The Oakland A’s pitcher Sean Manaea heads to the A’s dugout in the fifth after being lifted by manager Bob Melvin as the A’s struggle with the Houston Astros in game 2 in the ALDS at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles (AP News photo) 

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Houston Astros won Game Two of the best-of-five series against the A’s by a score of 5-2 Tuesday afternoon in Los Angeles. Oakland now has tow win three in a row to advance to the AL Championship Series. Will it be difficult?

Yes, it will. It can be done. In 1984, the Chicago Cubs won the first two games of the series with the San Diego Padres. The Friars stunned the Cubs, winning the next three to eliminate them. The A’s know that if they lose Wednesday’s game, their season is over.

The A’s drew first blood in the bottom of the second inning. With one out, A’s DH, Khris Davis, hit his second home run of the series to give the A’s an early 1-0 lead. The lead didn’t last long as Houston put two on the board in the top of the third.

With Josh Reddick on first and two out, Houston’s hot-hitting centerfielder, George Springer, blasted his first career home run off Sean Manaea to give the Astros the advantage 2-1.

Houston put one on the board in the fourth. Their DH, Michael Brantley, doubled to right. Kyle Tucker’s infield single sent Brantley to third. Carlos Correa drove in Brantley with Houston’s third run when he grounded out.

The A’s third baseman, Chad Pinder, led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a solo home run to make it a 3-2 game. The A’s didn’t know that was the last time they would score.

Houston put the game away in the fifth. Catcher Martin Maldonado ended Sean Manaea’s day when he homered to left. A’s manager, Bob Melvin, replaced Manaea with Yusmeiro Petit. Petit had the unenviable task of facing George Springer.

Springer had four hits in Monday’s game and had homered in his last at-bat. Springer, who had fourteen homers in the regular season, hit his second dinger of the game to give Houston a 5-2 advantage.

The A’s bullpen shut down the Houston offense the rest of the way. They did not allow a hit over the last four and 2/3rds innings of play.

The Houston bullpen stopped the A’s cold. After Davis’ single in the fourth, the A’s offense went to sleep. They retired thirteen A’s hitters in a row. Marcus Semien ended the drought in the ninth with a single. Houston closer, Ryan Pressley retired Tommy La Stella for the first out in the ninth. He got Pinder to ground into a game-ending 6-4-3 double play. The Astros win 5-2.

Game Notes- The line score for Houston was five runs, six hits, and no errors. The Line for Oakland was two runs, six hits, and no errors.

Five home runs were hit in the game. Houston hit three. The A’s hit two.
Sean Manaea was the losing pitcher. Manaea went four and 1/3rd innings. He allowed four runs, five hits, and two home runs. Yusmeiro Petit allowed one run, which was Springer’s second homer of the game.

Lefty Framber Valdez was the winning pitcher. He went seven innings and allowed two runs and five hits.

Game three will be placed Wednesday afternoon at Dodger Stadium. The Astros will be the home team. The teams have not announced the starting pitchers. The game will start at 12:35 pm.