(SportsNetwork.com) – The Oakland Athletics try to secure their first winning
streak of the season on Tuesday night when they continue a three-game series
with the Houston Astros.
The Athletics got homers from Billy Butler, Brett Lawrie and Marcus Semien in
Monday’s 8-1 win. Butler connected on a three-run shot, while Lawrie and
Semien had solo blasts. All three homers came off Houston starter Scott
Feldman.
Scott Kazmir didn’t need such support in following up a stellar season debut
last Wednesday against Texas, in which the lefty yielded just one hit and
struck out 10 over seven scoreless innings. He went six innings versus the
Astros, fanning eight and permitting only a solo homer to Jose Altuve and two
other hits.
“We have to put teams away when we have the chance,” said Butler, who has hit
safely in all eight games this season. “That’s what we did tonight.”
Feldman, on the other hand, couldn’t duplicate a solid effort in his previous
outing, getting battered for all eight runs — seven earned — and 10 hits
over five innings.
“I don’t think Feldman had his good stuff today,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch
said.
Altuve broke out of an early-season slump by recording three of Houston’s five
hits, while Evan Gattis snapped an 0-for-23 skid to begin the season by
singling in the ninth.
Oakland’s Kendall Graveman looks to rebound from a rough first career start
tonight.
The 24-year-old righty put together a solid spring, but was hammered by Texas
on Thursday, as he was drilled for eight runs — seven earned — on seven hits
and two homers over 3 1/3 innings of a 10-1 loss.
“I didn’t make a lot of pitches, didn’t locate well, and they made me pay for
it,” said Graveman. “I gotta change speeds more, I gotta locate better and
give my team a chance to win. I didn’t do that today.”
Asher Wojciechowski was scheduled to start tonight for the Astros, but he
ended up throwing four innings of two-hit relief of Feldman last night. So
Houston optioned the right-hander following the game and activated Brad
Peacock from the 15-day disabled list a bit earlier than expected.
Peacock will start tonight after rehabbing from hip surgery he underwent in
October. The right-hander went 4-9 with a 4.72 earned run average in 28 games
(24 starts) last season.
He is 1-3 lifetime versus Oakland with a 5.19 ERA in seven career meetings
with Oakland.
The A’s were 11-8 versus the Astros last season, splitting 10 games in
Houston.
