WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Nick Kurtz launched a grand slam in the fifth inning to propel the Athletics to a 6-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday, extending his on-base streak to 36 games.
The reigning American League Rookie of the Year drove a pitch from Matthew Liberatore over the head of center fielder Victor Scott II, clearing the bases and giving Oakland the lead for good. It was Kurtz’s third career grand slam.
J.T. Ginn (2-1) pitched six innings, allowing one unearned run on nine hits with one walk and three strikeouts. The unearned run came in the fourth on Nathan Church’s RBI single after an error by right fielder Colby Thomas.
Making his major league debut, Henry Bolte went 2-for-2 with a single, a walk and a sacrifice fly. The 22-year-old, promoted Tuesday from the Aviators, recorded his first hit in his first at-bat in the second inning and added his first RBI in the seventh.
Zack Gelof added a solo home run in the eighth. Darell Hernaiz had three hits, while Kurtz, Thomas and Michael Stefanic each contributed two hits for the A’s.
Ivan Herrera drove in St. Louis’s second run with a sacrifice fly in the seventh. Liberatore (2-2) took the loss, allowing four runs on nine hits and two walks over five innings, striking out five.
Up next
Left-hander Jacob Lopez (3-2, 6.11 ERA) is scheduled to start for the A’s on Thursday against Cardinals right-hander Michael McGreevy (3-2, 2.18) in the series finale.
