A'S DEFEAT ASTROS
Oakland Athletics score 2 runs in 12th to outlast Houston Astros 4-3
Sep 10, 2024, 10:46 pm
A's defeat the Astros, 4-3. Composite image by Jack Brame.
Zack Gelof homered early, Max Schuemann and Nick Allen drove in runs with 12th-inning bunts and the Oakland Athletics beat the Houston Astros 4-3 on Tuesday night.
With the score 2-2, Daz Cameron’s bunt single to start the 12th sent Gelof, the automatic runner, to third.
Schuemann then bunted to Héctor Neris (9-5), who spiked his throw home as Gelof scored on the sacrifice. Cameron to move to third on the error as the ball rolled in the field.
With runners at the corners, Allen bunted into a forceout that scored Cameron for a 4-2 lead.
Jose Altuve hit an RBI double leading off the bottom half off Hogan Harris (4-3), who retired the next three batters.
Bryan Abreu struck out the side in the 11th for Houston.
Houston had a runner on third with two outs in the 10th when Jeremy Peña hit a fly ball to right field. But Cameron made a diving catch to rob him of a hit and end the inning.
Jacob Wilson’s sacrifice bunt sent the automatic runner to third to start the 10th before Abreu struck out the next two batters.
Altuve singled off Scott Alexander with two outs in the ninth before Yordan Alvarez sent him to third on a groundball single that rolled just past diving second baseman Gelof. But Alexander struck out Tucker to send it to extra innings.
The Astros had a runner on first trailing with one out in the seventh when pinch-hitter Jon Singleton hit his first career triple off the wall in left-center to cut the lead to 2-1. Pinch-runner Jason Heyward took over for him and scored when Altuve hit a bloop single to shallow center field to tie it.
Oakland starter JP Sears allowed four hits and walked two in six scoreless innings.
Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti tied a season high by allowing seven hits with two runs in 6 2/3 innings. It was his first start since he permitted nine runs — three earned — while getting just two outs in a 12-5 loss to the Reds.
Brent Rooker hit a one-out single in the first and moved to third on a single by J.J. Bleday. The Athletics took the lead when Rooker scored on a sacrifice fly by Shea Langeliers.
Oakland extended the lead to 2-0 when Gelof sent the first pitch of the second inning to the train tracks atop left field for his 17th homer this season.
Trainer’s Room
Athletics: RHP Osvaldo Bido, who was scheduled to start Tuesday’s game, was instead placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to Sunday, with right wrist flexor tendonitis. … LHP Brady Basso and 1B/OF Ryan Noda were recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas and INF Tristan Gray was optioned to Las Vegas. … OF Miguel Andujar had core muscle surgery Tuesday with Dr. William Meyers at the Vincera Institute in Philadelphia. He will return to Oakland to begin rehabilitation.
Astros: OF Chas McCormick left in the middle of the fifth with right wrist discomfort.
Up Next
Houston RHP Hunter Brown (11-7, 3.41 ERA) opposes RHP Joey Estes (6-7, 4.46) when the series continues Wednesday night.
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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:
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.
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