A'S DEFEAT ASTROS

Astros’ momentum hits a sudden snag in series opener

Astros’ momentum hits a sudden snag in series opener
The A's beat the Astros, 5-2. Composite Getty Image.

Luis Severino struck out eight in seven innings and Luis Urias homered to lead the Athletics to a 5-2 victory over the AL West-leading Houston Astros on Thursday night.

Severino (4-11) allowed four hits and two earned runs as the A’s snapped a four-game skid. Mason Miller earned his 20th save.

Urias hit his eighth homer in the sixth inning and finished with two hits. Nick Kurtz went 3 for 5 with an RBI double in the two-run fourth inning. Max Schuemann also knocked in a run in the inning on a fielder’s choice grounder.

Christian Walker drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to right field and Victor Caratini scored on a groundout by Cam Smith — all in the seventh inning — for the Astros, who had their four-game winning streak halted.

Jason Alexander (1-1), a former member of the Athletics who was claimed off waivers in May, allowed five earned runs and 11 hits in six innings. The 32-year-old right-hander finished with three strikeouts and two walks.

Key moment

Carlos Cortes made his MLB debut for the A’s and went 1 for 3. He had a sacrifice fly, single and scored a run.

Key stat

The Astros went 0 for 4 with runners in scoring position.

Up Next

Athletics LHP Jeffery Springs (8-7) will go in the second game of the four-game series. The Astros have not announced a starter.

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The Angels beat the Astros, 4-1. Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.

Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.

Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.

The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.

Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.

Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.

Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.

Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.

Key moment

Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.

Key Stat

Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.

Up next

Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.

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