By Matthew T.F. Harrington

The Oakland Athletics showed one of the top homer happy teams in the majors Monday night that you don’t always need the long ball. Sometimes a couple of single base knocks can do the trick.

A pair of run-scoring singles, one in the 2^nd and another in the 6^th inning, pushed the A’s (14-26) to a 2-1 victory over the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park Monday night. Eric Sogard and Brett Lawrie picked up an RBI each while the recently acquired Edward Mujica picked up the road victory with a scoreless 1 2/3 innings of relief.

Oakland starter Drew Pomeranz suffered a very minor letdown compared to his last outing, a 7 inning, two-run performance against the Boston Red Sox. It was the pitch count and not the vaunted lineup of the American League leading Astros (25-14) playing spoiler. The hard-throwing southpaw lasted only 4 1/3 frames, surrendering a measly two hits, but walking five on the night.

Pomeranz opened the contest on rocky footing, plunking the fleet-of-foot Jose Altuve for the free base to open the contest. Altuve then pilfered second, his 14^th steal of the season, before advancing to third on Jonathan Villar’s sacrifice bunt. The hirsute Evan Gattis brought the 2014 major league hits leader home with a sacrifice fly to right to put the home team ahead 1-0 after just one inning.

Astros starter Lance McCullers, making his major league debut Monday, didn’t get to experience a lead in the Bigs for long. In fact, it lasted only a few outs. After a one-out second inning double by Max Muncy, the bespectacled Sogard singled through the right side to pull Oakland even. Like Pomeranz, McCullers’ evening was a short one. The 21-year-old lasted 4 2/3 innings, walking three while punching out five.

McCullers was lifted for reliever Joe Thatcher, who was relieved of the tie an inning after finishing off the fifth inning. Thatcher (0-1, 3.38 ERA) faced three batters in the sixth without recording an out, coughing up a leadoff single to Billy Butler before losing Stephen Vogt and Muncy on back-to-back walks.

Will Harris took over for Thatcher, but allowed the game-winning hit to Lawrie. It was the first RBI Lawrie’s collected since May 5^th. Harris wiggled out of the jam with a force-out at home and a twin killing to minimize the damage.

The A’s bullpen, one-time beleaguered, turn in a gem. Winning pitcher Mujica (2-1, 3.44) pitched 1 2.3 scores with a pair of Ks, before turning the game over to Evan Scribner. Scribner picked up the hold, punching out two Astros over his two innings of work, making way for Tyler Clippard to convert his 4^th save of the campaign on a 1-2-3 inning.

The A’s now are poised to win the series with ace Sonny Gray taking the mound opposite Roberto Hernandez and his 4.12 ERA. Wednesday’s finale features Jesse Hahn going toe-to-toe with Dallas Keuchel, the top arm in Astros manager A.J. Hinch’s rotation.