By Kahlil Najar

Houston – The Oakland Athletics (15-8) put up a seven spot in the top of the ninth and beat the Houston Astros (7-17), 12-5. The A’s 12 runs are a season high for the team and they came after scoring ten runs last night against these same Astros. Daric Barton was the hero of the game tonight when he smacked a single off of Jose Altuve that landed in right field and scored three runs to give the A’s the lead. This was an extraordinarily long affair that lasted over four hours and the play wasn’t great by both teams as they combined for four errors and left a combined 21 runners on base.

After only four innings of play, the Athletics and Astros were tied at five runs a piece. Josh Reddick got the A’s on the board first when he hit a deep shot to center field that scored Alberto Callaspo and landed him safely at third. While on third, Daric Barton hit a grounder to center field and scored Reddick to give the A’s a 2-0 lead. After a single to Eric Sogard and a walk to John Jaso, hot hitting Jed Lowrie came up to the plate with the bases loaded and hit a line drive single to right field which scored Barton and Sogard and brought the lead up to 4-0.

Houston got on the board in the bottom of the third when Altuve doubled to left field and scored Villar to make it a 4-1 A’s lead.

In the fourth, the A’s John Jaso hit a sac fly to left that scored Sogard for his second run of the game and gave the A’s a 5-1 lead headed into the bottom of the fourth. The Astros scored four runs in the bottom of the inning thanks to a throwing error from Josh Donaldson that scored two and a single by Dominguez to make it a 5-5 game.

The top of the ninth was a mess if you are a Houston Astros fan. The A’s sent up 12 hitters in the inning and made the Astro relievers throw 53 pitches. It all started when Brandon Moss was hit by a pitch and then moved to second on a single by Callaspo. Craig Gentry laid down a bunt that was recovered but not thrown to any base so the bases were loaded for the A’s with no outs. Barton came up to the plate and smacked a single at Altuve who was playing in and scored Moss and Callaspo. When Astros right fielder George Springer couldn’t get the ball on the first try, Genrty scored all the way from first and gave the A’s an 8-5 lead.Nick Punto came up next in relief of Sogard and hit a double to right field that put him at second and Barton on third. Coco Crisp grounded out after Punto but was able to get Barton across the plate and make it a 9-5 lead for the A’s.

Derek Norris then hit his second double of the year and score Punto from second and made it an even 10-5 lead for the A’s. After a ground out from Lowrie, Josh Dondalson came up and hit his third 2-run homer of this series and make it a 12-5 lead.

Fernando Abad came in to close the game in the bottom of the ninth. After a fly out by Dexter Fowler, Abad hit Jason Castro on the backside. Both sides were warned and Houston Manager Bo Porter was eventually thrown out by home plate umpire Jordan Baker after he came out to argue something that Baker didn’t agree with. Adab then got a strike out and a fly out to end the game.

Both teams head back to Minute Maid field tomorrow at 4:10 pm PST when the A’s put up Dan Straily (1-1) against Dallas Leuchel (2-1).