WEST SACRAMENTO -- A seemingly inconsequential at-bat for Nick Kurtz on Wednesday night made all the difference one day later.
In the seventh inning of a blowout loss to the Braves on Wednesday, Kurtz faced left-hander Dylan Lee and struck out on three pitches -- all sliders. The plate appearance was rather uneventful, but seeing a steady dose of that slider helped the Athletics first baseman on Thursday night, when he led off the eighth inning against Lee and laid off a tough slider with two strikes before slugging a game-tying solo blast on a fastball.
“I knew exactly what the slider was going to look like,” Kurtz said. “I had a better idea today. It’s a really good pitch. I was just able to kind of use what I got yesterday and move it into the at-bat today.”
Kurtz’s 15th homer of the year -- which leads all Major League rookies -- gave the A’s new life in a game that ultimately ended with Tyler Soderstrom walking it off in the 11th inning with a single to secure a 5-4 victory over Atlanta.
It was another example of the cerebral approach to hitting that Kurtz has shown in what continues to be a sensational rookie campaign. It was also a display of the 22-year-old’s elite power, as he muscled up the 2-2 fastball up and away from Lee for an impressive Statcast-projected 358-foot drive the opposite way to left field.
“That was incredible,” Kotsay said. “It’s an at-bat where I’m thankful that he got to face [Lee] last night and see the arm angle and the action of the pitch. He just continues to impress. From an offensive standpoint, this kid has just taken over, really.”
If the Athletics are ever within striking distance in the late innings, expect Kurtz to come through in the clutch. Of his 15 big flies, seven have occurred in the eighth inning or later, which ranks third in the Majors behind only Cal Raleigh (nine) and Isaac Paredes (eight).
“He just looks so relaxed and professional all the time when he’s at the plate,” said A’s starter JP Sears, who took a no-decision after allowing three runs on four hits with six strikeouts across five innings. “I think that really shows a lot in late-inning situations. A lot of times, guys will start to press or feel the moment. He just seems like he has the same exact at-bats every time.”
Jacob Wilson has built up an early lead as the favorite for American League Rookie of the Year by emerging as an elite hitter who was voted into next week’s All-Star Game as the starting shortstop for the AL.
Kurtz is quickly closing the gap in what could end up a race between the two A’s teammates for the award. Despite not making his Major League debut until April 23 and missing 14 games due to injury, Kurtz leads all rookies in homers and is tied for second in RBIs (40). Meanwhile, his .528 slugging percentage and .852 OPS both are tops among qualified MLB rookies.
He feels there’s another level he can reach in the second half.
“It’s been good,” Kurtz said of his first half. “I think it could have been better. It took me a little bit to get my feet under myself. Now, we’re playing good baseball, and I’m feeling more and more comfortable. I’m excited for these next three games against the Blue Jays and the second half.”
While Kurtz had the biggest hit, both he and Kotsay pointed to the bullpen as the top performance of the night for the A’s, who are 16-16 since June 5. A’s relievers combined to hold Atlanta hitless from the eighth inning on.
Flamethrowing closer Mason Miller revved up his fastball to 104.1 mph to strike out Sean Murphy in a scoreless ninth, marking the fastest pitch of his career, the fastest in MLB this season and the fastest by any A’s pitching since pitch tracking began in 2008.
Justin Sterner followed Miller with two scoreless innings in extras.
“Miller was electric,” Kotsay said. “The biggest performance of the night, in my opinion, was Sterner. Two innings in extra innings, to handle those two innings without giving up a run is pretty remarkable. … Tip your cap to the bullpen tonight.”