Sacramento A’s Nick Kurtz (16) stands at second after hitting an RBI double in the second inning against the Kansas City Royals. Later Kurtz drew a walk for his 19th straight game this season tying former Boston Red Sox Ted Williams for the third longest bases on balls streak. Detroit’s Roy Cullenbine in 1947 is second on the list and first is former San Francisco Giant Barry Bonds 2002-03. (AP News photo)

By Mauricio Segura

The Sacramento Athletics did not wait around to let stomachs settle after lunch to decide what kind of game this would be on Thursday afternoon.

On a clear 12:06 p.m. first pitch West Sacramento day, the Kansas City Royals opened with Maikel Garcia ripping a double to right, then pushed across the first run when Starling Marte lined a two-out single to right. It was a fast, quick punch from Kansas City, the kind that can make a home crowd shift in its seat before the nacho sauce kicks in prompting an early inning bathroom break. But the A’s answered right away, and that response set the tone for a 6-3 win built on patience, sharp contact, and just enough bullpen backbone.

Jacob Wilson, who came in riding a strong stretch at the plate and carrying the longest errorless streak by an Athletics shortstop in franchise history, opened the bottom of the first with a single. Shea Langeliers followed with a double, putting the tying run 90 feet away. After Nick Kurtz struck out and Colby Thomas walked after an upheld ABS challenge, Darell Hernaiz punched a grounder through the left side of the infield, deflected by third baseman Garcia, to bring Wilson home. Just like that, the A’s had wiped away Kansas City’s opening jab.

The Royals briefly grabbed the lead again in the second when Garcia, already a problem, launched his third home run of the season to left-center. For Kansas City, Garcia was everywhere. He doubled twice, homered, scored twice, and even stole third in the fourth. But the game turned into green and gold hues in the bottom of the second, when the A’s lineup stopped tapping on the door and kicked it in instead.

Lawrence Butler started the rally with a walk, Wilson followed with another single, and Langeliers drilled his second double of the game to left to score Butler and tie it 2-2. Then came Kurtz, whose eye at the plate has been one of the biggest stories of the Athletics’ season.

He entered the day with an ongoing Athletics-record 18-game walk streak and one of the best on-base marks in the league, but this time he did not wait for a free pass. Kurtz smashed a double to center, scoring Wilson and Langeliers, and suddenly the A’s led 4-2. Hernaiz later added another ground-ball single, bringing home Kurtz after an error by second baseman Nick Loftin helped him move into scoring position. By the end of the inning, the Athletics had scored four runs and turned a one-run deficit into a 5-2 lead.

That second inning was the day’s heartbeat. A well-built rally from an old baseball textbook: a walk, singles, doubles, pressure, and a defense forced into mistakes. Langeliers was right in the middle of it, finishing with three doubles and two runs scored. Wilson added two hits and two runs, continuing to look like one of the steadiest young bats in the lineup. Hernaiz drove in three runs, a big swing of production from the lower half of the order without needing to actually swing big.

Kansas City had chances to climb back. In the fourth, Garcia doubled again, stole third, Bobby Witt Jr. walked, and Lane Thomas was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs. But Luis Medina, who had replaced Jeffrey Springs to start the inning due to a possible injury, escaped when Salvador Perez flew out to center. Medina again had to work through traffic in the sixth after Isaac Collins singled and Witt walked, but Scott Barlow came in and got Thomas to ground out to end the threat.

The A’s added insurance in the seventh, and once again it came from the same cast. Langeliers opened with his third double, Kurtz was intentionally walked (tying none other than Ted Williams for the all-time top spot), and pinch-hitter Jeff McNeil forced out Kurtz while moving Langeliers to third. Hernaiz then beat out another grounder to short, scoring Langeliers and giving the Athletics a 6-2 cushion. It was not glamorous, but it was useful, and in baseball, useful wins a lot of afternoons.

The Royals got one back in the eighth on Elias Díaz’s first home run of the season, a fly ball to right that cut the lead to 6-3. But Brady Basso kept the damage there, and Jack Perkins handled the ninth after Jac Caglianone opened with a pinch-hit single. Perkins retired Perez on a flyout, struck out Michael Massey, and ended it when Vinnie Pasquantino lined sharply to center, where Zack Gelof put it away.

For the Athletics, the win carried a little extra weight. They entered the day two games over .500, in first place in the AL West, and trying to finish April with their best record in the month since 2014. They did it with exactly the kind of game that makes a first-place stretch feel less like a fluke and more like a team learning how to win in different ways.

Friday will see former A’s player, now Guardians manager, Stephen Vogt, bring in his boys from Cleveland for a three game weekend series. One that will no doubt include fireworks from both sides. First pitch Friday is schedule for 6:40pm with J.T. Ginn (0-0 / 3.24 ERA / 19k’s) on the mound for Sacramento against the southpaw Hawaiian Joseph Cantillo (1-1 / 2.97 ERA / 34k’s).

Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

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Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

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