WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Pinch-hitter Jonah Heim launched a tying homer with two outs in the ninth and the Athletics allowed 11 straight runs before rallying from seven down to defeat the Los Angeles Angels 12-11 in 10 innings Friday night.
Zack Gelof started the comeback with an RBI single in the sixth, and the A's got two-run homers from Jacob Wilson in the seventh, Max Muncy in the eighth and Heim in the ninth to tie it 11-all.
Click to Gallery
The Athletics celebrate winning a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in West Sacramento, Calif., Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)
The Athletics celebrate winning a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in West Sacramento, Calif., Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)
Athletics' Nick Kurtz (16) takes ball four to force a run during the tenth inning of a baseball game beating the Los Angeles Angels in West Sacramento, Calif., Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)
Athletics' Jonah Heim hits a home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in West Sacramento, Calif., Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)
Athletics' Jonah Heim hits a home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in West Sacramento, Calif., Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)
Nick Kurtz walked with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th to force home the winning run. It was the largest comeback win for the A's this season.
Gelof extended his hitting streak to 23 games — the longest active run in the majors.
Denzer Guzman, Jose Siri, Zach Neto, Logan O’Hoppe and Nolan Schanuel all went deep for the Angels, matching their season high for homers in a game.
Tyler Soderstrom hit a one-out double in the ninth before Heim connected for his second career tying pinch-hit homer. The first came earlier this month in a 15-14 loss to Milwaukee in Las Vegas.
Henry Bolte drew a leadoff walk from Kirby Yates (0-3) in the 10th. Following a double steal, Muncy flied out and Gelof was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Samy Natera Jr. entered and walked Kurtz on five pitches, scoring automatic runner Lawrence Butler.
A's starter Jeffrey Springs allowed six runs on four hits and four walks in 3 2/3 innings. Elvis Alvarado (3-1) pitched two scoreless innings to earn the win.
José Soriano struck out six in five innings. He permitted six hits, four runs and four walks.
RHP J.T. Ginn (5-3, 2.91 ERA) pitches Saturday for the A's in the third game of the four-game series. The Angels had not announced their starter.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
The Athletics celebrate winning a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in West Sacramento, Calif., Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)
The Athletics celebrate winning a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in West Sacramento, Calif., Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)
Athletics' Nick Kurtz (16) takes ball four to force a run during the tenth inning of a baseball game beating the Los Angeles Angels in West Sacramento, Calif., Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)
Athletics' Jonah Heim hits a home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in West Sacramento, Calif., Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)
Athletics' Jonah Heim hits a home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in West Sacramento, Calif., Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)
This summer's supersized World Cup is about to reach the halfway point of its 48-team group stage schedule.
By the end of Saturday, there will have been 36 games played with 36 more to go before the 32-team knockout stage begins June 28. A champion will be crowned on July 19.
The Netherlands — often described as the most talented soccer nation to never win a World Cup — faces a crucial game against Sweden in Group F. The Dutch fought to a 2-2 draw against Japan in their opener.
Germany and Ivory Coast square off for potential control of Group E after both squads won their first game. Also on Saturday, Curacao faces Ecuador while Tunisia takes on Japan.
— Netherlands vs. Sweden, 1 p.m. EDT in Houston (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)
— Germany vs. Ivory Coast, 4 p.m. EDT in Toronto (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)
— Ecuador vs. Curacao, 8 p.m. EDT in Kansas City, Missouri (FS1/Telemundo/Peacock)
— Tunisia vs. Japan, midnight EDT in Monterrey, Mexico (FS1/Telemundo/Peacock)
The three host countries for this World Cup are feeling good about themselves after two matches.
The U.S. earned its second straight win and a spot in the knockout round, beating Australia 2-0 on Friday. The Americans are also the winners of Group D after Paraguay held on for a 1-0 win against Turkey despite being a man down for much of the game because of a red card for Miguel Almirón late in the first half, meaning they'll play in Santa Clara, California on July 1.
Canada is in excellent shape to qualify for the knockout round after a 6-0 win over Qatar on Thursday. Mexico has already wrapped up the Group A title thanks to its 1-0 win over South Korea.
The Netherlands — ranked No. 8 in the world — is under a considerable amount of pressure to beat Sweden on Saturday after it blew two leads in its draw against Japan.
Coach Ronald Koeman faced several pointed questions about strategy after the Japan game and shot back with cryptic replies.
