Houston loses in Oakland
Astros drop opener to A's after late barrage against their bullpen
Sep 25, 2021, 12:30 am
The Astros suffered a lopsided loss to the A's on Friday after a late barrage against their bullpen. Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
The Astros suffered a lopsided loss to the A's on Friday after a late barrage against their bullpen.
After taking three of four against the Angels in Anaheim and getting a little help from Seattle, who swept Oakland in their four-game set, the Astros entered Friday's series opener with a magic number of 3. It would not move from there in this one, as the A's would destroy Houston's bullpen late in the game to hand them a lopsided loss.
Final Score: A's 14, Astros 2
Astros' Record: 91-63, first in the AL West
Winning Pitcher: Frankie Montas (13-9)
Losing Pitcher: Brandon Bielak (3-4)
Houston strikes first, but Oakland gets a big third off Bielak
Houston benefited from an error to start this series, with Jose Altuve reaching base and getting to third base. Yuli Gurriel would bring him home, getting a sac fly to put the Astros in front 1-0. Altuve scored against in the top of the third, this time doing it himself with a leadoff solo homer to start the frame and double the lead to 2-0.
No. 30 for Jose Altuve. 💣#ForTheH pic.twitter.com/l3J86b2wMXÂ
— Houston Astros (@astros) September 25, 2021
To that point, Brandon Bielak, who made the emergency start for Zack Greinke, who was a late scratch, had been able to keep Oakland at bay, erasing two singles in the first then tossing a 1-2-3 second. They got to him in the third, though, as back-to-back one-out walks proved costly as the A's would rip off two RBI singles and a sac fly to go in front 3-2 against him. He would finish that inning, but that would be it for him, with Houston moving on to the bullpen.
Astros drop the opener as Oakland breaks it open late
Peter Solomon, who was activated with Greinke landing on the IL, was the reliever who took over for Bielak starting in the bottom of the fourth. He was impressive, erasing singles in the fourth and sixth for three scoreless innings. Meanwhile, other than the homer by Altuve off of him, the Astros weren't able to get anything significant going against Frankie Montas, who made it through the seventh while maintaining the 3-2 advantage for Oakland, despite Houston getting the tying run on third with one out in the seventh.
Yimi Garcia was Houston's next reliever in the bottom of the seventh, but it was a rough inning for him, as he would give up two singles and a walk while getting one out before giving up a two-RBI double, giving Oakland insurance runs. Things spiraled incredibly out of control from there for Houston's bullpen, as Brooks Raley would come in to try and end the inning but instead allowed a grand slam to make it a 9-2 game.
It didn't get better for Seth Martinez in the bottom of the eighth, as he would also struggle as Oakland's offense continued to mash, giving up a bases-loaded walk, an RBI single, and a bases-clearing double to extend the A's lead to 14-2, putting things well out of reach. Despite loading the bases in the top of the ninth, the Astros would not get any closer, losing by twelve runs as their magic number stays stuck at 3.
Up Next: The middle game of this series will get underway at 3:07 PM Central on Saturday, and the expected pitching matchup is Sean Manaea (10-10, 4.05 ERA) for the A's and Framber Valdez (11-5, 3.07 ERA) for the Astros.
The Houston Astros wrapped up yet another series win this week, this time taking two of three from the struggling Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Despite missing several key players and a bullpen that wasn’t fully available, the Astros continued their recent run of success, pushing their record to 52-35.
Manager Joe Espada appeared to be playing the long game in the rubber match on Thursday. After Houston rallied to tie the game in the seventh inning, Espada stuck with reliever Jordan Weems instead of turning to his high-leverage arms. That decision, while frustrating to some fans hoping for the sweep, underscored the team’s cautious approach to workload management as they navigate a long season.
One bright spot continues to be rookie Cam Smith, who delivered again in the clutch with a two-run triple in the seventh inning on Thursday. Smith has been Houston’s most dependable bat with runners on base and is quickly settling into the cleanup role—a rarity for a first-year player but one he’s earned with his poise and production.
Astros cleanup hitter RBIs this season:Â
Cam Smith: 10 RBIs in 7 games
All others: 28 RBIs in 80 games
— Matt Kawahara (@matthewkawahara) July 3, 2025
Off the field, the biggest storyline continues to be Yordan Alvarez’s injury. After reports surfaced that the slugger had experienced a setback in his return from a fractured hand, the team clarified that the issue is inflammation, not the fracture itself. Astros general manager Dana Brown said Alvarez received injections to address the irritation and is expected to rest for now. Encouragingly, the Astros say the fracture is no longer a concern, and while there’s still no definitive timeline for his return, the overall tone from the club was optimistic.
The transparency around Alvarez’s situation is part of a larger shift. After being criticized in recent seasons for vague injury updates, the Astros have begun issuing daily availability reports. It’s a move that signals the front office is trying to regain some trust with the media and fans after a stretch of frustrating ambiguity around player health.
Now, the Astros head to Los Angeles for a marquee matchup with the defending champion Dodgers. Friday’s opener will feature Lance McCullers Jr. making just his second start since returning from the injured list. McCullers gave up eight runs in his return against the Cubs and will be under the spotlight as he looks to settle back into form. Control will be the key, as walks have long been McCullers’ Achilles’ heel.
Saturday sets the stage for one of the most anticipated pitching matchups of the season: Framber Valdez versus Shohei Ohtani. With both teams fighting for positioning in their respective divisions, this weekend in LA should serve as a measuring stick—and perhaps a postseason preview.
There's so much more to get to! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
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