SAN DIEGO — Carlos Cortes hit a leadoff home run and Nick Kurtz extended his on-base streak to 47 games as the AL West-leading Athletics beat the San Diego Padres 5-2 Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep.
The Athletics plan to move to Las Vegas in 2028, when they are scheduled to open play at a new ballpark on the Strip.
Kurtz, the 2025 AL Rookie of the Year, singled to right with one out in the third to tie Jimmie Foxx (1932) for the second-longest streak in Athletics history. He’s one shy of matching Mark McGwire’s club-record streak of 48 games to open the 1996 season. Kurtz’s streak is the longest in the majors this year.
Kurtz came up with the bases loaded and two outs in the fourth and struck out against Ron Marinaccio, who had relieved starter Michael King (4-3). King had loaded the bases on Jonah Heim’s leadoff double and two walks, with Heim scoring on a wild pitch to make it 4-0. King walked Cortes with two outs to load the bases again before getting the hook.
Kurtz laid down a push bunt for a single in the ninth when third baseman Manny Machado was shaded toward shortstop.
Bulk pitcher Jacob Lopez (4-2) got the win and Scott Barlow came on with two on to get the final two outs for his first save.
Cortes hit King’s sixth pitch onto the party deck atop the right field wall, his fifth.
The bottom of the Athletics’ order came through in the second, when No. 8 hitter Henry Bolte hit a two-out, RBI double to the gap in left-center and Alika Williams, who went to San Diego’s Rancho Bernardo High, singled him in.
San Diego’s Ty France homered in the seventh, his fifth.
Fernando Tatis Jr. had his third three-hit game of the season and flied out to right to end it. He’s yet to hit a homer this year.
