Athletics’ Nick Kurtz delivers walk-off winner, celebrates with bat toss vs. Astros

Oakland Athletics rookie first baseman Nick Kurtz crushed an absolute bomb off Houston's Bryan Abreu, belting a 447-foot walk-off home run to send the A's home with a dramatic 3–1 win over the Astros, Sutter Heath Park erupted with a celebration that no one imagined.

The shot ended Houston's five-game winning streak, and the Athletics pulled off their fourth straight victory as they continue to build momentum behind a blend of youth and perseverance.

Rookie slugger embraces moment with bat toss celebration

For Nicky Nukes, nicknamed by fans, Monday night was a defining moment. When Kurtz came up to the plate with his on base, Brent Rooker, the same guy, whom Kurtz would soon replace atop that batting lineup, he knew exactly what he had to do. “I wasn’t going up there to do anything other than that,” he said after the game, referencing his intention to end it then and there.

The moment the bat made contact with that ball, the crowd at the stadium knew that it was. Kurtz took a moment to admire the shot before launching a seamless, cocky bat toss, which is already making the highlight circuit. He pumped his fists and screamed toward the dugout while rounding the bases, and teammates rushed to him after he scored.

It was one of the biggest bat flips and walk-off parties of the year.

Pitching and defense set the stage for heroics

It was the Athletics' pitching and defense that provided the foundation for the late-inning magic. Mitch Spence (1-1) went 5.0 innings as the starter, giving up one run on seven hits, striking out two. He surrendered a solo shot to Jose Altuve in the first, but settled and started mixing pitches up like a champ.

After Spence, right-handed reliever J.T.

Ginn was fantastic with three scoreless innings and five strikeouts, suppressing the high-powered Astros lineup. Mason Miller shut the door on the ninth, tying the game up and lining up the walk-off.Also Read: Astros under pressure as Lance McCullers Jr heads to 15 day ILThe A's made all the plays defensively, Max Muncy included, at third base, keeping the Astros from taking advantage of their opportunities. The overall determination and intensity from the team on displayed all night, and proved the belief that has begun to grow during this recent streak of success.