Framber Valdez threw seven quality innings, Christian Walker homered and drove in three runs and the visiting Houston Astros posted a crucial 11-5 victory over the Athletics on Thursday in West Sacramento, Calif.
Valdez (13-11) struck out 10 while allowing just one run on seven hits and two walks. Jose Altuve, Isaac Paredes and Carlos Correa each drove in a pair of runs for Houston (85-74), which snapped a five-game losing streak and briefly pulled within a half-game of the Detroit Tigers for the American League’s final wild-card spot.
The Tigers (86-73) restored a one-game edge over the Astros with a 4-2 win Thursday night at Cleveland. Detroit also holds the tiebreaker over Houston, so the Astros must win two more games than either the Tigers or the Guardians (86-73) this weekend in order to qualify for the postseason.
J.T. Ginn (4-7) allowed seven runs on six hits across 3 2/3 innings, striking out four and walking three. Top AL Rookie of the Year candidate Nick Kurtz slugged two homers for the Athletics (75-84), who had their two-game winning streak snapped.
After Paredes was hit by a pitch and Correa walked with one out in the first, Victor Caratini’s RBI single and Walker’s run-scoring groundout gave Houston a 2-0 lead.
Zach Cole began the second with a double. After Mauricio Dubon walked, Altuve drove in the Astros’ third run on a double to left. Houston tacked on with Paredes’ RBI single and Correa’s grounder to third, extending the visitors’ lead to 5-0.
Taylor Trammell began the fourth with a single and Altuve drew a one-out walk, which was followed by Paredes’ single to left to push the Astros’ advantage to 6-0.
After striking out Correa, Ginn was replaced by Brady Basso, who surrendered a walk to Caratini and single to Walker that made it 7-0.
Dubon drove in Houston’s eighth run on a double in the fifth before Altuve’s single gave Houston a 9-0 edge.
Kurtz’s 393-foot solo shot stopped the bleeding for the A’s in the sixth, cutting the deficit to eight.
Houston added on in the seventh as Dubon’s walk and Ramon Urias’ single were followed by Correa’s RBI ground-rule double.
After Osvaldo Bido allowed one run in 2 1/3 innings in relief for the A’s, Scott McGough entered in the eighth and surrendered Walker’s 24th homer of the season on the first pitch he delivered.
Kurtz muscled his second homer of the afternoon and 35th of the season in the eighth off reliever Enyel De Los Santos.
Nick Hernandez allowed doubles by Shea Langeliers and JJ Bleday to start the ninth, which trimmed the Astros’ lead to 11-4. After Hernandez walked Max Muncy, Bryan Abreu entered and recorded the game’s final three outs.
–Field Level Media
