DETROIT (AP) — Jacob Lopez pitched seveninnings and Nick Kurtz hit a three-run homer to help the Athletics beat the Detroit Tigers 3-0 on Wednesday night.
Lopez (2-4) gave up three hits and a walk, striking out six to improve to 2-0 with a 0.82 ERA in his last four starts.
Jack Flaherty (5-9) took the loss, allowing three runs on five hits and four walks in six innings. Flaherty struck out seven.
Flaherty walked two batters in the third before Kurtz hit a changeup to the top of the first row of shrubs above the 412-foot sign.
The Tigers didn’t get a runner in scoring position until Jahmai Jones doubled with two out in the sixth. Lopez got Riley Greene to ground out to end the inning.
The Athletics got two singles to start the eighth, putting runners on the corners, but Matt Gage and Dylan Smith escaped the inning.
Michael Kelly pitched the eighth, aided by running catches by Tyler Soderstrom in left and Denzel Clarke in center. Mason Miller threw a perfect ninth for his 15th save.
Key moment
Wenceel Pérez threatened Lopez’s shutout with a one-out triple in the seventh, but he bounced back to strike out Zach McKinstry. That brought Mark Kotsay out of the dugout and Kelly out of the bullpen, but Kotsay decided to stick with his starter for one more batter.
As Kelly reversed his steps, Lopez got Dillon Dingler to pop out to shortstop Jacob Wilson.
Key stat
Kurtz has homered six times in his last 10 games and ranks second in the majors among rookies with 11 homers.
Up next
The teams finish the three-game series Thursday, with Athletics LHP Jeffrey Springs (5-5, 4.52) facing LHP Dietrich Enns (season debut), who will be making his first MLB appearance since 2021. He spent 2022 and 2023 with the Seibu Lions in Japan and 2024 with the LG Twins in South Korea.
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