Game 4 Recap: A Spark In West Oakland
Ballers Fight Back to Walk It Off Over Regulators
“There’s a lot of fight, a lot of talent on this team… we’re going to get this thing going in the right direction.”
By Chris Drue, with additional reporting by Roberto Santiago
WEST OAKLAND—The first game at Raimondi against the newly formed Long Beach Coast, playing as their Warren G-inspired alter egos, the Long Beach Regulators, sure seemed like the spark of an intense future rivalry. And for the Oakland Ballers, there is hope that it is also the spark to ignite winning momentum.
In dramatic and resilient fashion, the B’s fought through early adversity to come back in the ninth inning, their bats and bullpen putting a “next man up” attitude on full display—that resulted in a hard-nosed, classic Oakland walk off win, 12-11.
It didn’t start out pretty. By the fourth inning, the Ballers found themselves deep in a 10-3 hole that has been familiar the first few games of the new campaign, a deficit made heavier when reliever Matthew Maloney was forced to leave the game early with an injury after throwing a strong 1.2 innings with 0 hits and 3 strikeouts.
Instead, the B's got to bashin’ on Unauthorized Bash Brothers night. A massive sixth-inning grand slam by San Jose native Jeter Ybarra shot a jolt of pure electricity into West Oakland, and suddenly, the B’s were within striking distance of a comeback. While the offense bashed away, a relentless bullpen—anchored by Valek Cisneros, Langston Burkett, and Braydon Nelson—stepped in next to pick up an injured Maloney and the rest of the entire squad. Together, they neutralized the roaring Long Beach offense, limiting the Regulators to a single hit while racking up 11 strikeouts to keep the comeback alive.
By the time the ninth inning rolled around, the stage was set for center fielder TJ McKenzie, one of the hottest bats on the club. Fresh off a monster three-homer performance on Wednesday, McKenzie stepped up with the game on the line and delivered the final blow with a walkoff sacrifice drive to center field. “I was just looking for something to hit," McKenzie said of his final approach. "We’d been fighting back all game… I wasn’t trying to do too much, just find a way to score a run.”
When asked how it felt to follow up on his big production on Wednesday with a walk off drive for a big momentum win against Long Beach, McKenzie kept the focus entirely on Oakland’s success: “I’m feeling great, got us another win. That’s all it is about.”
McKenzie and the team are looking at this comeback win as the type of spark that will help inject winning energy into this young season. “We’re just trying to get some momentum," McKenzie reflected. "We played some good ball today. We started off kind of slow, but found a way to come back and just keep fighting. That’s what you want to see from a team, especially early in the season.”
“It’s all community, we’re just trying to revolve around each other. We’re not individuals, we’re a team… everybody did a little something today to help us get that win today and that’s all you can ask for.”
For Manager Aaron Miles, the victory was a welcome reminder of the scrappy, winning identity he has spent two seasons establishing in the East Bay for the B’s—an identity that also resulted in him winning Manager of the Year in 2025, which was celebrated with a ceremony before the game. “Huge win, definitely needed for the ballclub," Miles shared. "Guys showed a lot of fight, that is beautiful to see. We’ve done those things before in the past, it was great to see [again] tonight. Lots of great performances at the plate and a great job by the bullpen to shut them down the rest of the way.”
The win also gave Miles a little more bragging rights against a fellow Major League veteran, Long Beach manager Troy Percival, rekindling some of the drama from last year's championship series when Percival managed the Idaho Falls Chukars. “Snuck by him [again]," Miles joked with a laugh. "We love competing against each other, he’s such a great dude. That’s a great ball club over there. I’ll take the win for now.”
The skipper also sees this as a win that could help push the club forward. “There’s a lot of fight, a lot of talent on this team," Miles said. "We’re dealing with some issues … but I’m confident in these guys. We’re going to get this thing going in the right direction.”
All images and video used with permission from the Oakland Ballers.
Chris Drue is an East Bay native who has loved baseball since visiting the Coliseum with his dad as a kid. His favorite combo at Raimondi Park is a Fieldwork Day Money and a veggie dog (in a helmet!). His favorite pitch is the eephus, with a Barry Zito 12-6 curveball (circa 2002) a very close second. Find him on Instagram.
Roberto Santiago is a third generation Berkeley boy currently raising the fourth generation. Roberto’s writing has appeared in Latina, Parents, and various online outlets. A lifelong baseball fan, Roberto worked briefly with the Boston Red Sox and once hit an RBI single off Spaceman Lee on a 2-2 changeup. It was his only at bat ever in a real baseball game. Find him on Instagram.
