Athletics' Nick Kurtz Leads the Charge in 11-2 Victory over Pirates

The Athletics' offense has been on fire ever since their trip to Las Vegas, and it's clear that they're bringing that momentum back with them to the Bay Area. In Monday's 11-2 win over the Pirates, the A's showed that their time in Sin City wasn't just a product of the high-scoring environment.

First baseman Nick Kurtz was the star of the show, hitting two opposite-field home runs to take the MLB lead in home runs this June with eight. His first homer, a two-run shot in the second inning, set the tone for the rest of the game. Kurtz wasn't done yet, though - he launched a three-run homer in the seventh to put the A's well on their way to a double-digit win.

This big win is exactly what the A's needed to prove that their hot hitting at Las Vegas Ballpark wasn't just a fluke. After all, 20 home runs and 47 runs in six games is no easy feat. Manager Mark Kotsay mentioned after Sunday's win over the Rockies that the team could 'move the needle forward' thanks to their time in Vegas, and it looks like they're doing just that.

But Kurtz wasn't the only star of the game. Second baseman Jeff McNeil broke out of his slump in style, going 3-for-4 with a home run and a season-high four RBIs. Third baseman Zack Gelof extended his hitting streak to 19 games, a career-best and the longest active streak in the Majors. And outfielders Tyler Soderstrom and Lawrence Butler both kept their recent hot streaks going with multihit games.

The A's racked up a total of 15 hits against the Pirates, reaching double digits for the fourth straight game. Starter J.T. Ginn completed six innings and held Pittsburgh to just one unearned run, a welcome improvement after the A's allowed 23 runs to the Rockies in Sunday's lopsided loss.