UVALDE STRONG
Astros honor Uvalde with special Game Day experience and huge win
Aug 15, 2022, 1:26 pm
Astros superstar José Altuve signs autographs before the game. Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images.
The Houston Astrosbested the Oakland A’s on Sunday, August 14, marking a full Oakland sweep and capping a Hall of Fame Weekend that saw the long-awaited return of hometown hero Lance McCullers Jr. the day before.
But the real winners were the hundreds of fans from Uvalde, Texas who witnessed Alex Bregman blast another Breggy Bomb and pitcher Christian Javier secure the win.
The Astros delivered some 3,500 total tickets to the Sunday game to the Uvalde community and also chartered 10 buses to bring approximately 500 members of the community directly impacted by the horrific tragedy at Robb Elementary on May 24.
This trip from the team was part of owner Jim Cranes commitment and invitation to residents when he and members of the Houston Astros Foundation visited the grief-torn community in July, as CultureMap previously reported.
As for the all-inclusive Game Day experience, Uvalde group was allowed to participate in a pregame Q&A with Jose Altuve, Lance McCullers Jr., Alex Bregman, and manager Dusty Baker.
The eager Uvalde visitors were also given the opportunity to walk around the field on the warning track, take in views of the ballpark, snap photos, and mingle with and get autographs from the welcoming Astros players.
According to Mark Berman, Alex Bregman came through with a home run for a young girl from Uvalde.
Before the game a young girl from Uvalde asked Alex Bregman (@ABREG_1)to hit a home run & he did,helping the Astros win&win 1 for Uvalde on Uvalde Strong Day at MMP:”It was really cool, anything we can do for them. As soon as I got to the dugout Dusty said hey u hit 1 for Uvalde” pic.twitter.com/5oiduK7Pxn
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) August 14, 2022
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Coming off a dominant offensive performance, the Houston Astros return to the field Wednesday night looking to keep their momentum rolling against the Athletics. Cam Smith’s four-hit breakout powered a 13-3 rout on Tuesday, and now the Astros aim to take control of the series in Game 3 of the four-game set.
Houston, sitting atop the AL West at 42-31, will send left-hander Framber Valdez to the mound. Valdez has been in strong form all season, posting a 7-4 record with a 3.10 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 2025. He’ll be looking to build on Houston’s recent pitching success. The Astros have held opponents to a 2.60 ERA over their last 10 games while going 7-3 in that span and outscoring opponents by 24 runs.
The A’s will counter with veteran right-hander Luis Severino, who enters with a 2-6 record and a 4.47 ERA. While his season has been inconsistent, Severino still has the ability to miss bats and will look to keep an Astros lineup in check that’s hitting .271 over its last 10 contests.
The Athletics come in at 30-45 overall and 13-24 at home, and though they've dropped three of four to the Astros this season, the power potential is always there. The A’s have launched 92 home runs so far — seventh-most in the majors — with Tyler Soderstrom and Max Muncy continuing to anchor the offense. Soderstrom has already racked up 14 homers and 45 RBIs on the year, while Muncy has gone deep three times over his last 10 games.
Houston’s offense has been steadily rising, fueled by key performances from both veterans and emerging talent. Jeremy Peña continues to provide steady production with 15 doubles and nine homers on the year, while rookie Cam Smith has caught fire, going 14-for-40 with four doubles and two homers in his last 10 games.
The Astros are 33-13 this season when they out-hit their opponent, and they’ll look to follow that blueprint again Wednesday. First pitch is set for 10:05 p.m. EDT in West Sacramento, with Houston holding a 3-1 edge in the season series.
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -162, Athletics +136; over/under is 9 runs
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