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Apr 16, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Athletics pitcher Osvaldo Bido (45) delivers during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images Matt Marton-Imagn Images

A's Take Series Against Chicago White Sox

Originally posted on Oakland Athletics on SI
By Jason Burke | Last updated Apr 17, 2025 1:26 AM ET

This was a big series for the Athletics, who entered at just 6-10 on the year, to show that they could take a series against a team that, at least on paper, they should beat. We noted before the series began that both teams are better than their records would indicate, and on Wednesday night in Chicago, the White Sox and A's put together a close one that the green and gold ultimately pulled out.

Down 1-0 entering the sixth inning, the A's were able to string some hits together. MLB home run leader Tyler Soderstrom led off the inning with a single, and with one out, JJ Bleday (3-for-4, RBI, run) singled to left to bring him home from second.

With the game tied at one apiece, Miguel Andujar drew a walk, Luis Urías made the second out of the frame, and Gio Urshela smacked a triple to right, scoring Bleday and Andujar to put the A's up 3-1.

The White Sox best chance to come back came in the seventh inning with José Leclerc on the mound. The veteran right-hander has struggled to get going early on, holding a 7.04 ERA through eight appearances.

After getting Brooks Baldwin (1-for-4, solo home run) looking, Lenyn Sosa doubled, Omar Narváez walked, and with two down, a wild pitch landed runners at second and third. Leclerc would also walk Nick Maton before getting lifted for Tyler Ferguson, who got Luis Robert Jr. to ground out to end the bases-loaded threat.

Ferguson would walk one in the eighth in an otherwise uneventful inning, giving way to Mason Miller in the ninth with the score still sitting at 3-1. Miller would hit 102 and strike out the side swinging, giving the A's flamethrower his fifth save on the season.

Mason Miller, 101 mph Fastball and 88 mph Slider, Overlay.

That's not fair. pic.twitter.com/09DbOMYddE
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 17, 2025

Starter Osvaldo Bido is off to a nice start in 2025, holding a 2-1 record with a 2.61 ERA across 20.2 innings of work in four starts. This was his first start that he went deeper than five innings, with the 29-year-old right-hander going 5.2 frames, giving up five hits, one run (solo homer), walking one and striking out zero.

Back in January, we said that Bido was the most underrated starter in the rotation (a position he didn't necessarily hold yet), and thus far, he's not only been underrated, but the best arm in the rotation. That said, he does hold a 1.45 WHIP with a .255 batting average against, so he has been working around trouble fairly consistently.

Still, the advanced metrics seem to be on board with what he's throwing down, which has by and large been a lot of zeroes.

His next start should be a nice test in the opener of the home series against the division-leading Texas Rangers next Tuesday.

With the win, the A's now sit at 8-10 on the year and have a chance to collect their first sweep of the 2025 season. The team is now tied for fourth place with the Houston Astros, three games behind the Rangers (11-7) atop the division. The Los Angeles Angels (9-8) and Seattle Mariners (9-9) are both ahead of the A's in the West.

No team in the West has a positive run differential, with the A's and first-place Rangers both sitting at -13. Despite that, the A's actually have a better expected win-loss record at 8-10, while the Rangers are expected to be 7-11. The big reason for that is because the Athletics' offense has been the best in the division on a run-scoring basis.

The nomadic A's have scored 80 runs thus far this season, with the Angels (76) and Mariners (70) the only two teams in the West that have scored at least 70. The Rangers have put up 58. If the A's can sort out some of their pitching woes, then this club could be legitimate contenders in the division.

In fact, the A's offense ranks fifth in runs scored in the American League, sitting behind the New York Yankees (107), Boston Red Sox (86), Tampa Bay Rays (81), and Detroit Tigers (81).

The A's will send JP Sears (1-2, 4.24 ERA) to the mound on Thursday with brooms in their eyes. He'll be opposed by Chicago's Davis Martin (1-1, 4.24 ERA) with first pitch scheduled for 11:10 a.m. (PT).

This article first appeared on Oakland Athletics on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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