Oakland, CA (SportsNetwork.com) – Jose Altuve hit a three-run homer and the
Houston Astros rolled to a 9-3 win over the Oakland Athletics on Saturday.
Altuve homered off A’s rookie Kendall Graveman, who was charged with six runs
on nine hits in just 4 2/3 innings.
George Springer added a solo homer and Jed Lowrie knocked in two runs for the
Astros, who were coming off a 5-4 win over the A’s in 11 innings on Friday.
They have won six of their last seven and are 10-7, their best 17-game start
since 2006.
Scott Feldman (2-2) pitched well until giving up three runs in the seventh
inning, including two on Eric Sogard’s triple. He struck out six, walked two
and allowed five hits in 6 2/3 frames.
It was a much better showing than Monday when the 32-year-old righty gave up
three homers and seven earned runs in just five innings in a loss to Oakland.
Graveman (1-2) got his first major league win on Tuesday against Houston but
was knocked around in this one. The 24-year-old righty has an 8.27 ERA in his
first four MLB starts.
“It was a struggle for him early on,” said A’s manager Bob Melvin. “His ball
wasn’t really sinking or moving. He left some pitches in the middle of the
plate … not his best day.”
All nine runs in Friday’s series opener were scored after the ninth inning,
but the Astros got started early in this one.
Altuve was picked off after hitting a single on the first pitch of the game,
but Luis Valbuena followed with a double and scored on Lowrie’s two-base hit.
Altuve’s three-run blast over the left-field wall with two outs in the second
inning was his second homer of the season. The Astros tacked on two more runs
with a two-out rally in the fifth, which included an RBI single from Lowrie.
Chris Bassitt relieved Graveman in the inning and uncorked a wild pitch that
scored the second run.
Houston scored twice again in the seventh for an 8-0 lead with one of the runs
coming home on Chris Carter’s single.
The A’s didn’t have a hit until the fourth inning and didn’t cross the plate
until their three-run rally in the bottom of the seventh. Sogard delivered the
big blow, a triple to the right-center field gap that chased Feldman.
Springer hit a leadoff homer in the ninth inning, his second of the season.
Game Notes
Houston is 3-2 against Oakland this season … Astros righty Asher
Wojciechowski will try again for his first major league win in Sunday’s finale
and lefty Drew Pomeranz will pitch for Oakland.
