Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker (30) rounds first base after hitting a home run against the Athletics during the second inning at Sutter Health Park.

The beginning of Tuesday’s game between the Chicago Cubs and the Athletics felt like a carbon copy of the 18-3 walloping the Cubs bestowed in Sacramento the night before. On Monday, four of the first five batters reached base, including a pair of back-to-back home runs, which put the A’s behind 4-0 immediately.

Three batters into Tuesday’s contest, the Cubs were already up 3-0 after designated hitter Seiya Suzuki’s three-run blast.

The biggest difference was that A’s ace Luis Severino more or less settled in after the initial onslaught, ending his outing with six innings of work, allowing six hits and three walks which led to six runs scoring (five earned) while striking out six.

In the first two games in West Sacramento, there have been a total of nine home runs hit, which may not be a great sign for the Athletics once the weather starts getting a bit warmer. The temperature at first pitch was 55 degrees, though the wind was also howling out to center, the same spot Suzuki launched his rocket off the batter’s eye in the first.

The A’s would answer back in the bottom of the first, with Lawrence Butler leading off the home half with a single, and Brent Rooker promptly hitting a two-run shot to bring the A’s within one.

While home runs have been aplenty, not many of them were cheap on Tuesday. Rooker’s first inning blast was 98 off the bat, which was the slowest exit velocity of the four. Suzuki’s left at 111.7 mph, Kyle Tucker added a solo homer in the third at 107.5, and Shea Langeliers notched his second of the season with a two-run shot in the bottom of the third at 102.2.

The two home runs by Rooker and Langeliers were all that Cubs starter Justin Steele would allow in this one, going 6.2 innings, giving up seven hits, four earned, walking one, and striking out six.

Jacob Wilson went 1-for-3 to continue his hitting streak to begin the season, stretching it to six games now. He also recorded two hits in the final game of the 2024 campaign, so his total streak is now at seven games.

Kyle Tucker has started the series by going 6-for-10 with two home runs, four RBI, and three walks (one intentional). The A’s got him out of the division, but he’s still terrorizing them to begin the 2025 campaign.

With the win, the Cubs are now at 4-4 to begin the year, while the loss drops the A’s to 2-4 after a promising split against the Seattle Mariners to open the season.

These two teams have one more left to play on Wednesday afternoon, with the expected starters being Jeffrey Springs (1-0, 0.00 ERA) and Jameson Taillon (0-1, 12.46 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 12:35 p.m.