Kurtz's on-base streak continues to climb A's historic leaderboard

BALTIMORE -- While Nick Kurtz continues to wait for the return of his sensational rookie power numbers, he just keeps getting on base.

Kurtz connected for a two-run triple among his two hits and extended MLB’s longest on-base streak this season to 32 games to help the Athletics to a 4-3 victory over the Orioles in Friday night’s series opener at Camden Yards. The reigning American League Rookie of the Year tied Mark Ellis (2007) for the second-longest single-season on-base streak for the club since 2000, behind only Nick Swisher’s 2006 mark (36 games).

“I know for myself, the power streaks come and go,” said Kurtz, who has only five homers after clubbing 36 in 2025. “There’s other ways you can impact a game than hitting a home run. So whatever I’ve got to do that day is what I want to do.”

At the 37-game mark, Kurtz is on pace to finish 2026 with only about 20 round-trippers (though that could change quickly with a hot streak). And if anything, manager Mark Kotsay says that makes the 23-year-old’s current .413 on-base clip even more impressive.

“He continues to improve in ways that young hitters don’t normally have that much progress,” Kotsay said. “Talking about his ability to swing at strikes and take his walks. … Obviously the expectation is to hit for power, right? And I think he’s not chasing that right now, which is a good sign. It’ll come. He’s going to hit the ball hard. He’s been hitting the ball hard. And the results from home runs will be there at the end of the year.”

Zack Gelof added an RBI single during the A’s three-run fifth inning off O’s starter Kyle Bradish, who struck out 10 and only allowed seven Athletics aboard across seven frames.

Jacob Wilson produced an insurance run with an eighth-inning single off Trey Gibson as the A’s nabbed their second straight victory -- and their eighth of the season by one run -- after beginning this six-game East Coast trip with back-to-back losses.

“The experience of having all those one, two-run wins is only going to help us get better at it in September and October,” Kurtz said.

Jacob Lopez (3-2) allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings on solo shots from Pete Alonso and Adley Rutschman, the latter drive coming off his 91st and final pitch.

Justin Sterner completed the sixth, and Scott Barlow and Joel Kuhnel each worked frames. Jack Perkins retired two in the ninth before Samuel Basallo’s single narrowed it to 4-3, and Hogan Harris struck out Jeremiah Jackson with two aboard for his second save.

That helped ease the sting from two games before, when Kotsay’s bullpen allowed four eighth-inning runs in Wednesday’s 6-3 loss in Philadelphia.

“For our bullpen to come in and be able to secure the win, we’ve had a couple tough ones but they bounced back tonight,” Kotsay said.

Bradish had not yet allowed a hit until Kurtz legged out a single on his third-inning grounder to third.

The Orioles’ starter fanned Shea Langeliers to escape and strand two, but could not pull off a similar fate two frames later.

Wilson began the fifth with another infield single, quickly moved to second on Lawrence Butler’s opposite-field single to left, then scored when Gelof’s grounder found its way through an O’s defense putting on the wheel play to defend an expected bunt.

“We did have a bunt on, and then, at the last second they were playing really far in,” Gelof said. “[Kotsay] was yelling ‘Swing! Swing! Swing!’ And I’m like, ‘Allr ight, here we go.’”

Jeff McNeil moved the runners to second and third on a groundout that shortstop Gunnar Henderson booted out of being a potential inning-ending double play.

That allowed Kurtz to bat with two in scoring position, and he drove both home by pulling Bradish’s hanging 1-0 slider down the right-field line.

“Looking to put the ball in play,” Kurtz said. “Got to get a run in in those at-bats, especially after seeing him twice already. Should be able to put a ball in play. Would rather it be in the air. But we’ll take it. We’ll take a ground ball that gets through.”