WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Colby Thomas, Zack Gelof and Tyler Soderstrom homered to back a strong start by Aaron Civale and the Athletics beat the Cleveland Guardian 7-1 on Sunday to avoid a series sweep.
Thomas hit his first home run of the season, leading off the second against rookie Parker Messick (3-1) for a 1-0 lead.
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Athletics' Zack Gelof (20) is greeted at home plate by teammate Tyler Soderstrom (21) in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Sunday, May 3, 2026, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Alan Greth)
Cleveland Guardians' Chase DeLauter, right, is greeted at home plate by José Ramírez (11) after hitting a home run in the fifth inning during a baseball game against the Athletics, Sunday, May 3, 2026, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Alan Greth)
Cleveland Guardians' Travis Bazzana slides safely into second ahead of the tag from Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson (5) during the second inning of a baseball game, Sunday, May 3, 2026, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Alan Greth)
Athletics pitcher Aaron Civale throws a pitch in the first inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Sunday, May 3, 2026, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Alan Greth)
Cleveland Guardians pitcher Parker Messick throws in the first inning during a baseball game against the Athletics, Sunday, May 3, 2026, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Alan Greth)
Rookie Chase DeLauter hit his sixth home run — and first since April 3 — going the opposite way to left field to tie it 1-all in the fifth and extend his hitting streak to eight games. DeLauter went 8 for 11 in the series.
Messick retired nine in a row following Thomas' shot until Gelof and Soderstrom hit back-to-back homers leading off the Athletics fifth. It was the second homer for Gelof and the fourth for Soderstrom, who went 3 for 4. Singles by Darell Hernaiz, Jeff McNeil and Brent Rooker produced another run for a 4-1 lead before Messick struck out Nick Kurtz to end the inning.
McNeil had his third straight multiple-hit game when he drove in three with a two-out double off Peyton Pallette, who needed 36 pitches to retire the side in the seventh.
Civale (3-1) yielded a run on seven hits and two walks in six innings. He retired Daniel Schneemann to end the first and third innings with runners at the corners.
Justin Sterner, Mark Leiter Jr. and Joel Kuhnel all pitched a scoreless inning for the A's.
Messick allowed four runs on six hits in five innings. The left-hander had allowed one homer and 22 hits through his first 36 innings this season.
Kurtz went 1 for 4 to extend the longest current on-base streak at 28.
Guardians RHP Tanner Bibee (0-4, 4.08) squares off against Royals RHP Michael Wacha (2-2, 3.13) on Monday as the road trip continues.
Athletics RHP Luis Severino (2-2, 4.46) starts Tuesday when the A's travel to play the Phillies, who haven't announced a starter.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Athletics' Zack Gelof (20) is greeted at home plate by teammate Tyler Soderstrom (21) in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Sunday, May 3, 2026, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Alan Greth)
Cleveland Guardians' Chase DeLauter, right, is greeted at home plate by José Ramírez (11) after hitting a home run in the fifth inning during a baseball game against the Athletics, Sunday, May 3, 2026, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Alan Greth)
Cleveland Guardians' Travis Bazzana slides safely into second ahead of the tag from Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson (5) during the second inning of a baseball game, Sunday, May 3, 2026, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Alan Greth)
Athletics pitcher Aaron Civale throws a pitch in the first inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Sunday, May 3, 2026, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Alan Greth)
Cleveland Guardians pitcher Parker Messick throws in the first inning during a baseball game against the Athletics, Sunday, May 3, 2026, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Alan Greth)
YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — European leaders on Monday said that U.S. President Donald Trump’s snap decision to pull thousands of U.S. troops out of Germany came as a surprise but is a fresh sign that Europe must take care of its own security.
The Pentagon announced last week that it would pull some 5,000 troops out of Germany, but Trump told reporters on Saturday that “we’re going to cut way down. And we’re cutting a lot further than 5,000.”
He offered no reason for the move, which blindsided NATO, but his decision came amid an escalating dispute with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the U.S-Israeli war on Iran, and Trump’s anger that European allies have been reluctant to get involved in the conflict in the Middle East.
Asked about the decision to pull out 5,000 troops from Germany, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said: “I wouldn’t exaggerate that because I think we are expecting that Europe is taking more charge of its own security.
“I do not see those figures as dramatic, but I think they should be handled in a harmonious way inside the framework of NATO,” he told reporters in Yerevan, Armenia, where European leaders are holding a summit.
The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said “there has been a talk about withdrawal of U.S. troops for a long time from Europe. But of course, the timing of this announcement comes as a surprise.”
“I think it shows that we have to really strengthen the European pillar in NATO,” she said.
Asked whether she believes that Trump is trying to punish Merz, who said that the U.S. has been humiliated by Iran in talks to end the war, Kallas said: “I don’t see into the head of President Trump, so he has to explain it himself.”
Over the weekend, NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said that officials at the 32-nation military alliance “are working with the U.S. to understand the details of their decision on force posture in Germany.”
European allies and Canada have known since just after he came to office again last year that Trump would pull troops out of Europe — indeed some left Romania in October — but U.S. officials had pledged to coordinate any moves with their NATO allies to avoid creating a security vacuum.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte played down the move, saying that “there has been at this point disappointment on the U.S. side” about European support for the war on Iran.
Notably France, Spain and the U.K. have declined to give U.S. forces free rein to use bases on their territory to attack Iran. Spain has denied them the use of its airspace and bases there for the war.
But Rutte, who has championed Trump’s leadership at NATO despite the U.S. president's criticism of the majority of the allies, said: “I would say the Europeans have heard a message. They are now making sure that all the bilateral basing agreements are being implemented.”
Rutte added that European nations “have decided to pre-position assets, key assets, close to the theater for the next phase.”
He provided no details, but the Europeans have insisted they would not help police the Strait of Hormuz, a key energy trade route, until the war is over.
French President Emmanuel Macron said “if the United States is ready to reopen Hormuz, that’s great. That’s what we’ve been asking for since the beginning.” But he underlined that the Europeans are not ready to get involved in any operation “that does not seem clear to us.”
In another sign of friction with Merz, Trump has accused the EU of not complying with its U.S. trade deal and announced plans to increase tariffs next week on cars and trucks produced in the bloc to 25%, a move that would be particularly damaging to Germany, a major automobile manufacturer.
Without mentioning Trump or the United States, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen listed recent trade deals that the bloc has sealed with Australia and India, and is now working on with Mexico.
“With like-minded friends, you have stable, reliable supply chains and Europe has the biggest network of free trade agreements,” von der Leyen, who is from Germany, told reporters.
Cook reported from Brussels.
French President Emmanuel Macron speaks with the media as he arrives for a meeting of the European Political Community in Yerevan, Armenia, Monday, May 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Anthony Pizzoferrato)
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks with the media as she arrives for a meeting of the European Political Community in Yerevan, Armenia, Monday, May 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Anthony Pizzoferrato)
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas speaks with the media as she arrives for a meeting of the European Political Community in Yerevan, Armenia, Monday, May 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Anthony Pizzoferrato)
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaks with the media as he arrives for a meeting of the European Political Community in Yerevan, Armenia, Monday, May 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Anthony Pizzoferrato)
Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store speaks with the media as he arrives for a meeting of the European Political Community in Yerevan, Armenia, Monday, May 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Anthony Pizzoferrato)
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrives for a meeting of the European Political Community in Yerevan, Armenia, Monday, May 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Anthony Pizzoferrato)
