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Nick Kurtz falls short of Roy Cullenbine’s record despite historic run
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- Nick Kurtz falls short of Roy Cullenbine’s record despite historic run
Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
Nick Kurtz ’s historic run finally stopped on Saturday, but the ending still said plenty about why pitchers have treated him so carefully.
The Athletics first baseman did not draw a walk in a 14-6 defeat to the Cleveland Guardians , closing his streak at 20 consecutive games.
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That tied Kurtz with Barry Bonds for the second-longest walk streak in MLB history, two games short of Roy Cullenbine’s all-time mark.
Nick Kurtz fails to reach Roy Cullenbine’s milestone after Barry Bonds tie
Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
Kurtz had a chance to move alone into second place when he batted with the bases loaded in the eighth inning.
Instead of extending the streak to 21 games, he punched a 100.6 mph RBI single into right field.
The 20-game run began in April, against the New York Mets, when Kurtz walked twice against Clay Holmes .
Across that stretch, he drew 25 walks in 94 plate appearances, including four multi-walk games.
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The leaderboard now remains clear. Cullenbine leads with 22 games from 1947, while Bonds and Kurtz sit together on 20, ahead of Ted Williams on 19.
Nick Kurtz’s value to Athletics goes beyond walks
Despite the end of the walk streak, Kurtz’s on-base streak survived, something to which the Athletics should give high value.
He reached base in a 27th straight game on Saturday, opening the game with a single before later adding the RBI hit.
Kurtz’s walk streak is over, but his profile remains dangerous. Pitchers can avoid him, but when they challenge him, Kurtz is still doing damage.
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