Three major league organizations parted ways with Brent Rooker before the Athletics landed him via waivers from the Kansas City Royals following the 2022 season.
In 2 1/2 seasons with the Athletics, Rooker has 89 homers and just made the American League All-Star team for the second time. He also will participate in the Home Run Derby on Monday.
But first, the 30-year-old Rooker will look to help the Athletics win a three-game series from the Toronto Blue Jays when the clubs conclude play before the All-Star break with a matchup Sunday afternoon at West Sacramento, Calif.
“It’s going to be a big game,” Rooker said after Saturday’s 4-3 win over Toronto evened the series. “Obviously, heading into the break and building some momentum against a good team, we’ll be feeling good about ourselves going into the All-Star break.”
Rooker hit a two-run, tiebreaking homer and also had a run-scoring double in Saturday’s victory. The blast gave him his third straight 20-homer season — he hit 30 for the A’s in 2023 and 39 last season.
The homer was Rooker’s 99th in the majors. The other 10 came for the Minnesota Twins, who eventually traded him to the San Diego Padres, who later gave him away to the Royals, a team that just let him go.
That journey has helped Rooker relish big moments like Saturday’s fifth-inning homer off Kevin Gausman.
“To impact the game is fun,” Rooker said. “I’ve been looking for a big swing for a few games now, and I was finally able to get one.”
Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said he was impressed with Rooker’s homer.
“That at-bat by Rook, to be able to elevate that pitch and hit it out of the yard was pretty exceptional,” Kotsay said.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider was not awed by the blast.
“The homer to Rooker is probably only a homer here,” said Schneider, referring to how the Triple-A ballpark being used by the A’s is considered a launching pad. “He’s a good hitter.”
The loss on Saturday was just the second for Toronto in the past 13 games. It also marked the first time the team lost to the Athletics in six games this season.
The Blue Jays had only six hits and struck out 13 times on Saturday. Toronto was just 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position, including back-to-back strikeouts by Ernie Clement and George Springer to end the game.
“It didn’t really bounce our way,” Schneider said.
The Blue Jays will send right-hander Jose Berrios (5-3, 3.53 ERA) to the mound on Sunday. Berrios is 3-0 over his last four starts and has allowed a total of two runs (one earned) and eight hits in the three wins.
Berrios, 31, defeated the Chicago White Sox on Monday when he gave up one run and two hits over six innings of an 8-4 win.
Berrios tied his season high of nine strikeouts when he defeated the Athletics on May 29 in Toronto. He gave up just two hits in six shutout innings of a 12-0 rout.
Overall, Berrios is 4-3 with a 3.17 ERA in 12 career starts against the A’s. Gio Urshela is 6-for-11 against Berrios while Lawrence Butler (2-for-8) has homered.
The Athletics will counter with left-hander Jeffrey Springs (7-6, 3.92), who has allowed two or fewer earned runs in each of his last five outings.
Springs defeated the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday when he allowed one run and six hits over six innings of a 10-1 A’s rout.
Springs lost to the Blue Jays on May 30 when he gave up six runs, six hits and a season-worst six walks in two-plus innings of an 11-7 Toronto win.
The 32-year-old is 2-1 with a 4.55 ERA in 11 career appearances (four starts) against Toronto. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (3-for-13) and Clement (2-for-4) each have homered off Springs.