Oakland A’s Sky Bolt rounds the bases after belting his third home run of the season against the Houston Astros in the bottom of the fourth inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Mon Jul 25, 2022 (photo @Athletics)

Houston (64-33) 5.  7.  0

Oakland (36-6)  7. 10. 1

Monday, July 25, 2022

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–The A’s last faced 11 year veteran Jake Odorrizi a week ago Sunday, when he got to him for three runs, all earned, in 5-1/3 innings in a game that Oakland won but in which Houston’s starter didn’t figure in the decision.

A week before that, he gained his fourth win of the season, shutting out the green and gold in the Coliseum on four hits over seven innings. He returned to the scene of the crime this evening with a record of  4-2, 3.56 for the division leading Astros, who could boast of a 64-32 record when the A’s sent 27 year old rookie Adam Oller, a native of Conroe, TX, three hours’ drive from Houston, to toe the rubber against the Astros. In Texas, that’s a hop, skip, and a jump.

In his last mound appearance, Oller, who took the mound at 0-3,8.56,  started and went 4-1/3 frames against Odorizzi and Co., surrendering three runs, all earned, on six hits, two of them home runs, and, like Odorizzi, came out of it with a no decision.

But before the first pitch was thrown in anger, the A’s announced that they had optioned David McKay to Las Vegas. McKay made his Oakland debut Sunday, relieving Paul Blackburn in the fifth and allowing a run on four hits in 2-2/3 innings.

Seth Brown, who popped out to third in his eighth inning pinch hitting appearance in the same game, was placed on the paternity list. You could say that he popped out in the transaction. Replacing them were infielder Jonah Bride, returning from the injured list, and left handed pitcher Sam Selman.

Odorrizi managed to get through five plus frames. Although he left two posthumous runners on board, none of them scored.  His line for the night was six runs, all earned, on seven hits, two of them homers,  and a walk. He recorded two strikeouts and threw 81 pitches, 56 counted as strikes. He took the loss, dropping his record to 4-3,4.25).

Oller also lasted five plus innings, leaving ahead 6-2 with two men on base and nobody out in the top of the sixth. He threw 71 pitches, 42 of them considered strikes). He was charged with four runs, three of which earned and one posthumous.

He gave up four hits, one of which went the distance, and two walks, while striking out four. He got the win, and his record now stands at 1-2, 8.07).

Houston didn’t waste much time getting the upper hand. After

José Altuve lined out to right to open hostilities, Jeremy Peña parked a 3-2,  94mph four seamer  in the right field stands, 366 feet from home plate.

Oller settled down, allowing only a walk before Tony Kemp led off the bottom of the third, with the score still 1-0.  After two pitches to Kemp, it was knotted at one all.  The A’s left fielder slammed an 88mph cut fastball over the fence in right field, 374 feet deep, for his fourth round tripper and 17th run batted in of the season.

An inning later, the home team foiled The Curse of the Lead Off Double. In this case, it was Ramón Laureano’s two bagger to center field that opened the frame and led to the A’s putting five tallies on the board. 

After Laureano took second on Sean Murphy’s fly to center, Odorizzi issued a free pass to Chad Pinder. Elvis Andrus brought Laureano home with a single to left that sent Pinder to second. After Stephen Piscotty flew out to right, Kemp whacked a double to the base of the centerfield wall at the 400 foot sign, scoring Pinder and Andrus.

That made it six total bases and three runs driven in in two at bats for Kemp and a 5-1 lead for the Athletics. Skye Bolt made it 6-1 by taking Odorizzi deep to right on a 92mph four seamer that travelled 379 feet. It was Bolt’s third dinger and fifth RBI.

The Astros also defeated The Curse of the Two Out Double by smacking them back to back. Aledmys Día and Chas McCormick went to right field to perform their Zombie Jamboree (“Back to back and belly to belly. / I don’t give a damn. I done that already”). But that’s all they got, and, half way through the game, Oakland led 6-2.

The Houston sixth also featured a lead off double, this one by Peña off the Rickey Henderson Field sign in left center. Yordán Alvarez’s full count walk that followed signaled the end of Olller’s tenure on the mound. Domingo Acevedo relieved him and got Alex Bregman out on a fly to center. Then he tried to pick Alvarez off at first and threw the ball into the visitors’ bullpen, which allowed Peña to score and Alvarez to take third.

Acevedo then hit Yuli Gurriel with a pitch. With Díaz at the plate, the Astros pulled a double steal, which brought them to two runs of the A’s, who now led 6-4.

Dusty Baker yanked Odorizzi with no one out in the bottom of the sixth, after Pinder and Andrus had singled, respectively, to right and left. Phil Maton was his replacement. Maton called on a pitcher’s best friend, 6-4-3, before getting Kemp to ground out to second to end the inning.

AJ Puk took over mound chores for the green and gold in the top of the seventh. He set the Astros down without a hit or run, although he needed an around the horn twin killing to offset the third strike wild pitch he unleashed to Korey Lee, which had allowed the Houston receiver to reach first after being fanned.

Bolt led off the Oakland seventh against Maton with a single up the middle that just eluded the grasp of the diving Peña. Allen and Machín went down swinging. Then Baker called on Ryne Stanek to face Laureano.

The speedy Bolt stole second on Stanek to the A’s right fielder, putting a potential much needed insurance run in scoring position. But Laureano took a split fingered fastball for a called strike three.

Puk flirted with danger in the Houston eighth, walked Peña on five pitches to open the frame. But he caught Alvarez looking at four seam strike three and retired Alex Bregman on foul fly to first on which Pinder made a nifty over the shoulder catch. Zach Jackson then entered the fray to retire Díaz on a less challenging foul to first.

Murphy led off the home half of the inning by slicing a double down the right field line. He took third strike when Stanek’s first offering to Pinder was a wild pitch and, after Pinder went down swinging, scored on an Andrus base knock to left. The Curse of the Lead Off Double, be damned! Stephen Vogt came up to pinch hit for Piscotty and grounded into a double play, Peña unassisted to Gourriel.

Lou Trivino started the top of the ninth as the intimate gathering of 4,105 fans held their breath. He got Díaz to ground out to third, where Machín made a neat play. Then the inevitable happened, Chas McCormich took him deep to right, drawing Houston to within a two runs of tying the game. Jake Meyers made the second out, bouncing out to short.

Then JJ Matijavic, pinch hitting for Lee, singled to left, bringing the top of the lineup to the plate. Altuve dropped a perfect bunt just to the left of home for a single, and now the tying run was on first. Trivino now had to face Peña. He struck him out on a 1-2 slider.

The save was Trevino’s ninth in 11 opportunities.

There were several scouts assessing the Athletics roster with an eye to the August 2 trade deadline. Even more are expected for tomorrow’s match up, in which Frankie Montás (3-9, 3.19) is scheduled to strut his stuff against Luis García (8-5, 3.65). Game time will be 6:40.