The Oakland Athletics secured a 6-2 victory against the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night, May 13, 2026, powered by a go-ahead grand slam from Nick Kurtz. The victory at Sutter Health Park saw the reigning American League Rookie of the Year extend his on-base streak to 36 consecutive games.
Kurtz drove a pitch over the center-field wall in the fifth inning to erase a 1-0 deficit, marking his third career grand slam. The offensive surge supported starting pitcher J.T. Ginn, who earned the win after throwing six innings and allowing only one unearned run despite surrendering nine hits, according to CBS News.
St. Louis had initially taken the lead in the fourth inning when Nathan Church hit an RBI single. However, Cardinals starter Matthew Liberatore struggled in the fifth, allowing four runs on nine hits and two walks over five innings of work.
The Athletics’ lineup saw significant contributions from several players, including Darell Hernaiz who recorded three hits. Zack Gelof added a solo home run in the eighth inning to provide late-game insurance for the Oakland bullpen.
Top prospect Henry Bolte made his major league debut for the Athletics after being promoted from Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday. Bolte recorded his first career hit in his initial at-bat during the second inning and later added a sacrifice fly in the seventh to earn his first RBI.
The Cardinals attempted a comeback in the seventh inning when Iván Herrera drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, but the St. Louis offense ultimately left multiple runners on base. CBS News reported that Ginn struck out three batters and walked only one to improve his season record to 2-1.
The two teams are scheduled to conclude their series on Thursday. Left-hander Jacob Lopez is expected to start for the Athletics against right-hander Michael McGreevy for the Cardinals.