by Charlie O Mallonee

OAKLAND–The A’s who were swept by the first place Houston Astros over the weekend ended up with a record of 8-12 and their 3-7 in their last ten games and they’ve lost four in a row. Part of that four in a row were the sweep to the Houston Astros. Something that I did pick up on that I found very interesting is that the A’s home record right now is just 3-7 because of that sweep.

Their not going to get it done with that record, traditionally they say you got to win two out of three at home and .500 on the road to finish well enough to get in to the playoffs. Obviously looking at that 3-7 home record that’s not going to get it done. If we’ve learned anything over the weekend this is not your father’s Houston Astros.

They might be your grandfather’s Houston Astros because the Astros were a pretty good ball club a couple of generations ago. What we’ve seen over the last few years the Astros were a team that languished at the bottom of the National League where they made the transition into the American League. They hadn’t done much better we knew they were a team that was a in major rebuild when they came into the A.L.

The Astros who are in first place with that rebuilding program is starting to payoff and they are currently in first place in the A.L. West with a record 12-7. They’ve won four games in a row and their 8-2 over their last ten. If you look at the games over the weekend you have to focus on pitching. Particularly for the A’s on Friday night that game went 11 innings.

The Astros won the game by a score of 5-4 it was a real pitchers duel in that game and the A’s starter Scott Kazmir went seven innings he gave up five hits, no runs, struck out seven, walked three. Astros pitcher Dallas Keuchel pitched nine innings gave up two hits, no runs, struck four and walked just two. You pitch nine innings and no hits your going to come away with a victory and neither one of the starting pitchers figured in the final decision.

Charlie O does an A’s commentary podcast each week on http://www.sportsradioservice.com