Nick Kurtz’s Grand Slam Pushes Reds Back Into Baseball Purgatory

The Cincinnati Reds’ September playoff push took a major blow in Sacramento. The Oakland A’s stormed back from an early deficit to hand them a crushing late-inning defeat.

What started as a promising night — Will Benson’s early home run, Tyler Stephenson’s mid-game heroics — quickly unraveled. Shaky pitching and a bullpen running on fumes spelled trouble for Cincinnati.

Oakland’s rookie power hitter Nick Kurtz showed off his talent, too. His massive grand slam sealed the Reds’ fate.

A Hot Start That Quickly Cooled

The Reds wasted no time making an impact against the A’s. In the opening frame, Will Benson launched a two-run homer that electrified the Cincinnati dugout and put the pressure on Oakland early.

It looked like the kind of start that might stabilize the Reds after a stretch of inconsistent performances. But things changed fast.

Hunter Greene’s Early Struggles

Unfortunately for Cincinnati, Hunter Greene’s night on the mound was anything but smooth. The hard-throwing righty just couldn’t find his command.

Manager Terry Francona turned to his bullpen earlier than planned. Greene’s short outing left the Reds exposed, especially with a bullpen that’s been overworked lately.

The Bullpen’s Brief Brilliance — and Collapse

After Greene left, Nick Martinez stepped in and brought some much-needed stability. Over 2.2 innings, he allowed just one run and cooled the A’s bats for a bit.

Cincinnati’s hopes spiked when Tyler Stephenson crushed a three-run homer to right. Suddenly, the lineup looked alive again.

Late-Inning Meltdown

But the bullpen was barely hanging on. Graham Ashcraft couldn’t locate his pitches and gave up several hard-hit balls.

Then Scott Barlow’s lack of command turned a manageable deficit into a disaster. The stage was set for the game’s most dramatic moment.

Nick Kurtz Makes a Statement

With the bases loaded and two outs, Oakland’s rookie phenom Nick Kurtz came up. Drafted fourth overall out of Wake Forest, he’s already shown flashes of elite power.

On this night, he delivered his defining moment: a 493-foot grand slam over the batter’s eye. It was one of the longest home runs in the majors this season.

The Game’s Turning Point

Kurtz’s colossal blast didn’t just break the game open — it changed everything. The A’s bench erupted as the scoreboard flipped to an 11-5 advantage.

The Reds looked stunned. Oakland’s gamble on a pure power hitter suddenly looked brilliant.

Playoff Hopes in Jeopardy

The loss dropped Cincinnati back to the .500 mark with just two weeks left in the regular season. In the ultra-competitive National League playoff race, there’s barely any margin for error.

• Pitching fatigue is a real problem: Overuse and inconsistency in the bullpen have left the team vulnerable in critical innings.
• Draft strategy comparisons: While Cincinnati has invested heavily in pitching development, Oakland’s willingness to bank on an offensive powerhouse like Kurtz may reshape the balance of power in future matchups.

The Road Ahead

With only a handful of games left, every inning matters for Cincinnati. Every pitch feels heavy right now.

The Reds need their bullpen arms rested and sharp. At the same time, they’re hoping their offense can keep up with some pretty tough opposing lineups.

For the A’s, this win gave fans a taste of a possible future. Nick Kurtz just might end up the face of a rejuvenated franchise—if things break right.

The path to the postseason just got steeper for the Reds. Games like this don’t just show up in the standings; they stick with a team.

Now it’s on Cincinnati to answer back before time runs out. Are they up for it? We’ll see.

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