The Athletics aren't ruling out a turnaround just yet.
After Nick Kurtz blasted a two-run, walk-off homer to defeat the first-place Houston Astros 3-1 on Monday at Sutter Health Park, the A's rookie first baseman was ecstatic to have extended their win streak to four games.
"Oh, absolutely," Kurtz said on "A's Cast" after the win when Chris Townsend asked if the A's, with their slew of young stars, have discussed their ability to right the ship this season.
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Kurtz returned to the A's lineup last Monday after a stint on the 10-day injured list with a strained left hip flexor, and since has recorded five hits, two home runs, four RBI and two runs scored. His two homers came in the ninth inning of back-to-back wins, first in the A's 3-2 win over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday and then to end Monday night's game.
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Kurtz became the fifth-youngest player in A's franchise history to hit a walk-off homer, per MLB's Sarah Langs, making the feat all the more extraordinary.
"I mean, that's unbelievable," Kurtz told Townsend and "A's Cast" co-host Tony Kemp of his two-day offensive onslaught. "I can't really even put it into words, but glad to get it done for the guys tonight and try to keep that winning streak going. That's all that matters."
The A's top prospect is up to seven home runs on the 2025 MLB season since being called up on April 21 and is beginning to find his confidence at the plate -- something manager Mark Kotsay certainly is noticing.
"We knew that [Kurtz] can have an impact and be a middle-of-the-order bat," Kotsay told reporters after the game. "... Everyone wants to put these guys that have success in Triple-A right in the middle of the order and test it out. And I think the progression for him has been slowly moving up in the order -- you saw tonight, he was in the five hole. And I think he's getting a lot more comfortable.
"The at-bats are looking better, and the results are obviously showing up, and tonight was a big, big swing. It felt great for him. You can see there's more confidence. You can see him kind of, in some form, starting to be a leader in the clubhouse."
Kurtz is just one of many talented young players who have stepped up this season for the A's, and with every win, it's clear they believe they can overcome the recent bout of losing that stifled their hot start to the year. Though they sit 12 games out of first place in the AL West and eight games back from a wild-card spot at 30-44, Kurtz is right -- there is plenty of season left.