Willi Castro and Zack Gelof in Athletics lineup for Rockies finale
Willi Castro was not the story on the field in Las Vegas on June 14, 2026, but Zack Gelof was in the Athletics’ lineup as they tried to finish a sweep of the Colorado Rockies. Gelof entered the finale as a hot-hitting second baseman, giving Oakland another bat it hoped could carry the last game after back-to-back comeback wins.
Gelof joins Butler at the top
Lawrence Butler led off for the Athletics, with Gelof in the mix behind a lineup that also had Nick Kurtz at designated hitter and Jeff McNeil at first base. Carlos Cortes was making his first start of the series in right field and batting fourth.
Shea Langeliers did not start after two straight days behind the plate, and Jacob Wilson was out of the lineup for a rest day after returning from an injured list stint with a shoulder injury. Alika Williams started at shortstop after collecting three hits and a walk the previous night.
Springs carries a thin edge
Jeffrey Springs took the ball for the Athletics in his 15th start of the season, carrying a 3-6 record, a 4.68 ERA and 63 strikeouts over 75 innings. He entered having waited two months for his last win, and his latest outing in Las Vegas was a rough one: five runs and eight hits over five innings against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first game of the homestand.
The Athletics also reshaped the bullpen on the morning of the game, recalling left-handed reliever Brady Basso and optioning Joey Estes to Triple-A. That left Springs with a shorter runway if the Rockies kept the game tight again.
Sugano brings his run
Colorado countered with Tomoyuki Sugano, who came in at 6-4 with a 4.08 ERA and 39 strikeouts over 68 1/3 innings in his first 13 starts with the Rockies. He had won his previous two starts before facing the Athletics, so the finale paired a lineup trying to keep its sweep alive with a starter carrying recent momentum.
The Athletics had already won the first two games of the series after overcoming blown leads in back-and-forth contests. Another early slip would have made the finale a test of whether Gelof’s bat, Butler’s leadoff spot and Springs’ command could keep the sweep from slipping away.
Las Vegas heat, late pressure
The game was played in Las Vegas during triple-digit heat, adding another layer to a series that had already turned on late innings. For the Athletics, the cleanest path was simple: get production from the top of the order and avoid asking the bullpen to erase another deficit after the first two nights.
