Nick Kurtz drove in three runs Thursday, but it was not enough to lift the Athletics past the Rangers in a 9-6 loss. The 23-year-old went 2-for-4 with a double and a walk at the plate.
Kurtz’s night came during a stretch in which he has hit in three of his last six games, a modest sign of progress for a player still working to settle in. Through 18 games, he was batting.206 with eight runs scored, two stolen bases, one home run and six RBI.
That line fits the uneven shape of the Athletics’ offense so far, with manager Mark Kotsay still looking for more consistency from his lineup. Kurtz has provided mixed results of late, and Thursday offered both sides of that picture: impact production in one game, but numbers that still leave room for more.
The loss also underscored how thin the margin is when the Athletics need offense from the middle of the order. Kurtz gave them three RBI, but the Rangers answered often enough to leave Oakland with another defeat and Kurtz with another reminder that one big night can help, but not yet carry the whole weight of a lineup still searching for rhythm.
