Nick Kurtz's 42-Game On-Base Streak Is Happening And The League Needs To Pay Attention

Alright, so you saw that game last night, right? The A's just absolutely WENT OFF on the Angels, a ridiculous 14-6 win that felt like it came out of nowhere. But here’s the kicker, the part that's actually wild: Nick Kurtz, their first baseman, isn't just hitting, he's basically making history right now. He snagged another three hits and five RBIs, pushing his on-base streak to an absurd 42 straight games. Forty-two! That's more than anyone in MLB last season, and we should all be watching what this dude is doing.

The Angels' Nightmare and a Glimmer of Hope

Look, the A's dropped 12 of their 14 runs with two outs, including all six in the third inning. Angels manager Kurt Suzuki sounded totally helpless afterward, saying, "Sometimes, it's tough to get that last out... stop that momentum." He's not wrong, man. When they got rolling, they just kept going, early in the count too. It was a complete unraveling for the Halos. Now, for the Angels' sake, there was one tiny bright spot: they only fanned five times. Suzuki even gave them props for "battling with two strikes" and "putting some good swings on some pitches." Yeah, they scored six runs, which snapped a brutal seven-game streak where they couldn't even crack two runs. Remember Monday? They got no-hit for eight innings, only pulling off a 2-1 walk-off win against the A's thanks to Zach Neto's ninth-inning homer. That win ended a six-game skid, so at least they showed *some* life then. But Tuesday? Oof. Big step backward.

Pitching Matchups and Kurtz's Chase for History

Tonight, the Angels need some serious relief, but they're sending Jack Kochanowicz to the mound, and honestly, the dude has been struggling hard. He's 2-3 with a 4.56 ERA, and this month alone, he's 0-3 with a brutal 7.71 ERA in three starts. He just gave up six earned runs for the second straight outing against the Dodgers last Friday, and his career ERA against the A's is a mind-boggling 12.38 in two starts. That's not exactly inspiring confidence. The A's, though, are trotting out Aaron Civale, who's been lights out. He's 5-1 with a 2.70 ERA, and this month he's rocking a 3-0 record with an even nastier 1.69 ERA. Last Friday, he dealt two runs and six hits in five innings against the Giants for a win. He's got a 3-1 record and a 4.28 ERA in five career starts against the Angels, and he even blanked them on one hit over 6 1/3 innings back on August 2 when he was with the White Sox. Talk about a mismatch. And Civale knows who's got his back. He said Nick Kurtz "is able to pick me and a lot of other pitchers up." No kidding! Kurtz's 42-game on-base streak? It just blew past Kyle Schwarber's MLB-best 41 games from last season. The franchise record, held by Mark McGwire, is 62 games. Can Kurtz get there? That's what we need to be watching. So, tonight's game is a big one for the Angels to try and stop this slide, but it’s looking tough with Kochanowicz on the bump. For the A's, they're riding a wave of offensive firepower and a legitimate history-making streak from Nick Kurtz. This early season, these kinds of individual performances and team trends can really set the tone. Can the Angels stop the bleeding, or are we about to see Kurtz put up numbers that truly turn heads across the entire league? You gotta tune in.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.