Lawrence Butler makes A’s history with unique feat in blowout win over Braves
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- Lawrence Butler hit both an inside-the-park and traditional homer in A's win
- Nick Kurtz’s grand slam tied him for MLB rookie home run lead with 14 total
- Jeffrey Springs allowed one run over six innings to notch seventh win of 2025
Lawrence Butler wasn’t sure if he was going to have to turn on the jets.
The Athletics right fielder was watching a ball he hit to deep right-center field on the first pitch of the bottom of the first inning as he rounded first base. He nearly got all of it for his 12th home run of the season. But the sun was still up early in the evening, and Atlanta Braves center fielder Stuart Fairchild struggled to locate the ball, and so did Butler.
“I was just kind of jogging, hoping that it went out,” Butler said.
The ball caromed directly back toward right field after hitting an area between the padded wall and the linked fence in front of the video board.
“And then I saw it bounce, and then when (I thought) maybe I got a chance to get all the way around the bases,” Butler said.
Butler sprinted to third and dove head first into home plate. The Braves’ relay never made it to the catcher. It marked the first of a 5-run first inning for the A’s, who blew out the Braves 10-1 to open a three-game series Tuesday night at Sutter Health Park.
To boot, Butler added a traditional home run in the third inning. He became the first A’s player to hit an inside-the-park homer since his manager Mark Kotsay in the playoffs, during the 2006 American League Divisional Series against the Minnesota Twins. And Butler was the first A’s player to hit both types of home runs in the same game since Hall of Famer Billy Williams in 1975.
“That’s pretty cool to be in A’s history,” Butler said, “especially because I was drafted by this team and I signed the extension.”
Kotsay was asked if he remembered his sprint around the bases on a line drive misplayed by the diving nine-time Gold Glove winner Torii Hunter.
“I just remember being exhausted,” Kotsay said. “That’s all.”
Butler was among the handful of A’s to sign a long-term contract in the offseason while the organization hoped to bridge its key players through the three or four planned years in Sacramento to the proposed new stadium in Las Vegas. The deal was for seven years and $65.5 million with a club option for 2032. The others: designated hitter Brent Rooker (five years, $60 million) and pitcher Luis Severino (three years, $67 million).
Butler, who turns 25 on Thursday, is up to 13 home runs and 14 stolen bases on the season. He’s building off the second half of last season when he showed promise hitting .300/.345/.553 with 13 home runs and 12 stolen bases after the All-Star break.
His performance on Tuesday jumped him to 13th in the American League in total bases. He’s likely to be considered as an injury replacement in next week’s All-Star in his home town of Atlanta should the need arise.
“I’m just going to leave that one up to God,” Butler said.
The A’s also got a grand slam from rookie first baseman Nick Kurtz, his 14th homer of the season. The blast pulled him into a tie with the New York Yankees’ Jasson Dominguez and the Miami Marlins’ Agustin Ramirez for the MLB rookie home run lead. Kurtz came into the game ranked fourth in RBIs and seventh in extra-base hits among rookies.
Kurtz has zipped through the A’s system quickly, playing in only 33 minor league games after being selected fourth overall in the 2024 draft.
“He’s been swinging it,” Butler said of Kurtz. “He’s a different breed. ... You guys see what he’s doing up here at the big league level. This is unbelievable.”
Well-rounded win for A’s at home
The A’s, now 38-55 on the season, got a strong outing from starter Jeffrey Springs, who allowed one run in six innings. He’s allowed two earned runs or fewer in five straight starts. He lowered his ERA to 3.92 on the season and improved his record to 7-6.
Rooker added a two-run home run in the first, his 19th of the season, and third baseman Max Muncy hit his eighth long ball of the year in the same inning. The A’s led 9-0 after two innings and 10-0 by the end of the third.
A’s shortstop Jacob Wilson, a frontrunner for the American League Rookie of the Year award, exited the game in the first inning after being hit by a pitch.
The Braves had four former A’s in their starting lineup: Jurickson Profar, Matt Olson, Sean Murphy and Nick Allen. Former A’s hurler Jesse Chavez entered in relief in the second inning. Chavez, 41, is in his 18th season and on his ninth team.
This story was originally published July 8, 2025 at 11:11 PM.
