WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Nick Kurtz joined Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire as the only Athletics rookies to hit 30 home runs and Lawrence Butler hit a ninth-inning walk-off single in a 5-4 win Wednesday over the Boston Red Sox and Aroldis Chapman, whose seven-week hitless streak ended.
Kurtz led off the second inning with a 357-foot shot to left field off Payton Tolle to give the A's a 2-1 lead. He is the 32nd player to hit 30 homers as a rookie. Canseco hit 33 in 1986 and McGwire hit 49 the following season.
Shea Langeliers led off the ninth with a double off Chapman (4-3), who hadn't surrendered a hit since July 23, a span of 50 batters and a franchise-record 17 appearances, the third-longest streak in MLB history since 1901. Langeliers advanced on a flyout and scored on Butler's single to left.
A’s rookie Jacob Wilson went 1 for 4 and is hitting .319, just behind major league leader Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees, who started the night at .321.
Langeliers hit his career-high 30th homer, a solo shot in the first. That run snapped a 19-inning scoreless streak for the A's, who were blanked in the first two games of the series.
Rob Refsnyder's RBI double off Elvis Avarado tied it at 4 in the ninth. Hogan Harris (2-1) came on and struck out Jarren Duran before retiring Alex Bregman for the win.
Nate Eaton and Trevor Story had RBI doubles and Duran drove in a run, putting put Boston up 3-2 in the fourth.
Tyler Soderstrom's two-run double in the fifth gave the A's a 4-3 lead.
Tolle gave up two runs in two innings in his third career start. Kyle Harrison, part of the trade that sent Rafael Devers to the Giants, made his major league debut and allowed three hits in three scoreless innings.
Mason Barnett gave up three runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings in his third career start for the A's.
Key moment
Butler's game winner came on a 100.2 mph fastball with a 1-2 count.
Key stat
Boston is 16-5 in 21 games against the Athletics since 2022.
Up next
Red Sox RHP Lucas Giolito (10-3, 3.38 ERA) starts Friday' against the visiting Yankees, who haven't named a starter.
The Athletics haven't name a starter for Friday's opener against the visiting Reds and RHP Brady Singer (13-9, 3.98).
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