Kurtz draws walk for 19th game in row, A’s beat Royals 6-3

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif (AP) — Nick Kurtz drew a walk for his 19th consecutive game and hit a two-run double, helping the Athletics defeat the Kansas City Royals 6-3 on Thursday.

Shea Langeliers added three doubles, while Darell Hernaiz had three hits and two RBIs. Jacob Wilson had two hits and scored twice to help the A’s to their sixth win in nine games.

Elias Diaz hit his first home run of the season for the Royals, and Maikel Garcia and Starling Marte had three hits apiece. Vinnie Pasquantino missed his second straight start because of lower back tightness but pinch hit in the ninth and hit a game-ending flyout with a man on against Jack Perkins, who got his third save.

Kurtz built a 4-2 lead when he lined a 1-0 slider from Noah Cameron (2-2) to right-center in a four-run second that put the A’s ahead 5-2. Langeliers had an RBI double earlier in the inning, and Kurtz scored on shortstop Nick Loftin’s throwing error.

Kurtz was walked by John Schreiber in the seventh. He tied Ted Williams for the third-longest streak behind Detroit’s Roy Cullenbine in 1947 and San Francisco’s Barry Bonds in 2002-03. Records date to 1910 in the National League and 1913 in the American.

Luis Medina (1-1) allowed three hits in 2 2/3 scoreless innings in relief of starter Jeffrey Springs, who gave up two runs and five hits before leaving with right hip soreness after three innings and 67 pitches.

Cameron gave up five runs — four earned — and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Up next

Royals: LHP Cole Ragans (1-4, 5.00 ERA) starts Friday at Seattle, which sends RHP Bryan Wood (1-2, 3.86) to the mound.

Athletics: RHP J.T. Ginn (0-0, 3.24) starts Friday against visiting Cleveland and LHP Joey Cantillo (1-1, 2.97).

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