The Oakland A’s Khris Davis swings for an RBI double in the sixth inning against the Houston Astros on Tuesday in the first game of a doubleheader at the Oakland Coliseum (AP News Photo)

Oakland 4 8 0

Houston 2 7 0

Astros home team

Seven Innings (First Game)

September 8, 2020

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–Perhaps the most consequential development arising from the opening game of this afternoon’s double header between the battered division leading Oakland Athletics (24-14 at game time) and their closest competitor in the AL West, the Houston Astros (21-20), was the return of Marcus Semien to the A’s lineup after 10 days on the injured list.

He started the first game, playing short and batting second. Actually, he batted second and then played short because that game was a make up for the one postponed in Houston on August 30, so Oakland played the afternoon contest at the Coliseum as the visitors. Nonetheless, the team wore its home whites.

MLB’s pandemic protocols also mandate that twin bills be seven inning affairs and allow the teams participating in them to add an extra player to their rosters for the occasion. The A’s chose James Kaprielian, who they’d acquired three years ago as part of the Sonny Gray trade with the Yankees

The. Astros also were able to reactivate an outstanding infielder. Alex Bregman came off the IL to play third and, like Semien, bat second. Both teams still are without the services of one other outstanding infielder. José Altuve still is on Houston’s injured list, and Matt Chapman, while in uniform, wasn’t on the field.

The mighty Zach Greinke (3-0, 2.91) kept the A’s off balance with his assortment of hesitation offerings for the first two innings. Then Khris Davis unloaded on a 90 mph four seamer for a lead off home run to right center field that put the Athletics up, 1-0. It was the struggling slugger’s second round tripper of the season.

Chad Pinder followed up on Davis’s blast with a hard single to the left side of the infield that neither Bregman nor Carlos Correa could handle. After Sean Murphy struck out and Tommy La Stella walked, the A’s second baseman advanced to second on a ground out by Semien and scored on Ramón Laureano’s single to left.

Montás wasn’t dominating, but he was effective. He allowed at least one hit in each of the five innings he pitched, but he always shut the door on the ‘stros until he finally wavered in the fifth. He struck out Jack Mayfield to open frame but then allowed a single to left by George Springer.

The A’s starter almost escaped this time,too, but Michael Brantley, who had doubled down. the right field line in the second and sliced another to left in the third, knocked a 96mph fast ball over the fence in right to knot the score at two,

The A’s came roaring back against Greinke in the sixth. Laureano doubled to right and advanced to second on Olson’s ground out to second. Robbie Grossman’s dying quail to center fell in for a hit,and the A’s were back on top, 3-2.

After Mark Canha flew out to left, Davis came through again, this time with an RBI double to right center. The A’s almost added to their lead in the top of the seventh against Humberto Castellanos, but a sparkling pick up of and throw home by Carlos Correa cut Murphy down at plate.

Montás evened his record a 3-3 and lowered his ERA to 5.73 with five innings of six hit ball. He walked one and struck out three. His pitch count was 79 with 50 strikes. Jake Diekman pitched an inning of hitless relief, and Liam Hendricks earned his eleventh save with a one hit ninth.

Greinke was charged with his first loss of the season and now is 3-1, 3.27.

Game two will start at 6:10. Chase De Jong will go for Houston, and Mark Minor will have his first start for the A’s.