NEW YORK (Interstat) — In a taut pitchers’ duel defined by a single swing and a cascade of zeroes, the Athletics edged the New York Mets 1-0 on Sunday afternoon at Citi Field to secure a series sweep. A crowd of 37,316 watched as Athletics starter Aaron Civale and a parade of five relievers combined on a four-hit shutout, stifling the Mets’ offense for the second consecutive day.

The game’s only run came in the top of the third inning when Athletics rookie first baseman Nick Kurtz connected on a solo home run off Mets starter Freddy Peralta. The fly ball to right field, Kurtz’s first of the season, proved to be the decisive blow in a contest where hits were scarce and scoring opportunities were even rarer. Both teams managed only four hits apiece in a game that concluded in a brisk 2 hours and 22 minutes.

Civale, the winning pitcher, was the cornerstone of Oakland’s victory. He navigated 5 2/3 scoreless innings, scattering four hits while walking none and striking out three. He expertly worked out of his only significant jam in the sixth. After allowing back-to-back, two-out singles to Luis Torrens and Francisco Lindor, Civale induced a ground ball from Jorge Polanco that resulted in a fielder’s choice, ending the threat and his outing. Civale improved to 2-0 on the season, continuing a strong start that includes a 1.80 ERA over his first three appearances.

Peralta was the hard-luck loser for New York, delivering a quality start that ultimately went for naught. Over six innings, he allowed the one run on Kurtz’s homer, yielded four hits, walked one, and struck out six. His record fell to 1-1. Mets reliever Sean Manaea was equally dominant in relief, firing three perfect innings and striking out four, but the Mets’ lineup could not provide any support.

The Athletics’ bullpen authored a flawless final three innings. Hogan Harris recorded two strikeouts in a scoreless seventh, Scott Barlow and Elvis Alvarado combined for a clean eighth, and Joel Kuhnel worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning to secure his second save of the year. The Mets never advanced a runner past second base after the sixth inning.

The most critical sequence of the game unfolded in that bottom of the sixth. With Civale tiring and two Mets on base via singles, Jorge Polanco stepped in as the potential go-ahead run. Civale coaxed a ground ball to second baseman Jeff McNeil, who flipped to shortstop Darell Hernaiz for the force out on Lindor, stranding the tying run at third. The Athletics’ bullpen then retired the final 10 Mets batters in order to seal the victory.

Offensively, the game was a study in frustration for both sides. For Oakland, McNeil went 1-for-4 with a double, and Carlos Cortes added a single and a walk. For the Mets, Lindor collected two of the team’s four hits, going 2-for-4, but was left stranded both times.

With the win, the Athletics improved to 8-7 on the season and completed a three-game sweep of the Mets at Citi Field, having outscored New York 16-6 in the series. The Mets, who have now lost four of their last five games, fell to 7-9. The result defied pregame projections, as Interstat’s ELO system had given the Mets a 57.1% probability to win, and the simulator had predicted a 6-3 Athletics victory. The total of one run fell dramatically under the over/under line of 8.

The Athletics will open a four-game series at home against the Texas Rangers on Monday. The Mets embark on a six-game West Coast road trip, beginning with a three-game set against the Los Angeles Dodgers, also on Monday.