The Athletics arrived in Houston on Monday night in an unfamiliar situation, holding a three-game lead over the struggling fourth-place Astros.
The final result was all too familiar: Houston hit two home runs from Alex Bregman and a two-run double within the eighth inning to beat the A's 9-2 at Minute Maid Park.
Houston, the six-time American League West champion within the last seven years, improved to 16-25 and the A's improved to 19-24 after the primary game of a four-game series.
The Astros, who scored six runs within the seventh and eighth innings, have won 11 of their last 14 games against the A's in Houston and 17 of the last 21 overall.
“They had extra runs, which we've been able to prevent for most of this season, but not in the last few days,” A's manager Mark Kotsay told reporters. “These guys are professional batsmen, they have a strong line-up and if you make a mistake you will be punished.”
Bregman hit a solo home run for Houston within the fourth inning, his second of the season, and added his third within the seventh off reliever Mitch Spence to make the rating 4-2.
Houston opened the sport with 4 runs within the eighth inning, with Bregman hitting a two-run double off reliever Easton Lucas and Victor Caritini adding one other two-run double down the left field line.
The A's helped tie the rating for Houston within the inning with a walk by Lucas and an infield error by shortstop Max Schuemann.
Houston scored within the seventh to make it 5-2 when Jose Altuve hit a single off Jake Meyers, who walked, stole second and advanced to 3rd on a throwing error by catcher Shea Langeliers.
Starter Ross Stripling (1-7) pitched five innings, giving up 4 hits and three runs — two earned — with two walks and a strikeout. His counterpart, Spencer Arrighetti (1-4), also pitched five innings and yielded five hits and two runs, each earned with two walks and five strikeouts.
“We're certainly aware of the Astros' record, but it doesn't appear to be their offense,” Stripling said. “We poked the bear a little bit with Bregman and hope we didn’t get him going too much today.”
Houston, which scored within the second on an RBI groundout by Jon Singleton and within the third on a run-scoring double by Kyle Tucker, added one other rating within the third on a solo home run by Bregman off Stripling to go up 3-1 within the lead within the fourth.
The Athletics edged Arighetti within the fourth when Brent Rooker doubled down the road within the run and Tyler Soderstrom scored with a single to left center. In the fifth, the A's made it 3-2 when JJ Bleday brought home Abraham Toro, who had walked and stolen second base, with a double.
The A's tied it within the eighth after Soderstrom Rooker doubled to 3rd with two outs, but Pressly, trailing 3-1, got here back and struck out Seth Brown.
Remarkable
– Stripling acknowledged the A's are feeling the pressure of losing Paul Blackburn, Alex Wood and Joe Boyle to injuries.
“A turnaround in the rotation where we lost Boyle, Blackburn and Woody,” Stripling said. “Me and JP (Sears) were joking about how we were pitching in a bubble and just trying to stay healthy. That’s a difficult turn of events when you’ve played the same five for over a month and lost three of them.”
– Esteury Ruiz, who led the majors with 67 stolen bases last season, is struggling in that area in a part-time role. Ruiz, filling in for Brett Harris firstly of the seventh, was ejected by Caritini during a steal attempt on backup Bryan Abreu. Ruiz has 4 stolen bases and has been ejected 4 times this season.
— The Athletics committed three errors, giving them 34 this season.
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