WEST SACRAMENTO -- They say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but the Athletics have brought their newfound offensive momentum home with them. First baseman Nick Kurtz and the A’s made that evident in Monday’s 11-2 win over the Pirates at Sutter Health Park.
Kurtz headlined the big offensive night for the A’s, slugging two opposite-field home runs to take over the MLB lead in dingers this June with eight. After a two-run shot off Pirates starter Jared Jones in the second inning, Kurtz launched a three-run homer in the seventh to put the A’s into double digits.
The club’s offensive outburst was an important step toward proving last week’s hot hitting at Las Vegas Ballpark -- namely, 20 home runs and 47 runs in just six games -- wasn’t simply a product of the high-scoring environment out in Sin City.
Manager Mark Kotsay said after Sunday’s win over the Rockies that the A’s could hopefully “move the needle forward” thanks to a productive trip to Vegas, which will be the club’s permanent home beginning in 2028. Their first game back in West Sacramento sure boded well for that, and it wasn’t just Kurtz.
Second baseman Jeff McNeil broke an 0-for-20 drought in style, going 3-for-4 with a home run and a season-high four RBIs. Third baseman Zack Gelof lashed an RBI single in the fifth to extend his hitting streak to 19 games, a career-best and the longest active streak in the Majors. And outfielders Tyler Soderstrom and Lawrence Butler both continued recent hot stretches with multihit games.
All told, the A’s racked up 15 hits against the Pirates, reaching double digits for the fourth straight game. Starter J.T. Ginn completed six innings and held Pittsburgh to one unearned run, a welcome improvement after the A’s allowed 23 runs to the Rockies in Sunday’s lopsided loss.