Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

A’s Blast Pirates 11-2, Kurtz Powers Two Homers

6/16/2026

45 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

On June 15, 2026, the Oakland Athletics beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 11–2 at Sutter Health Park.
Right-hander J.T. Ginn threw six innings, allowed one unearned run, earning the win.
Nick Kurtz hit two home runs and drove in five runs.
The win lifted the Athletics to 36-36, a half-game behind Seattle, while the Pirates dropped to 36-37 after losing eight of their last ten games.

History

Historical Context

After Charlie Finley’s “Swingin’ A’s” captured their third straight World Series in 1972—beating the Cincinnati Reds 4-3 with a 93-win regular season under manager Dick Williams—the franchise entered a low-payroll, Moneyball era and endured a 60-102 collapse in 2022. The 2026 club hopes new arms like J.T. Ginn can revive that 1970s dynasty.

1 of 2

Story summary

On June 15, 2026, the Oakland Athletics beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 11–2 at Sutter Health Park.
Right-hander J.T. Ginn threw six innings, allowed one unearned run, earning the win.
Nick Kurtz hit two home runs and drove in five runs.
The win lifted the Athletics to 36-36, a half-game behind Seattle, while the Pirates dropped to 36-37 after losing eight of their last ten games.

1 / 2