls-Fly Balls – L. Severino 6-5, T. McFarland 1-1, T. Ferguson 1-2, J. Sterner 1-1
- Batters Faced – L. Severino 28, T. McFarland 3, T. Ferguson 5, J. Sterner 4