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Shea Langeliers Makes Oakland Athletics History Thanks to Clutch Home Run

Oakland Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers blasted a three-run home run against the Seattle Mariners on Saturday, giving him 29 so far this season.

Sam Connon

Sep 28, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Oakland Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers (23) celebrates while rounding the bases after hitting a three-run home run during the ninth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park.
Sep 28, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Oakland Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers (23) celebrates while rounding the bases after hitting a three-run home run during the ninth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. / Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images
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While the Athletics' time in Oakland is coming to a close, the franchise's record books will continue to live on.

And just before the team relocates to Sacramento, then Las Vegas, Shea Langeliers is making sure to leave his mark in those history books.

Langeliers stepped up to the plate with two outs and runners on the corners on Saturday night, his A's trailing the Seattle Mariners 4-3 in the top of the ninth inning. When reliever Collin Snider finally gave him something to hit, Langeliers jumped on a 94 mile-per-hour fastball over the middle and sent it screaming to right.

The ball just cleared the fence, giving Langeliers a go-ahead, three-run home run.

Luke Raley answered with a two-run shot of his own in the bottom of the frame, forcing extra innings in the process. The Mariners then walked off on a grounder to second in the 10th, rendering Langeliers' clutch bomb moot.

Still, Langeliers is batting .224 with 29 home runs, 80 RBI, a .738 OPS and a 3.0 WAR on the season with one game to go.

As noted by TSN's StatsCentre, Langeliers is now tied for the second-most home runs in a single season by a primary catcher in the history of the Athletics' franchise – encompassing their time in Philadelphia, Kansas City and Oakland.

Terry Steinbach owns the record, having hit 35 in 1996, while Gene Tenace's 1975 season is slotted right alongside Langeliers' 2024 campaign in second place. Langeliers also hit 22 home runs in 2023, which ranks fifth on the list.

The 26-year-old backstop has proven himself to be a key piece of the Athletics' young core, alongside Brent Rooker, JJ Bleday, Lawrence Butler and Mason Miller. Considering he was who Oakland got in return for All-Star slugger Matt Olson in 2022, it's only fitting that Langeliers has delivered the team plenty of homers in his own right.

Langeliers and the A's will wrap up the 2024 regular season – their last as Oakland's MLB franchise – on Sunday. First pitch against the Mariners is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. ET.

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a Staff Writer for Fastball on the Sports Illustrated/FanNation networks. He previously covered UCLA Athletics for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's All Bruins, 247Sports' Bruin Report Online, Rivals' Bruin Blitz, the Bleav Podcast Network and the Daily Bruin, with his work as a sports columnist receiving awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's New England Patriots site, Patriots Country, and he was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk.

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