By DANIEL DULLUM
Sports Radio Service
Thursday, April 24, 2014

What sophomore jinx?

Josh Donaldson is doing his best to face down that old baseball superstition. He belted two home runs Thursday in Oakland’s 11-1 rout of the Astros at Houston.

This was Donaldson’s first career multi-home run game. The hard-hitting third baseman connected in the first inning and the seventh.

Alberto Callaspo added a two-run homer in the third inning, Coco Crisp and Brandon Moss each hit an RBI single, and Jed Lowrie collected three hits – including an RBI double – for the Athletics.

A’s starter Scott Kazmir (3-0) struck out seven in six innings while giving up five hits and one run. In the process, Kazmir lowered his earned run average to 1.62.

Brett Oberholtzer (0-4) took the loss for Houston. He surrendered six runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings. The Astros scored their only run on a bases- loaded walk issued to former A’s farmhand Chris Carter in the bottom of the first inning.

The Astros, one of the better fielding teams in baseball, were plagued by five errors.

The four-game series continues Friday, with Jesse Chavez (1-0) on the mound for Oakland, facing the Astros’ Brad Peacock (0-2). Game time is 5:10 p.m. Pacific.