Athletics fall behind early, lose at home to Cardinals

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — JJ Wetherholt hit a two-run homer, José Fermín drove in two with a double and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Athletics 6-4 on Tuesday night.

The Cardinals snapped a two-game skid and improved their major league-best road record to 14-7. They have yet to lose three straight road games this season.

The Athletics plan to move to Las Vegas in 2028, when they are scheduled to open play at a new ballpark on the Strip.

Andre Pallante (4-3) struck out four and allowed four hits and three runs in five innings. Four relievers followed, with Riley O’Brien working around a leadoff walk in the ninth for his 12th save.

Wetherholt’s shot to right off Joel Kuhnel in the sixth inning put the Cardinals ahead 6-3.

St. Louis scored four times in the first inning. Jordan Walker drove in the first run with a single, Fermín’s double brought in two and Yohel Pozo singled to score Fermín.

The A’s answered in the second when Nick Kurtz hit an RBI single to extend his on-base streak to 35 games. His streak is the longest by an Athletics player since Jack Cust reached in 40 straight from Aug. 28, 2008 to April 18, 2009, and is the fourth-longest for the Athletics this century.

Shea Langeliers added an RBI double in the second and hit a 448-foot homer in the eighth for the A’s.

Jeffrey Springs (3-3) gave up four runs in five innings. The A’s were held to six hits.

Iván Herrera had two of the Cardinals’ 10 hits. St. Louis went 3 for 11 with runners in scoring position.

Up next

Cardinals LHP Matthew Liberatore (2-1, 4.07 ERA) gets the start against A’s RHP J.T. Ginn (1-1, 3.62) as the series continues Wednesday.