Oakland Athletics’ Sean Murphy (12) scores on Houston Astros catcher Martin Maldonado, right, and pitcher Framber Valdez (59) in the top of the fourth inning at the Oakland Coliseum Sun Jul 9, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum

Saturday, July 9, 2022

OAKLAND – Houston’s Framber Valdez threw a complete game on Saturday. Unfortunately for the Astros lefthander, his eight innings of work also included a wild pitch and a passed ball, which both contributed to Oakland’s 3-2 come-from-behind win at the Coliseum.

Sean Murphy opened the Athletics’ fourth with a single to right and moved to second on a one-out walk to Elvis Andrus. Stephen Piscotty then singled to left-center to load the bases.

Seth Brown reached on a fielder’s choice that drove in Murphy and moved Andrus to third and Piscotty to second while Brown was out trying to advance on the throw, A passed ball charged to catcher Martin Maldonado allowed Andrus to score and Piscotty to move to third. Piscotty scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch by Valdez (8-4).

From there, the A’s bullpen did the rest after A’s starter Zach Logue (3-4) was pulled after five innings. A.J. Puk, Domingo Acevedo, Azch Jackson and Sam Moll held Houston scoreless on one hit between the sixth and eighth innings.

In the Astros ninth, Lou Trivino issued a one-out walk to Kyle Tucker, followed by a single by Yuli Gurriel before retiring pinch-hitter JJ Martinez on a line out to center to earn his seventh save.

Houston took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second on a run-scoring single by Chas McCormick and an infield groundout by Martin Maldonado. Both runs were charged to Logue.

Valdez gave up three runs – two earned – on four hits and two walks while striking out three. He threw 96 pitches. Gurriel was 2-for-4.

Murphy had two of Oakland’s four hits.

The A’s and Astros wrap up their weekend series on Sunday at the Coliseum. :Lefthander Cole Irvin (3-6, 3.35) will start for Oakland, facing Houston rigfhthander Jake Odrorizzi (3-2, 5,04 First pitch is scheduled for 1:07 p.m.

A’s ACORNS: The Athletics traded catcher-infielder Christian Bethancourt to the Tampa Bay Rays Saturday in exchange for a pair of minor leaguers – righthander Christian Fernandez and outfielder Cal Stevenson. Bethancourt is expected to bolster the Rays’ catching depth. … Astros manager Dusty Baker was ejected from the game in the eighth inning for arguing balls-and-strikes. … Attendance was 10,054.