Luis Severino Provides Ace Performance in A's Win Over Brewers

That's why they pay him the big bucks. This past winter, the Athletics signed right-hander Luis Severino to the richest deal in team history, at three years and $67 million. In his fifth start of the 2025 season, he earned his first win in an A's uniform.

Following up a terrific start against his former team in the New York Mets last weekend, Severino had his best start for the A's on Saturday against the Milwaukee Brewers, going eight innings, giving up just three hits and one run while striking out one. By striking out just the one, he kept his pitch count low enough to get through eight.

In four of his five starts, the veteran righty has gone at least six innings, and the lone exception was last Sunday against the Mets when he went 5.2 innings. That is why the A's decided to target him in free agency. Having a guy that manager Mark Kotsay can pencil in for six innings once every five days is a luxury that has not existed in recent seasons.

With Severino in his stable, Kotsay is now able to plan out his bullpen just a little bit more, too, which is another added bonus.

As for the game itself, the Brewers grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third. Garrett Mitchell doubled, and a Joey Ortiz ground out pushed him to third. Caleb Durbin, who made his MLB debut on Friday and got the scoring started in the first game of the series, grounded out to short, allowing Mitchell to trot home.

That would be the only run that Severino would allow.

The A's would answer back in the fifth, after JJ Bleday singled to lead off the frame, Jacob Wilson singled to put runners at first and second, and then Miguel Andujar doubled home the lead runner.

Brent Rooker would add a solo home run in the sixth, his sixth of the season, and Shea Langeliers would give Mason Miller some breathing room in the ninth with a solo shot of his own. That was the A's catcher's fifth homer of the campaign, and it came off former A's reliever Joel Payamps, who was shipped to Milwaukee as part of the Sean Murphy trade.

Miller came on to close out the game in the bottom of the ninth, earning his sixth save on the season. He was able to strike out Jackson Chourio swinging, and Christian Yelich on a foul tip to end the game. In seven innings of work this season, Miller has 14 strikeouts and a .130 batting average against, along with a 0.57 WHIP. He has yet to allow an earned run.

The A's closer has been making an effort to throw roughly 60% fastballs and 40% sliders this season to keep hitters guessing. He said recently that as the season went on last year, he leaned more four-seamer, but he felt more productive when he had that 60/40 split at the beginning of the 2024 campaign.

So far this season, his fastball has a batting average against of .100 and an xBA (expected batting average) of .103. His slider has given up a pair of hits, leading to a .200 batting average, but just a .099 xBA based upon the quality of the contact allowed. In other words, he's dominating up there.

With the win, the A's move to 10-11 on the season and are in last place in the AL West. That said, they're just a half-game back of the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Angels (10-10), one back of the Seattle Mariners (11-10), and three back of the Texas Rangers (13-8). Next week the Rangers will be in West Sacramento in what should be a good litmus test for this club.

On Sunday the A's will take on the Brewers one last time in 2025 and will be sending out Jeffrey Springs (3-1, 4.50 ERA). He'll be opposed by recent call-up Logan Henderson (0-0, NA). First pitch is scheduled for 11:10 a.m. (PT).