A'S DEFEAT ASTROS
Astros come up short again losing to the A's, 5-4
Sep 11, 2024, 10:30 pm
The Athletic's lead the series 2-0. Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images.
Kyle McCann hit a two-run homer, Brent Rooker had two hits and two RBIs and the Oakland Athletics beat the Houston Astros 5-4 on Wednesday night.
The Astros have lost three straight games and their lead in the AL West has narrowed to four games over Seattle with 17 to play.
Houston also lost All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve, who exited after the fifth inning with right side discomfort. He called manager Joe Espada and the trainer out after a swing on strike two of his at bat in the fifth. He completed the at bat, striking out on a bunt attempt, but did not take the field in the sixth.
McCann hit a two-run homer off Hunter Brown (11-8), and Rooker hit an RBI single off Caleb Ferguson as the A’s plated three to take a 5-3 lead in the sixth. Rooker also had an RBI single as part of two-run third that tied the game at 2-2.
The Astros took a 2-0 lead in the second on a sacrifice fly by Jake Meyers and an RBI single by Mauricio Dubón. Yordan Alvarez scored on a Max Schuemann error in the third to give the Astros a 3-2 lead.
Kyle Tucker hit an RBI single in the eighth to cut the deficit to one, but Tyler Ferguson got Ben Gamel to fly out to end the inning.
Oakland's Joey Estes (7-7) surrendered three runs on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. Mason Miller pitched the ninth for his 24th save.
Lawrence Butler extended his hitting streak to 19 games with a single in the fifth.
Brown yielded five runs on nine hits with seven strikeouts in five innings.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Athletics: RHP Ross Stripling was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to Monday with a lower back strain. LHP Kyle Muller was selected from Triple-A Las Vegas to take Stripling’s place on the roster. LHP Jack O’Loughlin was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.
Astros: OF Chas McCormick was out of the lineup Wednesday with right wrist discomfort after exiting Tuesday’s game.
UP NEXT
Astros LHP Framber Valdez (14-6, 2.97 ERA) starts opposite Athletics RHP Mitch Spence (7-9, 4.42 ERA) in the series finale Thursday.
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The Houston Astros (81-69, first in the AL West) will face the San Diego Padres (86-65, second in the NL West) on Tuesday night in San Diego. After the Padres took the series opener, both teams will look to continue their push toward the postseason.
Pitching Matchup:
- Astros: Hunter Brown (11-8, 3.59 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 168 strikeouts)
- Padres: Michael King (12-9, 3.06 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 191 strikeouts)
Brown will aim to keep the Astros in control of the AL West, while King seeks to build on his strong season as the Padres fight for a playoff spot.
Team Outlook: San Diego holds a 41-35 record at home and has thrived when hitting for power, going 38-13 when hitting two or more home runs. They’ll rely on key players like Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr., who has been on a hot streak with four homers in his last 10 games.
Houston, meanwhile, remains dangerous on the road with a 39-37 record. They have been efficient offensively, going 62-9 in games where they score five or more runs. Jose Altuve continues to be a key contributor with 29 doubles and a .302 batting average, while Yainer Diaz has been swinging a hot bat recently.
Recent Form:
- Padres: 6-4 in their last 10 games, hitting .279 with a 2.70 team ERA and a run differential of +16.
- Astros: 6-4 in their last 10 games, hitting .291 with a 3.91 ERA, outscoring opponents by 13 runs.
With both teams in good form, Tuesday's game promises to be another competitive matchup.
Betting Line: Padres -115, Astros -104, over/under 7.5 runs.
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*ChatGPT aided with this article.