Nick Kurtz and Brent Rooker each homered and drove in a pair of runs on Sunday to help the Athletics post a 7-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds in West Sacramento, Calif.
Jacob Wilson and Colby Thomas also homered for the A’s (70-80), who swept the Reds and won their fourth straight game. Luis Morales (4-1) threw five innings of three-run, four-hit ball, while striking out two and walking two. Michael Kelly threw a perfect ninth, securing the win while recording his first career save.
Nick Lodolo (8-8) allowed five runs on eight hits across 5 1/3 innings, striking out five and walking none for the Reds (74-75), who fell 2 1/2 games behind the New York Mets for the National League’s final wild-card spot. Will Benson homered and drove in two for Cincinnati, which was swept after winning four of its previous five games.
The Reds struck first two batters into the game when Noelvi Marte hit his 13th homer of the season to give Cincinnati a 1-0 lead.
In the second, Gavin Lux led off with a walk before Benson hit his 12th homer of the season to push the lead to 3-0.
The A’s cut into the lead in the fourth, as Wilson began the scoring with his 13th homer of the season — a 379-foot solo shot. Three batters later, Thomas pulled the Athletics within one as the rookie drilled his sixth home run of the year.
With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Lodolo hit Wilson with a pitch before surrendering Kurtz’s 32nd homer of the year to give the A’s a 4-3 edge.
In relief of Morales, Brady Basso retired Lux and walked Austin Hays, before getting Ke’Bryan Hayes to pop out. Basso was then replaced by Tyler Ferguson, who allowed Jose Trevino’s single before Matt McLain’s flyout ended the inning.
After Thomas’ leadoff single in the sixth, Brett Harris followed a sac bunt with an RBI double, giving the A’s a 5-3 lead and chasing Lodolo from the game.
The Athletics doubled their lead in the seventh, as Kurtz’s walk was followed with Rooker’s 29th homer of the year, extending the margin to four off reliever Zach Maxwell.
The Reds cut their deficit to three in the eighth on the third homer of Sal Stewart’s rookie season.
