Henry Bolte put together a stellar audition tape that showed why he could be the Athletics’ leadoff batter next season — in just one game.
Bolte will look to control the game and run wild again on Tuesday night when the Athletics face the Toronto Blue Jays in the middle contest of the three-game series at West Sacramento, Calif.
Bolte homered, stole three bases and scored three times for the A’s as they recorded a 6-5 victory. Bolte also walked three times and reached on an error.
“He’s got the ability to hit it out anywhere,” Kotsay said of Bolte after the Athletics won for the fifth time in six games. “We always talk about his tools. The power is a tool that will come when he elevates the baseball more consistently. But the walks were equally as impressive and an area that he continues to improve in.”
Bolte, who turned 23 last month, could be the answer in the leadoff spot next season. He leads all American League rookies in steals with 19 in 102 games. He is batting .275 with nine homers and 32 RBIs.
Zack Gelof added two RBIs and two steals on Monday to give the A’s (58-87) five steals in five innings against the slow leg kick of Blue Jays ace Dylan Cease.
While the swift Bolte fueled the victory, it was a slower runner that determined the outcome in veteran Jeff McNeil.
McNeil hit a slow roller toward shortstop with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth inning and legged out a hit to win the contest.
“These guys are fighting for a playoff spot,” McNeil said of the Blue Jays. “They’re playing well. We put together some good at-bats in the ninth inning and we pulled it off.”
Toronto (72-73) is one game behind the Cleveland Guardians for the third and final AL wild-card spot.
Andres Gimenez, Alejandro Kirk and Kazuma Okamoto each hit a homer for the Blue Jays in the opener.
The Blue Jays might receive a late boost from outfielder Anthony Santander, who hasn’t played at all this season due to left shoulder surgery in February.
Santander, who hit 44 homers for the Baltimore Orioles in 2024, is slated to start a rehab stint with Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday.
“It’ll be a handful of games, at least,” Toronto manager John Schneider said. “We want to see how he’s feeling, how he’s hitting the ball. We’ll definitely be in touch with him once he gets rolling.”
Meanwhile, Kotsay said that All-Star catcher Shea Langeliers could return before the end of the season. Langeliers (23 homers in 93 games) underwent right knee surgery on July 28.
Right-hander Jose Soriano (11-7, 3.52 ERA) will square off with the Athletics for the first time with the Blue Jays after facing them 10 times (eight starts) as a member of the Los Angeles Angels.
Soriano, 27, is just 1-3 with a 7.52 ERA against the A’s. He faced the Athletics twice for the Angels this season before being traded and had a 3.86 ERA in two no-decisions.
Soriano is 2-1 with a 4.36 ERA in eight games (six starts) since joining Toronto at the trade deadline.
He received a no-decision against the Guardians last Thursday when he gave up three runs and six hits over 4 2/3 innings.
Right-hander Jack Perkins (3-10, 6.50) will take the mound for the Athletics.
Perkins, 26, lasted just three innings against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday. While he struck out seven batters, he also walked five, hit one and gave up three runs and four hits in a no-decision in the 7-4 A’s win.
Perkins gave up two runs in one-third of an inning of relief against the Blue Jays in a 7-6 loss on July 11, 2025.
–Field Level Media
