Amidst swirling winds, SF Giants blow out A's to close out I-80 Series

Justice delos Santos, The Mercury News on May 17, 2026

Published in Baseball

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WEST SACRAMENTO — If there will be a lasting image from the Giants’ 10-1 victory on Sunday afternoon at Sutter Health Park, it will be Athletics right fielder Carlos Cortes throwing up both of his hands in confusion, absolutely helpless in his battle against an unforgiving wind.

Luis Arraez’s third-inning fly ball didn’t sound like a homer off the bat. On most days, Cortes would’ve had no trouble making the catch to end the inning. But Sunday, every fly ball was an adventure, and the wind blew the ball out an extra 37 feet. Instead of a flyout, Arraez ended up with his second homer of the season.

Wind or not, they count all the same. So, too, do the wins. With wind-aided homers by Arraez and Harrison Bader, whose grand slam capped off an eight-run eighth inning, the Giants (20-27) took the rubber match from the A’s.

Arraez reached base four times on Sunday with a homer, two singles and a walk, wrapping up a three-game series where he reached base 11 times in 15 plate appearances.

Bader nearly hit a grand slam in the fifth inning on Saturday, but instead ended up with a 382-foot flyout that lost its legs at the warning track. On Sunday, though, Bader wouldn’t be denied as he hit a low line drive that barely cleared the short right-field fence.

Both teams knew the wind, which blew aggressively to the south, was going to leave its mark on this game. Any fly balls hit to left field would fade, while any hit to center or right field would carry.

Four batters into the game, the wind showcased the extent to which it would be a factor. When Rafael Devers hit a towering fly ball to left fielder Tyler Soderstrom in the top of the first, Soderstrom started to settle under the ball before scrambling in to make the catch.

Right fielder Drew Gilbert had his own dance with the wind in the bottom of the first when Brent Rooker skied a fly ball in Gilbert’s direction. Gilbert initially broke to his right but had to reverse course and backtrack to his left to make the catch.

A day after left fielder Heliot Ramos was placed on the injured list, catcher Eric Haase made his first start in left field since Aug. 11, 2023.

The wind wasn’t the only environmental factor that played a role in Sunday’s series finale. In the bottom of the fifth, Cortes ended up with a 150-foot RBI double when shortstop Willy Adames lost a battle with the sun.

Right-hander Adrian Houser worked around five walks, which matched his career high, to deliver six innings of one-run ball. Over his last three starts, Houser has allowed four earned runs over 17 2/3 innings (2.04 ERA).

Houser benefited from excellent defense by his infielders, all of whom made at least one great. Devers dove to snag a sharply hit grounder by Jeff McNeil, kickstarting a 3-6 double play. Adames and Arraez both took hits away by making diving stops before throwing to first for the out.

The most impressive play of them all, though, was when Chapman fought the wind and made an acrobatic grab in foul territory.

Up next

The Giants will fly to Phoenix for three games against the Arizona Diamondbacks to complete the final leg of their three-citytrip. Robbie Ray, Landen Roupp and Tyler Mahle are slated to start for San Francisco on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

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