WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Interstat) — Nick Kurtz homered for a third straight game, hitting a go-ahead three-run shot in the fifth inning, and the Athletics beat the San Francisco Giants 5-2 on Friday night at Sutter Health Park.

Kurtz lined a 1-2 pitch from Tyler Mahle 417 feet to straightaway center field for his eighth home run, turning a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 lead. The blast came after Lawrence Butler and Jeff McNeil strung together singles around a sacrifice bunt by Darell Hernaiz, putting runners on the corners. Rookie Henry Bolte later added a two-out single that drove in Shea Langeliers for the final run of the inning and the game.

The Athletics improved to 23-21, while the Giants fell to 18-27.

Luis Arraez went 4 for 5 with a home run and an RBI for San Francisco, and Harrison Bader added two hits including a solo homer. But the Giants could not overcome the Athletics’ four-run fifth.

Aaron Civale earned the win, improving to 5-1 after allowing two runs on six hits over five innings with two strikeouts. Hogan Harris picked up his third save with a scoreless ninth, striking out one. Mahle took the loss, falling to 1-5, after surrendering four runs on six hits in four-plus innings.

The game began as a pitching duel. The Giants threatened in the first inning but could not score against Civale. Jung Hoo Lee lined out, Arraez lined out and Matt Chapman struck out to end the top of the first. The Athletics got a ground-rule double from Tyler Soderstrom in the bottom half but left him stranded.

San Francisco broke through in the top of the fourth. Arraez led off with a solo home run to right field, his first of the season, putting the Giants up 1-0. The inning continued with singles from Heliot Ramos and Willy Adames, but Civale escaped without further damage.

The Giants added another run in the fifth. Bader led off with a solo homer to left, his third of the year, making the score 2-0. Lee and Arraez followed with singles, putting runners on first and second with nobody out. But Civale retired Chapman on a pop out and struck out Rafael Devers to end the threat.

The Athletics answered immediately in the bottom of the fifth. Butler singled to right and advanced to second on Hernaiz’s sacrifice bunt. McNeil then singled to left, putting runners on the corners. Mahle stayed in to face Kurtz, who crushed the 1-2 pitch for a three-run homer, giving the Athletics a 4-2 lead. Langeliers followed with a single, and after a flyout by Soderstrom, Brent Rooker singled to put runners on first and third. Bolte then lined a run-scoring single to left, extending the lead to 5-2.

San Francisco had chances to rally. In the sixth, Adames doubled with one out and moved to third on a groundout, but Daniel Susac struck out to end the inning. In the seventh, Bader singled and Arraez doubled to put runners on second and third with one out, but Chapman struck out and Devers grounded out. In the ninth, Arraez singled with two outs, but Chapman grounded out to end the game.

The Athletics used four relievers after Civale. José Suarez pitched a scoreless sixth, allowing two hits and striking out one. Joel Kuhnel worked a perfect seventh with two strikeouts. Harris closed the ninth with a strikeout and a groundout.

For the Giants, relievers Tristan Beck, Sam Hentges and Ryan Borucki each pitched a scoreless inning, combining for three strikeouts.

The game featured 10 hits for each team. San Francisco pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts, 48 balls and 12 balls in play. Athletics pitchers combined for 13 strikeouts, 42 balls and 13 balls in play.

Attendance was 12,348, and the game lasted 2 hours, 27 minutes.

The Giants had won four of their previous five games before Thursday’s loss to the Dodgers, but could not build momentum against a young Athletics lineup that has been surging. The Athletics took the opener of this three-game interleague series after splitting a two-game set with the Cardinals.

San Francisco continues its road trip with the second game of the series Saturday, while the Athletics look to extend their winning streak at home.

The two teams meet again Saturday and Sunday before the Giants travel to Arizona for a three-game set against the Diamondbacks. The Athletics then head to Los Angeles for a four-game series against the Angels.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of San Francisco Giants 5, Athletics 4. Interstat’s ELO system had projected the Athletics with a 51.60 percent probability to win. The Athletics were installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The total score of 7 went over the over/under line of 9.5.