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The Oakland Athletics' first baseman Nick Kurtz went from rookie to record-breaker in the blink of an eye during a 5-2 victory over the Houston Astros, achieving a statistical feat unmatched by any player since 1901.
In just 65 career MLB games, the 22-year-old has posted 17 doubles, two triples, 19 home runs, and 28 walks, a combination no other player has reached through the same span in over a century, according to OptaSTATS.
Kurtz added to his growing legend at Daikin Park, notching his fourth career three-hit game and extending his current hitting streak to 11 games. He’s hitting an eye-popping .488 (20-for-41) during that stretch, with 15 extra-base hits, including two doubles in Thursday’s contest.
His performance today brought his season tally to 38 extra-base hits (19 HR, 17 2B, 2 3B), the most by any Athletics player through their first 65 games in franchise history. The previous high was Zack Gelof’s 34 in 2023.
Kurtz’s contributions have fueled the A’s recent offensive surge, including a 12-hit performance against Astros starter Jason Alexander, who gave up 11 hits and five earned runs over six innings.
While Alexander (1-1) struggled, the A’s capitalized on Astros defensive miscues, such as a throwing error by catcher Victor Caratini that allowed Lawrence Butler to score in the second inning, and a bounced double-play relay from Brice Matthews in the fourth that set the stage for Kurtz’s RBI double.
The Athletics’ offensive firepower was rounded out with key contributions from Gio Urshela (3-for-4), Carlos Cortes, who notched his first MLB hit and first career outfield assist, and Luis Urías, who homered in the sixth inning for his eighth blast of the season.
Oakland also saw a return to form from right-hander Luis Severino, who delivered one of his best starts of 2025. Severino (4-11) held the Astros scoreless through six innings and exited after seven, having allowed just four hits, two runs, no walks, and striking out eight. Over his last three starts, he’s posted a 2.70 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 16 2/3 innings, fueled by a renewed reliance on his four-seam fastball, which topped out at 99 mph on Thursday.
Closer Mason Miller sealed the win with a four-out save, his 20th of the season. Miller delivered pure heat, including nine pitches at 102 mph or faster and a 104.1 mph fastball, tying the fastest pitch recorded in MLB this season. He retired Jose Altuve on a flyout with two nasty sliders before shutting the door in the ninth.
