A's grab lead in ninth, beat Marlins in rubber game

Rookie Nick Kurtz tripled for his first career extra-base hit in the ninth inning and scored the tiebreaking run as the Athletics edged the host Miami Marlins 3-2 on Sunday afternoon.

Kurtz looped a one-out, opposite-field triple down the left field line off Anthony Bender (1-2). The hit had an exit velocity of just 89 mph, but it was well placed and followed by Tyler Soderstrom's pinch-hit RBI single to center as the A's took the rubber game of the three-game series.

Mitch Spence (1-0) earned the win with 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Tyler Ferguson notched his first save of the season as the A's rested closer Mason Miller.

Neither starter earned a decision. Miami's Edward Cabrera allowed seven hits, two runs and one walk with four strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. JP Sears lasted 6 1/3 innings for the A's, allowing two runs on four hits with two strikeouts and no walks.

Miami threatened in the first as Xavier Edwards led off with a single and stole second, but he was stranded.

The A's took a 2-0 lead in the second on a rally set up on back-to-back singles by Miguel Andujar and Jacob Wilson. Two outs later, Gio Urshela drilled a two-run double to left-center.

Former Marlins catcher Jhonny Pereda nearly made it 3-0 with a single, but center fielder Dane Myers threw Urshela out at the plate. Fortes made a great catch on the one-hop throw up the line and lunged to make the tag.

Miami tied the score in the fourth on a rally started by two-out singles from Connor Norby and Kyle Stowers. Myers drove them both home with a double to right-center.

The A's chased Cabrera in the sixth as Andujar walked, stole second and advanced to third on Wilson's single.

Miami brought in lefty reliever Anthony Veneziano, who froze Kurtz on a 1-2 slider that caught the bottom of the strike zone.

In the bottom of the ninth, Kyle Stowers, who had the game-winning grand slam on Saturday, struck out to end the game.

--Field Level Media