Nick Kurtz -- General News
General News sources for Nick Kurtz of the Athletics
The Oakland Athletics defeated the Baltimore Orioles 4-3 on Friday at Camden Yards behind strong performances from first baseman Nick Kurtz and pitcher Jacob Lopez. Kurtz extended his MLB-leading on-base streak to 32 games with an infield single in the third inning, then delivered the decisive blow with a bases-clearing triple in the fifth inning that broke a 1-1 tie and gave Oakland a 3-1 advantage. The 23-year-old reigning AL Rookie of the Year has rebounded from a slow start (1-for-21 in his first six games) to post a .296 batting average with 34 hits in 115 at-bats over his last 31 games. Kurtz currently leads the majors in walks with 36, tied with Mike Trout, and ranks seventh in on-base percentage at .413. Lopez, making his second start after being skipped in the rotation due to control issues, delivered one of his strongest performances of the season, allowing just two runs across 5 1/3 innings while striking out five and limiting walks to two. He was pulled after allowing a solo home run to Adley Rutschman in the sixth inning. Manager Mark Kotsay praised Lopez's command, noting he "threw strikes, didn't beat himself tonight."