SEATTLE -- Nick Kurtz was not going to go down without a fight.
Trailing by one run entering the bottom of the ninth on Wednesday at T-Mobile Park, the Athletics easily could have gotten complacent at the end of a stretch of 16 games in 16 days, especially with All-Star closer Andrés Muñoz coming on for the Mariners.
That’s just not how Kurtz or these Athletics roll, though. They’ve proven to be a resilient bunch early on and stayed true to form as Kurtz stepped to the plate with one out and pulverized a hanging slider from Muñoz a Statcast-projected 438 feet to center for a game-tying solo blast, letting out a huge roar before smacking his chest as he rounded first base.
“Everyone in the dugout felt really good about the at-bat that was going to happen,” manager Mark Kotsay said. “It gave us a chance to go out and see if we could win a game. That’s this team. They believe in themselves until the last out, and it showed again today.”
Entering the day with seven comeback wins, the A’s were denied another after Josh Naylor walked it off in the bottom half against Joel Kuhnel for a 5-4 loss to Seattle. Still, given their playoff aspirations for 2026, taking two of three from the reigning American League West champions in their own home is nonetheless a statement that the A’s (13-12) -- currently in first place in the division after Texas' loss to Pittsburgh -- should be taken seriously.
“Solid series,” Kotsay said. “For us to come on the road in Seattle and win a series to start the season off against them is a good sign. All three games were really competitive and close.”
All three games were tied into the sixth inning or later, and each game was ultimately decided by three runs or fewer.
Even as the A’s fell short of what would have been their first three-game sweep of the Mariners since 2019 and first series sweep in Seattle since 2016, the signs of the team they want to be were evident throughout. The offense often came up big in clutch moments late in games. Aside from a couple of hiccups Wednesday, the defense was strong, and the bullpen shut it down in relief of the starters over the first two games.
“That was a great series from everybody,” said A’s shortstop Jacob Wilson, who now leads the Majors with 12 multihit games after going 2-for-4 with an RBI. “Pitchers did great. Offense, defense, everybody did their role. Even this game, having played 16 [days] in a row, Kurtz goes up there in the ninth and hits a homer to tie it.
“We’re still right in these games after a long stretch. This was a huge series for us, even if we lost the last game.”
Seeing Kurtz leave the yard in such dramatic fashion also can’t be understated.
Yes, his overall numbers to this point have been somewhat pedestrian compared to the lofty expectations set following a historically good Rookie of the Year campaign in which he hit .290 with a 1.002 OPS and slugged 36 homers over 117 games. But Kurtz is the A’s Superman. He proved that last year by slugging seven home runs in the ninth inning or later, tied for second most in such situations behind only Cal Raleigh’s eight. And after a slow start, Kurtz has now homered three times in the last five games to bring his total to four on the year.
Kurtz also continued climbing up the franchise leaderboard in a different category. Drawing a first-inning walk against Logan Gilbert, the 23-year-old slugger has now drawn a walk in 13 consecutive games, just two shy of the franchise record of 15 set by Rickey Henderson in 1993.
“He goes up there, and you go, ‘Alright, he’s either walking or hitting a homer here,’” Wilson said. “It’s incredible to watch. He’s a guy you want up in that situation. He’s having elite at-bats right now. We’re excited that he’s really starting to get back to himself.”
The A’s will get a much-needed day off Thursday before a series that begins Friday against the Rangers in Texas, with first place on the line for both clubs.
“These [division games] are always going to mean more,” Wilson said. “We split with [the Rangers] last week. … We’re going to go in there and do all we can to take two of three, if not three of three.”