Urías delivers walk-off before it's wheels up for A's

WEST SACRAMENTO -- Mark Kotsay walked into the Sutter Health Park media center before Sunday’s postgame press conference and issued a warning.

“Heads up in here,” the Athletics’ manager pointed out on his way to the podium. “I don’t think that ball has landed yet.”

Luis Urías' two-run, walk-off home run Sunday afternoon in a 3-2, 10-inning win over the White Sox did, eventually, return to earth. But the A’s are still soaring.

Spirits are high both literally -- after the game, the team prepared to board a plane to Texas for an upcoming four-game series with the Rangers -- and figuratively after Urías’ no-doubt, walk-off clout secured a second straight series win.

A cry of “happy flight!” was heard in the clubhouse as reporters entered after the game, and the A’s looked like they meant it. They won in walk-off fashion for the second time in four games, and this time, Urías was the hero.

The 27-year-old second baseman homered for the second straight contest, but this one sure meant a lot more than Saturday’s solo shot late in a White Sox rout. Urías picked out a high, first-pitch fastball from Chicago reliever Jordan Leasure and teed off. He stopped in the opposite batter’s box, admired his first career walk-off homer for a moment, then flipped his bat toward a rapidly emptying A’s dugout.

“Everything happened so fast,” Urías said. “Being able to live that moment, I’m really grateful for it and really happy.”

Sunday was certainly the pinnacle, but early returns have been excellent ever since Urías signed a one-year deal with the A’s back in February. With Zack Gelof still out with a broken hamate bone and Max Muncy optioned to Triple-A, second base has been wide open for Urías, who’s now in his eighth Major League season and playing for his fifth MLB club.

Urías has earned that opportunity. He has four homers in just 40 at-bats, and he owns a .275 batting average and a .923 OPS this season.

Kotsay isn’t surprised. The A’s skipper said Cubs manager Craig Counsell, who managed Urías on the Brewers from 2020-23, spoke positively of the young infielder’s talent.

“This kid can hit,” Counsell told his fellow manager.

The A’s front office knew that, too. Kotsay credited the club’s baseball operations department -- which has struck gold in the past with hitters like Brent Rooker -- for adding Urías.

“This is one of those guys that they identified who could help us provide depth and a big league bat,” Kotsay said. “We watched that today, and we’re going to continue to watch it.”

Urías once again helped the A’s go from trailing by a run entering the game’s final half-inning to pouring out of the dugout in happiness. On Thursday, his single -- plus a Rangers error -- brought home Max Schuemann from first to tie the game, and rookie shortstop Jacob Wilson ended things with a walk-off base hit.

Sunday’s victory saw Urías playing a starring role rather than serving as a supporting act. With one out and Wilson on second as the automatic runner in the 10th, Urías -- after a walk and two groundouts to shortstop -- knew what he was looking for.

“Honestly, I was sitting fastball,” Urías said. “The whole game, I was looking at cutter or slider, and they were throwing me fastballs, and that’s what I was rolling over to short.”

Urías saw in the A’s scouting report on Leasure that the righty reliever’s arsenal didn’t feature a sinker. That let Urías hone in on a four-seam fastball, and he was ready for the 99 mph offering at the top of the zone.

It was the latest example of Urías’ preparations at the plate, something he said has helped him mentally.

“That gives you more calm,” Urías said. “Once I stepped in the box, I’d already studied some, and I felt like that gets me not trying to do too much.”

Urías powered the A’s to their third series win in their past four series, getting the team back to the .500 mark before their visit to Globe Life Field. The A’s went 1-5 in their first six games at Sutter Health Park and have gone 5-4 since.

“Now we know we can play at home, because the beginning wasn’t that good,” starting pitcher Osvaldo Bido said through an interpreter. “When it’s going like this, it’s a lot of confidence for all the guys, for all of us. And now we have to continue playing the best baseball we can.”