Shea Langeliers homered for a second consecutive game and a quartet of pitchers paced the Athletics to a 5-1 win over the host Houston Astros on Saturday that clinched this four-game series for the visitors.
Langeliers’ three-hit performance on Friday was overshadowed by the historic display from rookie Nick Kurtz (four home runs, 19 total bases) in the Athletics’ 15-3 victory. In helping the A’s take a 5-4 season series lead over Houston, Langeliers provided the decisive tally.
The Athletics took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning against Astros All-Star right-hander Hunter Brown. Fellow All-Star Brent Rooker produced an RBI double off the left field scoreboard that plated Kurtz, who worked a one-out walk, from first base. Brown later issued a two-out walk to Tyler Soderstrom before concluding the frame with no further damage and 28 pitches on his ledger.
Brown retired the Athletics in order in the second and third innings and recorded two quick outs to open the fourth. But he allowed hits to Miguel Andujar, Carlos Cortes and Kurtz over the final seven batters he faced, and that laborious first frame prevented Brown from working deep into his start.
Brown (9-5) needed 98 pitches, with only 54 strikes, to complete five innings as he allowed one run on four hits and two walks with five strikeouts. The Athletics fouled off 15 pitches against Brown, who recorded only 10 whiffs and extended his winless streak to four starts.
Astros left-handed reliever Bennett Sousa replaced Brown to open the sixth, and that’s when Langeliers struck, smoking a line drive out to left field for his 16th home run and a 2-0 lead.
Houston sliced that deficit in half in the bottom of the sixth. Athletics starter Jacob Lopez did not survive the fifth despite carrying a shutout into that frame. He surrendered two hits and four walks with four strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings, but ceded the mound to reliever Justin Sterner. Jose Altuve struck out and Zack Short was thrown out trying to steal second base for an inning-ending double play.
Christian Walker doubled and scored off Sterner (3-3) in the sixth, but the Astros were later stifled by Athletics left-hander Sean Newcomb, who notched four strikeouts over two innings. Lawrence Butler followed with his 15th home run, a three-run blast to right in the ninth off Astros reliever Hector Neris, before Athletics closer Mason Miller worked a perfect ninth in a non-save situation.
–Field Level Media
