Nick Kurtz Powers Athletics Past Reds With Go-Ahead Homer for Sweep in Cincinnati vs Oakland Game on September 14, 2025

Sunday, September 14th, 2025

Athletics Sweep Reds Behind Four Home Runs, Rookie Nick Kurtz's Go-Ahead Blast

The Oakland Athletics powered their way to a 7-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday, completing a three-game sweep at home and dealing a blow to Cincinnati’s National League wild card hopes.

Comeback Fueled by Home Runs

After falling behind 3-0 in the early innings, the Athletics surged ahead with four home runs, including a pivotal go-ahead, two-run shot in the fifth inning by rookie Nick Kurtz. The blast to left field marked Kurtz’s 32nd of the season and put Oakland on top 4-3. He is now tied with Aaron Judge for the major league lead in opposite-field homers this year, each with 16.

Jacob Wilson, Colby Thomas, and Brent Rooker also homered, helping the A’s overcome the deficit and surpass their 2024 win total, now standing at 70 wins with 12 games left to play.

Reds’ Early Offense Not Enough

The Reds started hot, with Noelvi Marte hitting a solo home run in the opening frame off rookie Luis Morales. Will Benson added a two-run homer in the second to extend Cincinnati’s early advantage. However, the Athletics’ offense awakened as Wilson and Thomas went deep in the fourth ahead of Kurtz’s critical homer in the fifth.

Brett Harris contributed offensively with three hits, including an RBI double in the sixth that pushed the Athletics’ lead to 5-3 and chased Reds starter Nick Lodolo. Rooker capped the scoring for Oakland with a two-run homer in the seventh off reliever Zach Maxwell.

Pitching Performance and Closing Out the Win

Luis Morales improved to 4-1, allowing three runs and four hits across five innings of work. Justin Sterner surrendered a solo homer to Sal Stewart in the eighth, but Michael Kelly pitched a perfect ninth inning to secure his first career MLB save.

Nick Lodolo (8-8) took the loss for Cincinnati, giving up five runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Key Moment

A defensive highlight came when Jacob Wilson charged a one-out grounder and threw out the Reds’ Gavin Lux at home plate in the fourth inning, preventing further damage when the deficit was still 3-0.

Key Stat

With this loss, Cincinnati fell below .500 to a record of 74-75 and now trail by 2.5 games for the final NL wild card spot.

Up Next

The Reds head to St. Louis, where Zack Littell (9-8, 3.78 ERA) will start Monday against Cardinals left-hander Matthew Liberatore (7-12, 4.35 ERA). The Athletics travel to Boston on Tuesday and will send Jeffrey Springs (10-11, 4.28 ERA) to the mound.

In summary

The Oakland Athletics secured a decisive comeback win over the Cincinnati Reds, highlighted by four home runs and rookie Nick Kurtz's clutch, go-ahead blast in the fifth. The sweep pushes the Athletics’ season win total ahead of last year, while the Reds’ playoff hopes take a hit as they drop below .500. Pitching performances, timely homers, and key defensive plays shaped a pivotal game with postseason implications.

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