Kurtz Powers A’s Past Giants in 5-2 Victory to Start Series

The Athletics kicked off their three-game series against the Giants on a beautiful Friday night at Sutter Health Park, delivering a thrilling 5-2 victory. The win was spearheaded by a strong performance from starting pitcher Aaron Civale, a game-changing blast from first baseman Nick Kurtz, and a resilient bullpen that held firm under pressure.

Civale set the tone early, tossing a scoreless first inning while retiring the first three Giants hitters in order. Giants pitcher Tyler Mahle matched his counterpart, allowing a two-out double from A’s left fielder Tyler Soderstrom before striking out designated hitter Brent Rooker to complete a clean first inning.

The A’s broke through in the second inning. After third baseman Zack Gelof walked with two outs, shortstop Darell Hernaiz blooped a single to right field, advancing Gelof to third. Jeff McNeil then delivered his ninth double of the season, scoring Gelof. However, the Giants executed a perfect relay throw to nab Hernaiz at home plate, a decision that might have left Kurtz, who was on deck, feeling a bit shortchanged with a chance to drive in more runs.

After a quick seven-pitch inning from Civale, the Giants struck back in the fourth. Second baseman Luis Arraez launched a solo home run to right field, marking his first of the season and as a Giant. Later in the inning, with two outs, back-to-back hits from left fielder Heliot Ramos and shortstop Willy Adames put pressure on Civale, but he managed to escape the jam by inducing a sharp line-out from designated hitter Bryce Eldridge.

The Giants took their first lead in the fifth when center fielder Harrison Bader hit a solo home run, his third of the season, to left field. Despite allowing two singles after that, Civale limited the damage by retiring Matt Chapman and Rafael Devers, keeping the score at 2-1.

The A’s responded powerfully in the bottom of the fifth. Right fielder Lawrence Butler led off with a single, and after a sacrifice bunt from Hernaiz advanced him to second, McNeil’s single to left put Butler at third with only one out. Kurtz then stepped up and delivered, hitting a three-run home run to left center, his eighth of the season and third in as many games, putting the A’s back in front.

But the A’s weren’t finished. Following Kurtz’s blast, Shea Langeliers and Rooker added bloop singles, and Bolte capped off the inning with an RBI single, scoring Langeliers. Mahle’s night ended on a sour note as he struggled to maintain the lead.

Reliever Joel Kuhnel took over for Civale in the sixth, who had another solid outing despite giving up two home runs. Kuhnel pitched a scoreless inning, getting the next two hitters out after Adames had doubled. Then, in the seventh, left-handed reliever Jose Suarez made his A’s debut. He found himself in a tight spot after allowing a single and a double, but managed to strike out Chapman and get Devers to ground out, showcasing his resilience.

Right-hander Luis Medina followed with a stress-free scoreless eighth inning, continuing his strong performance in relief with a 1.62 ERA in his first season post Tommy John surgery. Finally, left-hander Hogan Harris came in for the ninth, securing the save opportunity. He recorded two quick outs, allowed Arraez’s fourth hit of the game, but rebounded to retire Chapman, sealing the A’s 5-2 victory and marking Harris’s third save of the season.

Despite a few late-game jitters in the bullpen, the A’s managed to protect their lead, securing Civale’s fifth win of 2026 and setting a positive tone for the rivalry series.

As the teams prepare for the middle game of the series, right-hander Luis Severino is slated to pitch for the A’s. The 32-year-old has had a rocky start to the season with a 2-4 record and a 4.07 ERA. After two solid outings that ended in losses, he’ll be looking to turn the tide. The Giants will counter with young right-hander Trevor McDonald, who enters his third start with a 1-0 record and a 2.92 ERA, promising another exciting matchup tomorrow evening.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.