Houston's offense struggled again
Astros drop third straight as Oakland gets walk-off to secure the series
Sep 25, 2021, 6:04 pm
Houston's offense managed just one run on Saturday as Oakland handed them another loss. Photo by Harry How/Getty Images
Houston's offense managed just one run on Saturday as Oakland handed them another loss.
With a loss to start this series to give them back-to-back losses, the Astros sought to turn the tide and get back in the win column and even up the series in Oakland on Saturday. After remaining scoreless much of the game, the A's would score the game's final two runs to win it.
Final Score: A's 2, Astros 1
Astros' Record: 91-64, first in the AL West
Winning Pitcher: Andrew Chafin (2-3)
Losing Pitcher: Ryan Pressly (5-3)
Pitcher's duel in Oakland
Neither offense could crack the opposing starter for most of Saturday's middle game of the series. The teams had just one hit each through the first five innings, a leadoff double by Jose Altuve off of Sean Manaea to start the game in the first, and a one-out single by Elvis Andrus off of Framber Valdez in the bottom of the third. Valdez would issue a few walks along the way and allowed another hit in the sixth but would keep things under control as the game remained scoreless.
Teams trade runs in the seventh
All hail King Tuck! 👑#ForTheH pic.twitter.com/6CeyyaWe0h
— Houston Astros (@astros) September 25, 2021
Kyle Tucker would provide Valdez with a run of support in the top of the seventh, getting a solo homer to score the first run of the day and putting Houston in front 1-0 against Manaea. Houston's starter came back out for the seventh, but after a one-out single and two-out hit-by-pitch, he would get lifted as Dusty Baker would bring in Kendall Graveman to try and protect the one-run lead. A bloop single to Graveman's first batter would tie the game and charge a run to Valdez to blemish his final line: 6.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, 95 P.
Astros get walked off to drop third straight
After Houston's offense went down 1-2-3 in the top of the eighth, Graveman returned to the mound in the bottom half. He had an up-and-down inning, loading the bases on a leadoff walk, one-out single, followed by a walk, but escaped with a strikeout and groundout to end the inning and keep the game tied 1-1.
In what feels like a common occurrence of late, Ryan Pressly was on the mound in the bottom of the ninth, looking to force extra innings. He wouldn't get it done this time, allowing a leadoff single, which would score on a walk-off double to hand the Astros their third straight loss and allow Oakland to lock up the series victory.
Up Next: The finale of this three-game set in Oakland, and Houston's last road game of the 2021 regular season, will start at 3:07 PM Central on Sunday. Paul Blackburn (1-3, 5.17 ERA) is set to start for Oakland, while Jake Odorizzi (6-7, 4.22 ERA) will make his return from the IL.
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Left-hander Mitchell Parker threw seven shutout innings, and Luis Garcia Jr. had three singles and two RBIs and the Washington Nationals beat the Houston Astros 6-0 on Sunday.
The Nationals have won three of their past four series after starting the season 2-6.
After allowing two runs over five innings last Monday in his major league debut, a 6-4 win over the L.A. Dodgers, Parker (2-0) was even more effective in his second major league start, allowing three hits, striking out eight and walking none, throwing 57 of his 73 pitches for strikes.
“He has so much poise," Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. "He’s ready. He gets the ball, ready to get back on the mound. I watched him today. He threw a ground ball. The play was made and he got right on the mound and was holding his glove up as if, ‘hey, come on, give me the ball, like I’m ready to get back on there’. It was cool to watch. He understands what he wants to do.”
Parker mixed his 85-87 mph splitter, 81-82 mph curveball and 92 mph four-seam fastball. He struck out Jose Altuve and Jeremy Peña a combined four times. Dylan Floro and Matt Barnes each added a scoreless inning for Washington.
Parker was thrilled to be able to throw the splitter for strikes, something that did not come as easy against the Dodgers.
“100 percent, yeah," Parker said. "We were able to get in there for more swings and misses. They were more competitive pitches. Going to keep working on it, seeing if we can keep it where it is at.”
Astros right-hander Hunter Brown replaced scheduled starter Cristian Javier, who was scratched from Sunday’s series finale with neck discomfort. Javier was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to April 14, and right-hander Spencer Arrighetti was called up from Triple-A Sugar Land.
Manager Joe Espada said they have not decided yet on an MRI for Javier.
“Neck discomfort, started a few days ago,” Espada said. “He tried to work through it but just couldn’t happen. This kind of just came out of nowhere. So, we are going to see what happens here.”
Brown allowed three runs and three hits and a walk in the first but then settled down, lasting four innings when his pitch count reached 84.
“Even in the first I felt like made some good pitches," Brown said. "Came to the outing prepared. Kind of did what I wanted to and it just didn’t fall our way there.”
García Jr.’s two-run single to center field highlighted the three-run first inning for the Nationals.
“We try to score every inning,' Garcia Jr. said through a translator. "But definitely when we score the first inning it gives you a different kind of sense of confidence throughout the game and it carries on through the games a different feeling.”
Joey Meneses had a bases-loaded two-run single to right field off Shawn Dubin in the fifth to make it 5-0. Nick Senzel hit his first home run of the season in the sixth to close out the scoring.
The Astros' tailspin continues, having lost five of their past six and nine of their past 12.
“It is not ideal in the situation that we are in but we are in this situation,” Espada said. “And we got to fight through this. We have guys in there who are capable of giving us innings and some of them are doing that. We are going back to playing the style of baseball that everyone sees the Astros play. We feel pretty good about the guys that we have in there to get us some good innings."
TRAINER’S ROOM
Astros left-hander Framber Valdez threw again Sunday and has a chance of starting one of the games in Chicago his week. “We will see how he feels,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “Once we see how he feels, we will start talking about the possibilities if he can pitch in Chicago or not.”
Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz said he is about “90 percent” recovered from the flu that placed him on the 10-day injured list on April 12. Nationals manager Dave Martinez said Ruiz will go on a rehab assignment this week to play a couple of games before returning to the club.
UP NEXT
Houston travels to Chicago to begin a three-game series against the Cubs on Tuesday. Espada confirmed JP France and Justin Verlander will start two of the games, but did not specify the order. Spencer Arrighetti, who was called up for Javier, is an option for the opener.
Washington has a day off before hosting the L.A. Dodgers on Tuesday night. Left-hander Patrick Corbin (0-3, 8.06 ERA) faces the Dodgers for the second consecutive start.