Rocklin alum Mears earns homecoming win against A's

Rocklin native Nick Mears made the most of a homecoming opportunity Tuesday night. Pitching in front of a large group of family and friends, Mears pitched a scoreless ninth inning and picked up the win as the Kansas City Royals defeated the Athletics 4-1 in 10 innings at Sutter Health Park. Mears, a former Rocklin High School and Sacramento City College standout, retired the A's in order in the bottom of the ninth, striking out two on 14 pitches. He finished his outing by striking out Nick Kurtz swinging, shutting down the heart of the lineup and keeping the game tied heading into extra innings. Mears has been effective in a bullpen role this season, going 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA across 12 appearances. In 11 innings, he's allowed six hits while holding opponents to a .167 batting average. While the outing itself was clean and efficient, the setting made it stand out as Mears had a steady rooting section above the Kansas City dugout. "It'll be good to see all of them," Mears said pregame of seeing his family and friends. "We're on the road for eight months out of the year, so to be able to kind of have that time with family and friends, it definitely takes a load off." Among those in attendance was his grandmother, who Mears said hadn't seen him pitch in person since he was 12. "To be able to experience that with her is going to be awesome," Mears said. The appearance marked a return to a familiar place. Growing up in Rocklin, Mears visited the ballpark as a kid and even stepped on the field during Little League events. "As a kid, it was like this was the mecca of baseball to me," he said. "So to be able to play here in a big-league game is definitely a little surreal." Mears nearly missed the opportunity at a homecoming altogether. When the schedule was released during the offseason, he was still with the Milwaukee Brewers and saw their trip to take on the Athletics wouldn't include Sacramento but would be in Las Vegas instead. "I was not too happy, to say the least," Mears said. "It was like, 'Why this series? Why?' " A trade to the Royals changed that and gave him the chance to pitch a big-league game close to home. Despite the added attention and ticket requests, Mears said his approach on the mound didn't change. "In the moment, it's like any other game," Mears said. "But afterwards, you get to share that experience with your family and your friends that sometimes they only get to see through a TV." That steady approach has been key in a career that didn't follow a typical path to the majors. After pitching at Sacramento City College, Mears was not drafted and took the independent baseball route, working his way through multiple levels before being signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Mears made his major-league debut in 2020 with the Pirates and is in his sixth season with stops in Pittsburgh, Colorado, Milwaukee and now Kansas City. "There's a bit of luck involved, for sure," Mears said of his path to the majors. "As an undrafted free agent, it's kind of like you're going to keep going until it doesn't work out anymore. And once it doesn't work out, that's the threshold. Luckily for me, I kind of got up quick and got to prove myself, and I'm lucky to say I'm still here." Even now, he admits the process hasn't always felt certain. "You still have those days," he said. "It's like any other job. Some days you're like, 'I know what I'm doing,' and most of the time you're like, 'I hope this works.' " Mears said his postseason experience with the Brewers in 2024 and 2025 also helped reshape his mindset, reinforcing the team-first intensity that comes with pitching in big moments. "It opened my eyes," he said. "You're not just playing for your own stats. You're playing for every other guy in that dugout." That experience was on display Tuesday as he delivered in a critical moment against the top of the order in a tie game.