by Jerry Feitelberg

The game between the Houston Astros took almost four hours to play. The A’s and Astros entered the sixth inning tied at two apiece.  From the sixth to the ninth the two teams scored fifteen times. The A’s had eight and Houston scored seven. Four of the five home runs hit occurred after the sixth inning. It was a the hottest day of the year at O.co. The temperature at the start of the game was eighty-three degrees and probably got two or three degrees warmer later in the afternoon. The A’s sent Left Felix Doubront out to pitch. Doubront went six-plus innings allowing four runs on eight hits. Doubront earned his third win of the season. Mike Fiers, who pitched a no-hitter against the LA Dodgers about ten days ago, started for Houston. Fiers took the loss and his record with the Astros is now 2-1.

The ball was flying all over the park Monday. The A’s hit two home runs while Houston hit three. The A’s bullpen couldn’t keep the Astros down as they kept coming back. The A’s responded each time to hold on for the win.

There were several key hits for the A’s. Coco Crisp had a pinch-hit double to drive in two. Billy Burns singled in the sixth to also drive in two. Josh Phegley hit a key two-run blast. They A’s needed all the offense output as the bullpen gave up five runs in relief of Doubront. Lawrie’s error in the eighth opened the door for Houston as they scored three unearned runs.

The Astros took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Astros’ right fielder, George Springer, led off with a double. He advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Jose Altuve. Springer scored on a Carlos Correa ground out to short. A’s first baseman, Mark Canha, tied the game at one with a solo home run into the left-field seats about six rows back of the BBQ Terrace. Thirteenth homer of the year for Canha.

The Astros regained the lead in the second. Marwin Gonzalez led off with a double. Chris Carter walked to put men on at first and second with no out. Former A, catcher Max Stassi laid down a beautiful sacrifice bunt to advance the runners. Jake Marisnick flew out to Josh Redick in right. Reddick’s throw home was not in time, and Gonzalez slid in safely under the tag. Brett Lawrie almost caused Reddick to drop the ball and as a result, Reddick had to double clutch the throw.

The A’s tied the game in the bottom of the fourth. Danny Valencia, who just missed a double down the left field line by an inch, walked leading off the inning. Brett Lawrie drilled a ball to left-center that made it past the Houston outfielders to the wall. Left fielder Jake Marisnick blocked Carlos Gomez view of the ball, and that allowed Lawrie to reach third with a triple.

The A’s scored six runs in the bottom of the sixth to take an 8-2 lead. The A’s benefited from four walks and four hits to score the runs. The key hits were a pinch hit double by Coco Crisp. Crisp doubled off the wall in deep right field with the bases loaded to drive in two. The A’s loaded the bases again with just out. Billy Burns singles to drive in two more. Mark Canha drove in the fifth run of the game with a single. Danny Valencia ground out into a force out to drive in Burns with the sixth run of the frame. A’s lead 8-2 after six.

The Astros scored four times in the seventh. Jonath Villar, pinch-hitting for Chris Carter, sent a Doubront pitch into the second deck in left field. Max Stassi singled to bring out Bob Melvin. Melvin took Doubront out of the game and brought in Fernando Rodriguez to pitch. Rodriguez struck out Marisnick but walked George Springer to put two men on with two out. Astros’ shortstop, Carlos Correa, took Rodriguez deep for a three-run dinger to bring the Astros within two of tying the game. Rodriguez retired Carlos Gomez for the final out. A’s lead 8-6 in the middle of the seventh.

In the bottom of the seventh. A’s catcher, Josh Phegley, hit a towering blast with a man aboard, to put the A’s ahead 10-6. The Astros scored an unearned run in the top of the eighth. Evan Gattis popped up to short right field. Brett Lawrie, shading his eyes from the sun, dropped the ball for a two-base error. Gattis tagged and took third on a fly ball out to deep left field. Gattis scored on a ground ball out to second. Jed Lowrie hit a pinch-hit single, and that was followed by a Jake Maresnick home run to left centerfield. Pomeranz is done, and Edward Mujica is brought in to get the last out of the inning. A’s now own a precarious 10-9 lead in the top of the eighth. Astros have hit three homers in the last 1 and 2/3rds innings. Pomeranz was done in by the error. He went just 2/3rds of an inning allowing two hits and three runs. All the runs were unearned.

The A’s brought in Sean Doolittle to close out the game. Doolittle has missed most of the season due to shoulder problem. He worked hard to get his velocity and location back, and Bob Melvin rewarded him bringing him to close out the game. Doolittle delivered. He retired Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa on just two pitches. Doolittle then struck out Carlos Gomez to seal the win for Oakland. 10-9 Final.

Game Notes- With the win, The A’s snap a five-game losing streak and snap a season-high five-game losing streak at home. The A’s have homered in their thirteenth consecutive games (seventeen home runs in that span) The A’s are 21-23 on Labor Day since moving to Oakland. Billy Burns was 2-for-5 and recorded his 41st multiple hit game. Burns also has fifty hits on the first pitch and is just four behind Carney Lansford’s team record.

The Astros have lost four of the last six games. Last year’s chumps are trying to become this year’s AL West champs, but they are just 29-26 against the AL West and are 27-39 on the road. Today was Game one of an eleven-day, ten-game road trip. Houston goes to Anaheim and Texas after the three-game set with Oakland.

Sean Doolittle earned his first save of 2015. He threw five pitches, all strikes. Retired Altuve and Correa on Popups and then struck out Carlos Gomez to end the game.After the game Doolittle said “it was great to do this at home.”

Game two of the three-game series will be played at the O.co at 7:05 pm. The A’s ace, Sonny Gray will pitch for Oakland, and he will be opposed by former A’s star, left Scott Kazmir. Gray wants to get back on the winning track and Kazmir would like nothing better than to beat his old team.

Time of game was three hours and fifty-three minutes. It is the longest nine-inning game of the year at home for Oakland. 22,215 people were on hand on the hot Labor Day holiday to watch the A’s prevail.