Nick Kurtz is expected to become one of the linchpins of the Athletics by the time the franchise moves to Las Vegas, anticipated for the 2028 season.
The fourth overall pick in the 2024 draft might be ahead of schedule.
Kurtz took another step in his journey Monday night when he drilled a two-run, walk-off homer with none out in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Athletics a 3-1 victory over the Houston Astros.
Now he will look to help the A’s extend their season-best winning streak to five games when their four-game series against the Astros continues on Tuesday night in West Sacramento, Calif.
“There’s a lot of season left, a lot of baseball to go,” Kurtz said after his first career walk-off blast. “This season isn’t anywhere near over so we’re looking to win every single day.”
Kurtz starred at Wake Forest before the Athletics plucked him in the draft. The left-handed-hitting first baseman started this season at Triple-A Las Vegas but quickly showed he was ready for the majors after hitting .321 with seven homers, seven doubles and 24 RBIs in just 20 games.
Now Kurtz, 22, has seven major league homers in 34 games after going deep for the second straight contest.
He sustained a hip flexor injury while running the bases against the Philadelphia Phillies on May 24 in what was his third two-hit outing in a five-game span. Upon returning, he needed to find his timing and it appears to be back.
Athletics manager Mark Kotsay is seeing Kurtz’s potential turn into production right before his eyes.
“We knew this player, Kurtz, can have impact and be a middle-of-the-order bat,” Kotsay said. “Everyone wants to put these guys that have success in Triple-A right in the middle of the order and test it out.
“I think the progression for him is he’s been slowly moving up the order. You saw (Monday night) he was in the 5-hole and I think he’s getting a lot more comfortable and the at-bats are looking better and the results are obviously showing up. (The homer) was a big, big swing.
“If felt great for him. There’s more confidence. You can see him in some form starting to be a leader in the clubhouse.”
Astros manager Joe Espada was asked afterward if he was familiar with Kurtz.
“I know he was a first rounder and I know he has a lot of power,” Espada said. “He showed it on that swing.”
The Astros had won five consecutive games before having their bats quieted on Monday. Their lone run came on Jose Altuve’s first-inning homer.
Right-hander Jason Alexander (0-0, 18.00 ERA) will start for the Astros on Tuesday, one day after being recalled when Lance McCullers (right foot sprain) went on the 15-day injured list.
Houston claimed Alexander, 32, from the A’s on May 18. He made four relief appearances for the Athletics and he gave up 13 runs (12 earned) in six innings.
Tuesday represents Alexander’s first start since making 11 of them (winning twice) in 2022 for the Milwaukee Brewers. Alexander has never faced the A’s.
Left-hander JP Sears (5-5, 5.08) will start for the Athletics on Tuesday night.
Sears struck out a season-best nine in 5 1/3 innings during a no-decision against the Los Angeles Angels last Wednesday in a 6-5 loss. He allowed two runs and four hits and walked none.
Sears, 29, is 2-3 with a 5.36 ERA in nine appearances (eight starts) against the Astros. He was torched for nine runs and 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings during an 11-1 loss at Houston on May 27. Altuve took him deep twice and Jeremy Pena also homered in that affair.
Altuve is 9-for-22 (.409) and Pena is 7-for-23 (.304) against Sears.
–Field Level Media
