Nick Kurtz hits 3rd career grand slam to help the Athletics beat the Cardinals 6-2

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Nick Kurtz hit a grand slam, J.T. Ginn pitched six innings of one-run ball and the Athletics beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-2 on Wednesday night.

Kurtz' slam got over Victor Scott II's glove in deep center field to give the A's the lead for good. It was the third career grand slam for the reigning American League Rookie of the Year, and extended his on-base streak to 36 games.

Ginn (2-1) struck out three, walked one, and allowed nine hits. The run he allowed was unearned after a fielding error by Colby Thomas.

Zack Gelof had a solo homer in the eighth. Darell Hernaiz had three hits, and Kurtz, Thomas, and Michael Stefanic each had two.

Henry Bolte had two hits in his major league debut after being called up from Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday. He got his first career hit in his first career at-bat in the second, and added his first RBI on a sac fly in the seventh.

Nathan Church's RBI single in the fourth got the Redbirds on the board first, and Iván Herrera brought in the second run with a seventh-inning sac fly.

Matthew Liberatore (2-2) worked five innings and struck out five while allowing nine hits, four runs, and two walks.

LHP Jacob Lopez (3-2, 6.11) was set to start for the A's on Thursday against RHP Michael McGreevy (3-2, 2.18) in the series finale.

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