Nick Kurtz reached base for the 44th straight game, tying his run to a franchise milestone as the Athletics rallied past the Los Angeles Angels 3-2 in 10 innings at Angel Stadium. The win came after a first-inning two-run homer by Nolan Schanuel and a late tyi
Angel Stadium felt like a long test of patience. and for a while the Los Angeles Angels looked ready to pass it. They jumped ahead 2-0 in the first inning on a Nolan Schanuel two-run homer. following a single by Mike Trout. and Jose Soriano made it hard on the Athletics early—striking out five of the first six hitters he faced and finishing with seven strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings.
Then Nick Kurtz kept doing the one thing that kept turning the lights on for Oakland: reach base.
Kurtz finished Thursday’s game with an RBI single in the sixth inning and pushed his on-base streak to 44 consecutive games. the longest active streak in Major League Baseball this season. It moved him past Ping Bodie’s 43-game run from 1917 for the third-longest single-season on-base streak in Athletics franchise history. Only Mark McGwire—who reached base in 48 straight games in 1996—and Jimmie Foxx. who put together a 47-game streak in 1932. remain ahead of him.
For Kurtz. the streak isn’t just a number—it’s a reminder of how quickly the Athletics’ future is arriving. At age 23. he became the youngest player since Albert Pujols in 2001 to record an on-base streak of at least 44 games at age 23 or younger. Among players 23 or younger since 1900. only Ted Williams (69 games in 1941 and 44 games in 1941). Stan Musial (55 in 1943). Greg Gross (52 in 1975). Joe DiMaggio (52 in 1937). Pujols (48 in 2001). and Alvin Davis (47 in 1984) have produced longer streaks.
On the field, the comeback started in the sixth. Shea Langeliers doubled, and Kurtz lined an RBI single up the middle to pull the Athletics within a run. In the seventh, Darell Hernaiz tied the game with an RBI single that scored Zack Gelof.
Luis Severino kept the game from breaking open, holding it close with seven innings of three-hit ball. He allowed two runs, struck out 10, and did not issue a walk.
The tie didn’t crack until the 10th. The Athletics stayed level with the Angels until Angel Stadium’s pressure shifted—when Gelof’s fielder’s choice allowed Kurtz to score the winning run after the Angels failed to complete a double play.
Mark Leiter Jr. closed it out for his fourth save, and the Athletics completed the kind of win they’ve been collecting lately. It was their 14th comeback win of the season. tied with the Cleveland Guardians for the most in the American League and fourth-most in Major League Baseball. With the victory, the Athletics secured three wins in the four-game series.
The Athletics’ season story keeps finding new chapters. but Thursday belonged to the same driver: patience. pressure. and a streak that refuses to end. For Kurtz. the next step is clear—McGwire’s 48 straight games in 1996 sit at the top of the list. and now Kurtz is closer than anyone in the franchise history to catching him.
Nick Kurtz Athletics Los Angeles Angels on-base streak Angel Stadium Nolan Schanuel Mike Trout Jose Soriano Shea Langeliers Darell Hernaiz Zack Gelof Luis Severino Mark Leiter Jr.