Photo credit: @astros

By Matt Harrington

The Oakland A’s fell to the Houston Astros 3-2 on the road Friday in a pitcher’s duel between Frankie Montas and Collin McHugh. Carlos Correa hit his first longball of the season and Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve knocked in runs for the 2017 World Champions. Ramon Laureano knocked in a pair of runs to continue a torrid 2019.

Montas wasn’t particularly sharp, allowing seven hits over hit innings, but he stymied a potent Houston lineup to just the two earned runs. Alex Bregman singled a run home in the bottom of the third for a 1-0 lead, then Correa’s big fly gave Houston a 2-1 lead an inning later after Laureano’s run-scoring single in the top of the frame.

Laureano accounted for two of the three hits off Houston Starter Collin McHugh. McHugh went six, allowing the one run while working around three walks with four punchouts. His pen was particular stellar, going three innings with just the one run allowed by Roberto Osuna in the ninth inning.

The run, a second Laureano RBI single, would cut the gap for the A’s, but Houston took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the seventh after Jose Altuve doubled off JB Wendelken to knock in George Springer.

The Astros send free-agent acquisition Wade Miley to the mound Saturday in his second starting in the year after losing his first appearance. Aaron Brooks makes his second start of the season for the Green and Gold after baffling the current world champ Red Sox to no runs on six innings and two hits.