“In the Netherlands we always have a lot of pressure," Koeman said Friday. "I’ve spent a lot of years in football in the Netherlands as a player and a coach. Of course, there is some pressure but we’re used to that. I think that as the Netherlands we always have the support of our fans and hopefully we can celebrate three points tomorrow.”
Meanwhile, 34th-ranked Sweden put on a show in its 5-1 win over Tunisia, starting its World Cup with a flourish after not qualifying in 2022.
“It’s about how we perform and the mentality we have,” Sweden coach Graham Potter said Friday. “We know that we are a work in progress and we’re improving. We have to play better against a better opponent and I think we’re ready to do that.”
The Germans did what they were supposed to do in their opening game: Win decisively over Curaçao.
The 7-1 victory was a warmup for Saturday's game against Ivory Coast, which should be a much more formidable opponent. Ivory Coast scored a late goal against Ecuador for a 1-0 win in its opener.
Ivory Coast got some good news earlier this week when striker Elye Wahi, under investigation for alleged betting-related offenses, received authorization to enter Canada for the match.
“He hasn’t really shown any signs of being annoyed or being discouraged,” Ivory Coast coach Emerse Fae said. “He’s happy. He had a good trip over here. He’s going to do everything he can to help out the team.”
Ecuador was unbeaten in 19 consecutive matches when it arrived at the World Cup, and it looked as if Sebastián Beccacece’s team was going to keep that streak going until Ivory Coast’s Amad Diallo scored in the 90th minute to deal La Tricolor an opening loss.
Now, with powerful Germany awaiting next week to conclude Group E play, Ecuador faces what could amount to a must-win match with Curaçao at Arrowhead Stadium if it wants to advance to the knockout stage.
“What follows,” Beccacece said, “must be faced with the same way we have faced it so far: with great strength, with great integrity, with great intensity and with a clear idea of the game.”
Meanwhile, Curaçao had been the plucky feel-good story of the World Cup as the smallest nation, both in size and population, to make the field. Then reality hit in the Blue Wave’s 7-1 loss to Germany.
Japan had high expectations coming into this World Cup and delivered a solid performance in its opener, rallying for a draw against the Netherlands.
Now the Japanese will try to keep that momentum against Tunisia, which lost to Sweden in its opener.
Tunisia fired coach Sabri Lamouchi after the 5-1 loss and appointed Hervé Renard. The Frenchman is an experienced coach who specializes in leading national teams across Africa and the Arabic-speaking world. He’s won the Africa Cup of Nations with Zambia and the Ivory Coast.
— Canada’s Ismaël Koné has surgery for 2 broken bones in leg from World Cup match against Qatar
— World Cup players with dual eligibility face a tough choice about which country to represent
— Mexico goalkeeper Raúl Rangel seizes the World Cup spotlight with two shutouts in two matches
— Lamine Yamal says he’s not fully fit and is unlikely to start in Spain’s second World Cup game
— Boston, Scotland World Cup fans brought together in soccer kinship, celebration and love of beer
— Iran says it’s being treated unfairly. Its World Cup travel schedule isn’t unique
— World Cup ticket buyers are left stranded as resale purchases fall through
— Alex Freeman, 21-year-old son of NFL standout Antonio Freeman, scores for US in World Cup win
— US plays Australia and other World Cup Day 9 highlights, in photos
The United States is the first team to benefit from own goals by the opposing team in consecutive World Cup matches. It's also the first time since the initial World Cup in 1930 that the Americans have started 2-0.
AP Sports Writers Dave Skretta and Kristie Rieken contributed to this report.
AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
United States' Alex Freeman (16), second left, celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the World Cup Group D soccer match between the United States and Australia in Seattle, Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Japan's Koki Ogawa, left, celebrates with teammates their side's second goal against the Netherlands during a World Cup Group F soccer match in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Sunday, June 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Germany's Nico Schlotterbeck celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the World Cup Group E soccer match between Germany and Curacao in Houston, Sunday, June 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Karen Warren)
Netherlands' Noa Lang, left and Brian Brobbey take a hydration break during practice for the World Cup soccer tournament, Wednesday, June 10, 2026 in Riverside, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Sweden's Alexander Isak (9) celebrates with Sweden's Viktor Gyokeres (17) after he scored to put Sweden up, 3-1, during the World Cup Group F soccer match between Sweden and Tunisia in Guadalupe, near Monterrey, Mexico, Sunday, June 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Sofia Yaker)
