Nick Kurtz and Brent Rooker homered. Gage Jump worked 6 1/3 scoreless innings and the Athletics beat the Houston Astros 5-0 on Sunday to avoid a series sweep, according to ESPN. Kurtz opened the scoring in the third with his 12th home run of the year, a 389-foot line drive to right-center that scored Alika Williams for a 2-0 lead.

Plate Discipline and Growing Power

According to CBS Sports. Kurtz went 3-for-6 with two homers. Three total RBI. Three total runs scored and a walk in a 15-14 loss to Milwaukee. He electrified Las Vegas Ballpark, connecting on a solo shot over the left-field fence in the sixth inning before demolishing a 447-foot, two-run homer to right field in the 10th inning of Monday’s back-and-forth affair. The first baseman has now homered in consecutive games and launched six long balls over his past 10 contests.

The 23-year-old has blossomed into one of the most feared hitters in the sport, slashing.282/.434/.521 with 14 homers, 12 doubles, a triple, 48 RBI, 45 runs and seven stolen bases across 65 games, according to CBS Sports.

Fielding Remains a Concern

While Kurtz has made a name for himself with his power, his defensive performance has raised concerns. According to mlbkor.com, Kurtz’s fielding profile, particularly his OAA (Outs Above Average) -6 and ‘runs saved’ -4 — ranked among the worst in the majors for first basemen with over 400 plate appearances. This has made him a focal point for the Athletics as they look to improve their overall defensive metrics.

The Athletics struggled defensively in 2025, recording a team DRS (Defensive Runs Saved) of -34, the fifth-worst in the majors. To reach their goal of becoming a playoff contender, the team will need to address these issues. Kurtz reportedly spent significant time over the off-season training with his college coaches at Wake Forest and Duke University to improve his fielding, according to mlbkor.com.

Game-Winning Performance and Team Impact

Against the Astros, Gage Jump allowed three hits and three walks with three strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. The 23-year-old left-hander has allowed just one run in his past 13 1/3 innings pitched, according to ESPN. Houston’s Mike Burrows (3-8) allowed all five runs on eight hits in five innings. Burrows has given up 17 home runs in 13 starts this season, with 11 coming on his four-seam fastball. He has a 5.77 ERA in 73 1/3 innings.

The Astros were limited to four hits in their fifth shutout loss of the season. Meanwhile, the Athletics’ win was their second straight in a series that had previously seen them trail. Kurtz’s leadership at the plate, including his two-run double in the third inning — and Rooker’s solo shot in the fifth capped the scoring.

According to fnp.de, the name ‘Nick Kurtz’ also appeared in a German football (soccer) match report where he was described as having struck the crossbar in the 9th minute during a 5-0 win by the FSG Merzhausen/Weilnau/Weilrod team. This unrelated report suggests the name is of sufficient interest to appear in international coverage, though it has no bearing on the baseball season.