Nick Kurtz celebrating after his walk off home run on Thursday night. (Photo: Athletics on Instagram)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

WEST SACRAMENTO–After dropping the middle two games of their four-game series with the Astros, the A’s looked to salvage a split with a win on Thursday night at Sutter Health Park. In what’s becoming a familiar storyline, Nick Kurtz played hero once again, launching a two-run home run in the tenth inning to walk off the Astros as the A’s won 6-4.

It’s impossible to understate the impact Kurtz is having on the Athletics right now. Thursday marked the fourth time in five games that he’s delivered a late-inning home run. He’s everything you want in the clutch, and his approach at the plate seems to be catching up to his immense talent. His walk-off blast traveled 416 feet to dead center field and left the bat at 105.6 mph. Facing Josh Hader with a 2-1 count, Kurtz crushed a middle-middle sinker for a no-doubt shot.

The A’s were only in position for that moment thanks to a strong outing from their starter.

Jacob Lopez turned in a fantastic performance, tossing six innings of one-run, four-hit baseball while striking out five. Lopez’s biggest moment came in the sixth, when he worked out of a bases-loaded jam by striking out the final two batters of the inning. He walked off the mound fired up with the 2-1 lead still intact.

The bullpen had mixed results. J.T. Ginn relieved Lopez and fired a scoreless seventh but ran into trouble in the eighth. After recording two outs, Ginn issued a walk and gave up a single, prompting Mark Kotsay to call on Mason Miller for a four-out save. But on Miller’s first pitch—a fastball over the heart of the plate—Victor Caratini crushed a three-run homer to tie the game at 4-4. It was Caratini’s second three-run shot in as many nights. Ginn’s final line was 1.2 innings, two runs on two hits.

Miller bounced back to record the final out of the eighth and followed it with a scoreless ninth, finishing with 1.1 innings pitched, one run, and two hits.

The A’s couldn’t push across a run in the bottom of the ninth, sending the game to extras. After holding the Astros scoreless in the top of the 10th, Kurtz delivered the decisive blow in the bottom half.

With the win, the A’s improved to 31-46 and will welcome the Guardians to town for a three-game series beginning Friday night. Jeffrey Springs (5-5, 4.52 ERA) will get the start for the A’s against Cleveland’s Tanner Bibee (4-6, 3.79 ERA).

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.